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Every single day, every single one of us takes a shower or bath, organises another load of washing, or at least cleans our teeth. What we do a whole lot less is think about the function of our all-important drains. And we hardly ever worry if we know how to unblock a drain that has decided to stop doing its magic work.
We rely so much more than we realise it on the smooth operation of our drains all over our houses. But trust us: when a drain has decided it’s not going to get rid of another drop, unblocking drains suddenly becomes a high priority in your life.
Why? Because blocked drains are nothing but nasty. They smell, the mess is teeming with bacteria and germs, and a plumbing emergency can cost you a lot of money in damage. But mostly, a peaceful life is simply impossible if the family can’t take a shower or even run the sink for a glass of water.
The greatest scholar of the northern Renaissance was Desiderius Erasmus, who famously said “prevention is the best cure”.
And when it comes to unblocking drains and plumbing maintenance, that’s doubly true. So if your habit is disposing of grease down the drain, think again. And while you’re turning over new leaves, think about throwing some baking soda and boiling water down the drain every now and then to avoid blockages building up over time.
As we said before, baking soda washed down with boiling water works a treat when it comes to preventing blocked drains. And it works almost as well for unblocking them, too. If the blockage is proving stubborn, add some vinegar to the mix.
Grab a plunger from your toolkit, or head down to the hardware store if you don’t have one. A plunger is cheap and easy to use. It needs to be larger than the drain hole or opening. Placing it over the drain vigorously plunge up and down to loosen the blockage and help water flow freely again.
If it’s too late and your drain is blocked, baking soda and the plunger haven’t worked, next head to the wardrobe and unfold a trusty coat hanger.
Leave the hook part intact and basically go fishing! You’ll find that material in the blockage like hair will get caught in the hanger and can be removed from the drain. Be careful not to make the blockage even worse, and if you think that might be the case, head to the hardware store and ask where the drain snakes are.
If you have a blocked sink you can open the u-pipe to remove the blockage. Just remember to have a bucket under the pipe so excess water doesn’t make a mess of your vanity unit. After you unscrew the two connections the pipe is easily removed and can be inspected and cleaned.
Not even sure what a wet vacuum is? Think of a normal vacuum, and now add the variable of the wet stuff! It may just be possible to suck out the muck that has your drain so badly blocked.
To give your wet vacuum the best possible chance of success, ensure the seal is strong for maximum suction.
If you’ve been unsuccessful in clearing your drain or your not confident with a plumber’s wrench – take our advice and call an expert. Professional plumbers like Advanced Plumbing & Gas have all the know-how, experience and specialist tools that makes unblocking drains in Brisbane look dead easy.
They’ve answered the ‘How to unblock drains’ question a million times in the past with ease, so end your blocked drain dilemma right now and get in touch.
