Plumbing issues may be frustrating, especially when they take forever to clear. The water and sludge seem to take an eternity to drain, and when they do, they leave a greasy residue in your bathtub or sink.
Your home’s slow drains may be the only source of the issue. A much more serious issue could be a backed-up septic system, which can occur if more than one of your drains is slow. The city’s sewer department should be contacted if you detect a sewer odour or see raw sewage in your basement if your system is connected to a city line. Professional septic tank cleaning services are needed if you have a stand-alone septic tank and system at your home.
Plunging technique
If you assumed that plungers were just used in toilets, you should reconsider that assumption. When dealing with unusually slow drains, plunging should be your primary course of action because a simple plunging will often resolve minor drain obstructions in any of the drains in your home; therefore, you should plunge as soon as possible. However, in an ideal situation, you would have a plunger that was specifically designed for your toilet, as well as separate ones for your showers, bathtubs, and sinks. Unclogging drains in your home (the drains that aren’t attached to your toilet) with a plunger that has a cup-shaped head can be done as follows:
If you want to build a closed system before plunging a drain that has an overflow opening, you need to block that entrance first. Overflow drains are meant to catch water, not to drain it, so if the overflow drain is left open, the plunger will basically suck air from the drain to the overflow opening, which will do nothing to loosen the debris.
- Following the blockage of the overflow opening, if needed, the plunger should be positioned appropriately. Put the plunger base’s outer ring in the correct location so that it completely covers the drain opening.
- Begin by filling the sink, shower, or bathtub with a little quantity of water—just enough to submerge the cup of the plunger.
- Push the plunger firmly in both an upward and a downward direction in a controlled manner, taking care not to break the seal that is created between the drain surface and the cup of the plunger. Before determining whether or not the pipe is draining properly, it is necessary to do the action of moving up and down about six to ten times.
- To evaluate the efficacy of the drain, you need just take out the plunger and watch how fast the water travels through the pipe. If the drainage is still noticeably slower than usual, you will need to repeat the plunging operation until the obstruction is removed.
Fill the Drain with Steaming Water
This trick for unclogging drains is perhaps the least difficult of them all: To start dissolving the material that is causing the drain to get blocked, all you need to do is pour a couple cups of boiling water down the drain that is stuck. Because blockages in kitchen sink drains often consist of considerable amounts of oil and food particles, this trick is typically the most successful when used to such jams. If you’re having trouble clearing a blockage with boiling water alone, it may be time to contact the plumbing experts at a drain cleaning company. Boiling water is an effective method for dissolving food matter or at least loosening it.
It is important to keep in mind that porcelain sinks are susceptible to cracking when exposed to hot water; as a result, even if this technique is really easy, it is not the best option for many homeowners. Because it is obvious that boiling water may also pose a serious risk to one’s safety, it is imperative that this hack for cleaning drains be handled with the utmost caution.
Cleaning a Slow Drain with Baking Soda and Vinegar
Baking soda and vinegar are two basic home chemicals that may be used to clean a wide variety of surfaces and objects. Baking soda and vinegar, together with the assistance of hot water, are two other effective ways to unclog a drain that is moving slowly. It is recommended that you measure out the baking soda ahead of time and store the containers in the kitchen or bathroom where you will be cleaning the drain. Using baking soda and vinegar, this is how to clean a drain that is moving slowly:
1. Put the water in the kettle you have on the stove, and heat it until it boils. As soon as it begins to whistle, take it off and gently move the kettle to whatever drain you are attempting to unclog. Carefully direct the majority of the hot water down the drain, being sure not to splash yourself in the process.
2. Drain half a cup of baking soda. Use a skewer, fork, or Q-tip® to help push the baking soda down the drain if there is a stopper on your bathroom sink.
3. After mixing together one cup of white vinegar and one cup of hot water, pour the resulting solution down the drain and on top of the baking soda. The interaction between the baking soda and vinegar will result in bubbling as a side effect. Because of this reaction, the muck that has accumulated in the drain pipe will become easier to remove.
4. Plug the drain or lock the stopper. Let it settle for ten minutes.
5. During the ten-minute period, bring a second pot of water to a boil. After ten minutes, pour the hot water down the drain carefully, taking care not to spill yourself.
6. Start the hot water running. If the water drains the way you want it to, you are all set. If it is still sluggish, you may either repeat the instructions or give one of the techniques that are listed below a try.
How to Use Dish Soap to Clear a Slow Drain
Do you know that dish detergent may be used to unclog a clogged drain? Yes, you read it correctly. Even if you don’t have a stopper in your bathroom sink, there are ways to get the detergent down the drain without using a measuring cup. So, here’s how to use dish detergent to speed up a clogged drain:
- Use dish detergent to flush the toilet. Use a full cup for a stiffer clog.
- Do not flush the detergent down the toilet for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, start heating up some water in a kettle.
- Using caution, remove your kettle from the burner and transfer it to your sink. Avoid splashing yourself by slowly pouring the water from the kettle down the drain.
- If the water is draining correctly after flushing the drain with hot water, you’re good to go.