10 Tips to Clear a Blocked Drain Without Calling a Pro

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Do you remember the last time your sink or tub drain was clogged? It might have been a few days ago, or maybe even a few weeks ago. You may not remember it right now, but you will soon enough…because it will happen again! Even though they’ll never tell anyone, plumbers cringe when they see homes that have combined their sink and bathtub drains. The plumbing layout makes these two drains prime targets for clogs. If you have a blocked drain at home, don’t panic just yet! There are ways to get rid of that pesky hair trap and unblock your sewer once again. Here are 10 tricks to clear a blocked drain without calling a pro.

Know your drains

You can’t fix what you don’t know. First, you should know if you have a clogged sink drain or clogged shower drain. A clogged sink drain can be caused by a number of things including a buildup of food particles, a buildup of hair, soap scum, or something stuck to the drain itself. A clogged shower drain is usually caused by a buildup of hair and soap scum. For a sink, you may need to use a plunger to unclog the drain. If you have a clogged shower drain, you’re going to need to use a combination of tools to get rid of the hair trap.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

If your sink is clogged, you can try unblocking it by pouring one cup of baking soda into the drain followed by one cup of vinegar. This will create a bubbling reaction which is powerful enough to break up even the toughest clog. Let the baking soda and vinegar sit for about 30 minutes before pouring boiling water down the drain. This will help to neutralize the baking soda and will also help to clear out any remaining debris. If you have a clogged shower drain, you can use this same trick. Pour one cup of baking soda into the drain followed by one cup of vinegar. Let it bubble it for around half an hour before pouring one cups of boiling water down the drain. This trick works for all types of clogs and is a good way to clear a clogged drain without using chemicals.

Hot Water

One way to unclog a drain is to pour a cup of boiling hot water down the drain. The hot water will loosen up any clogs so they can flow freely down the drain. Do note that this trick works best on hair clogs. If you have a soap scum clog, this trick won’t work very well. If you have a clogged shower drain, pour a cup of boiling water down the drain while the water is still hot. Be careful not to burn yourself in the process. Let the hot water sit in the drain for around 15 minutes before pouring more hot water down the drain. Repeat this process until the clog is cleared.

Dish Soap

If you have a clogged sink drain, you can try to clear it with a combination of dish soap and boiling hot water. Pour a small amount of dish soap into the drain followed by hot water. Let this sit for around half an hour before pouring more hot water down the drain. This trick works best for hair clogs and can be used for sinks and bathtubs alike. If you have a clogged shower drain, you can use this same trick. Pour a small amount of dish soap into the drain followed by hot water. Let the soap and water sit in the drain for around half an hour before pouring more hot water down the drain.

Rubber Gloves and Hanger

Another old school hack to clear a clogged drain is to use a rubber glove and a hanger. Put on a rubber glove and take a hanger and straighten it. Then, push the hanger into the drain until you hit a clog. Once you hit a clog, turn the hanger 90 degrees and push it into the clog even further. Once the hanger is all the way into the clog, turn it so that the clog is caught on the hanger. Take the rubber glove off and put the hanger through it. Then, pull the hanger and the clog out of the drain. This trick works for all types of clogs including hair clogs and soap scum clogs.

Plunger

A plunger is one of the most common ways to unclog a drain. If you have a clogged sink drain, all you need to do plunge it. First, make sure there are no foreign objects in the drain that you could accidentally plunge further down, as they could get stuck in the sewage system. Then, fill the sink with water using a bucket. After the water is in the sink, place the plunger on the drain and push down. This will create a suction that is powerful enough to break up most clogs. Repeat this process a couple of times until the clog is cleared. This trick also works for a clogged shower drain. Plunge the drain just like you would a sink drain and hopefully, the clog will clear.

Sewer Snake

If all of the previous tricks fail to clear a clog, you may have a clog that is too tough for you to break up by hand. In this case, you may need to use a sewer snake. A sewer snake is a long cable with a spiral on the end. You can use this to clear a clog that is too tough for you to break up by hand. First, shut off the water to the house so you don’t accidentally flood your house while you’re working. Next, find the sewer line in your house. This can usually be found in the basement of most houses. Once you’ve located the sewer line, open it up and feed the sewer snake into the pipe until you hit a clog. Then, pull the snake back out of the sewer pipe and hopefully, you’ll have cleared the clog. This trick works for all types of clogs including hair clogs and soap scum clogs.

Chemical Drain Opener

If all of the aforementioned tricks don’t work, you may have a clog that is too tough for you to break up by hand. In this case, you’ll need to open up the sewer line and use a sewer snake to clear the clog. Before you do this, you’ll want to make sure that the clog isn’t in your home’s plumbing. To do this, shut off the water to the house and then flush the toilet. If the toilet drains, the clog is in the sewer line. If the toilet doesn’t drain, the clog is in the house’s plumbing. i hope you are able to identify the source of the clog based on this information. If the clog is in the sewer line, you’ll want to use a chemical drain opener to break up the clog. This trick works for all types of clogs including hair clogs and soap scum clogs.

Conclusion

Blocked drains are a common problem in homes. There are many ways to unblock a drain without calling a pro. You can use baking soda and vinegar, hot water, rubber gloves, a hanger, a plunger, or a sewer snake. You can also use a chemical drain opener if all of these tricks fail to clear a clog. If you are ever in doubt about whether you can clear a clog yourself, or whether you need to call a professional, remember these three things - time, technique, and tools.