4 Drain Cleaning Tricks To Try Before Calling A Pro

Dealing with drain cleaning is a borderline inevitability at most homes and places of business. You may be wondering, though, if you have a situation that calls for professional attention. Let's take a look at four tricks you may want to consider before you call a drain cleaning services provider.

Boiling Water

This technique is usually best for drains that are going down slowly rather than completely clogged. If you have one or two tea kettles that can boil water, simply do that. Pour the first batch the drain the first time to break things up, and then try it again a few minutes later. This method is best in situations where fat is the primary cause of the clog so it's probably not the go-to option for a shower drain, for example. Conversely, it might be worth a try if you're dealing with a kitchen sink.

A Plunger

First, to be clear, you should only use a plunger that you're 100% sure has never been used on a toilet or a sewer drain hole. You don't want to risk contaminating other areas of your home. Plungers are cheap so just swing by your local discount or hardware store to get the smallest one you can find that'll fit over the drain that's causing problems.

After that, it's mostly about elbow grease. If you're dealing with a bathroom sink that has a button you depress to open the drain, you may need to hold that down while you plunge the drain to keep the hole open. Once you've plunged it pretty aggressively, run the water for a moment to see how well it drains. Give it a few more tries before moving on to another option.

The Sink Trap

Many drains have S-shaped traps underneath them. These can be easily disassembled, and you can try to manually remove anything that might be clogging the sink. If there's nothing in the trap, you may have a bigger-than-expect problem further down the line that probably needs professional attention.

Drain Cleaners

Chemicals and surfactants are usually best used on clogs that show little to no sign of drainage. You've hit it with hot water and a plunger, and there's still no sign of hope. Follow the instructions on the bottle and hope for the best.

You can try hitting it again with hot water and a plunger after this. Realistically, though, your options are now exhausted and it's time to research plumbers in your area for professional help.