Drain blockages almost always happen at the most inconvenient times and to make matters worse, blocked shower drains, toilets or slow draining sinks may damage your house. One of the most frequent causes of a blocked drain is a build-up of oil, paper, food waste, soap scum, and other debris. Our team at Queensland Coastal Plumbing on the Gold Coast are specialists in drain blockages. Our Gold Coast plumbers will swiftly unblock your drain and fix the problems that caused the blockages.
We asked the QCP Plumbing team for 5 tips on how to unclog a drain.
1) Remove the clog by hand
If the clog is near the surface of the drain and visible you may be able to remove it with your hands. Put on a pair of gloves and extract the clog as best as possible, you may also find it useful to use plastics hooks you can find at your local bunnings.
2) Use a drain snake
If you are unable to remove the clog by hand a drain snake could be a useful tool to use. A drain snake can be easily purchased from your local bunnings or supermarket. A drain snake can be an easy tool to use to unclog your drain, here’s how to use one:
Step 1) Insert the drain snake
Manually feed the end of it into the pipe or drain – if it is being stubborn don’t force it as it may cause damage.
Step 2) Uncoil the snake
Use the handle to start unravelling the coil to feed deeper into the drain pipe. When you feel resistance, you may have reached the point of the blockage.
Step 3) Attack the blockage
When you think you have reached blockage, wind the handle a little bit forwards and then backwards – repeat this process a few times. If you hear noises that sounds harsh or unusual you may be hitting the pipe – wind the handle backwards and try again.
Step 4) Complete the process
Once you no longer feel any resistance the blockage in your drain may be cleared, carefully rewind the drain snake.
3) Use a pot of boiling water
If you can’t see the clog and the drain snake has been unsuccessful, boiling water may be utilised to clear soft build up from things such as soap and toothpaste. The process may need to be repeated a few times to fully clear the clog.
4) Use a drain cleaner
A drain cleaner can be a handy way to clear drain blockages. You can purchase them from your local bunnings or supermarket such as Coles or Woolworths. Alternatively, you can use a natural drain cleaner. To make a drain cleaner you just need two simple ingredients you most likely already have in your home, white vinegar and baking soda. Begin by pouring boiling hot water down the drain- then mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of white vinegar and pour down the drain. Wait 15 minutes, then rinse with more boiling water.
5) Contact Queensland Coastal Plumbing
If you have tried the above steps and are unable to clear the blockage or would like our expert advice/service, contact Queensland Coastal Plumbing. Our team of specialist plumbers in the Gold Coast will be able to assist you in unclogging your drain promptly and resolve the issue causing the blockage.