Avoiding Clogged Drains
Clogged drains never happen at a good time. Despite our best efforts, things will go down the drain that may not be ideal. The setup of your drains may also not be ideal. Here are some tips and tricks to slow down the drain clogging process.
What’s Clogging Your Drain?
In a perfect world, the only things going down the drain would be water-based, human waste, and toilet paper. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Common causes of clogs are hair, food, foreign objects (like toys), “flushable” wipes, feminine hygiene products, tree roots, or the drains breaking or collapsing.
The trouble is when the items listed above go down the drain, they don’t necessarily disappear. An imperfection in the pipe can snag items, grease solidifies, or the drain line sags and flow slows down. When the flow eventually stops, that’s when you are in big trouble.
Fixing a blocked drain
First off, let me be clear. We’re not a big fan of chemicals over here. Why you might ask? For one, chemical exposure can make some people sick. The second reason is that most are quite acidic. If they don’t clear the blockage, then the plumber has to deal with a drain full of acid. Not great from a health and safety perspective.
Money saving tip! If you call a plumber during business hours, when the drain may only be slow, it’ll be cheaper. If you wait until the drain is completely blocked, it can happen at the worst time, and during times that emergency rates are charged. Also, clearing can take longer with a complete blockage.
So what options do you have? I’m glad you asked. These are ranked in order from easiest to hardest. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, skip down to the next section.
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If you still have some flow, you can try flushing the drain with boiling (or very hot) water. Water cools quickly, so this method will only help with blockages close to the sink or tub. With any luck the heat will de-solidify anything greasy and let it flow on down.
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One name brand that comes to mind is a Zip-It from Master Plumber. It looks like a zip-tie with spikes. You can put it down the drain to try and snag any clog which is made of hair and pull it back up.
Example: https://www.homedepot.ca/product/hdx-2-piece-drain-cleaning-tool/1000818036 -
Sometimes a clog just needs a little persuasion to get moving. A plunger may create just enough pressure to move it along. Block off drains connected at the same spot (like your second sink drain or overflow) before starting. If it does clear, flush with lots of water to keep it moving.
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The P-trap under the sink is a common spot for clogs to form. This is designed to be taken apart to help clear clogs and access the drains. If the blockage has hair, you may find it here. Protip: wear gloves and have a bucket handy. If there is standing water in the sink, taking this apart will be messy.
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The next step is manual removal. Augers and snakes are two terms for the same thing. There are different styles, and different lengths available. Use with caution, the rotation of the cable introduces an injury risk.
Drain is still blocked, what’s next
Time to call the cavalry. If it is after-hours or a weekend, look for a plumber who offers emergency services or advertises availability 24/7. I recommend calling or messaging directly. Emails or forms may have a slower response time. After-hours calls do have a higher cost, but if your plumbing stops working it becomes a health hazard.
When you hire a professional plumber, you get two major benefits. Their experience, and their specialized equipment. Let us know what you have tried already, and we can continue with getting your clog cleared.
What will a plumber do?
Plumbers have several methods at their disposal to clear out a stubborn clog. Which one we use depends on our conversation with you, the home or business owner. There is some cross-over from the options above.
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If plunging has not been tried, this may be attempted first. After that, a drain snake is the next step. We have three different sizes of snakes, and the one we use depends on where the clog is located. Professional snakes have longer cables, powerful motors, and various bits to tackle the clog.
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Camera inspections have two main purposes. One is to determine the cause of the clog. The second is to make sure that the clog has been cleared. Camera inspections can be done as a preventative maintenance measure as well, to ensure that pipes underground are in good condition.
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A hydro-jetter is like a pressure washer for the inside of pipes. The jetter not only breaks up clogs, but also clears the pipe walls of any other debris which may have collected over time (looking at you kitchen grease!). We have a unit perfectly sized to clear the drains inside the house.
Weirdest thing removed…?
So I asked Mike what the weirdest thing that he has pulled out causing a clog. He said he’s pulled out toys, an Avon bottle, and ANOTHER PLUMBER’S AUGER!
Clog Prevention Methods
If your drains are flowing well, or you’ve just had them cleaned out, there are some preventative measures you can take to prevent foreign material from going down.
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Unfortunately flushable wipes really shouldn’t be flushed, and feminine hygiene products should not go down the toilet. This was a common practice at one time, but neither breaks down and can cause major problems. If this has been a problem, talk about it and have alternate disposal solutions available.
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Hot water won’t fix everything, but it can be preventative for small amounts of debris. For a sink or bathtub, plug the drain, fill it up, and then drain it. For double sinks, fill both sides before draining. The amount of water and flow may dislodge buildup.
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Basket strainers and tub shrooms are two products which are designed to capture hair before it goes down the drain. Neither are perfect, but they can certainly slow down the amount of hair that goes down. Alternately, clearing hair out/off of the drain cover after you shower also helps. It’s less gross if you do it every shower rather than letting it build up.
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Sending a sewer camera down the pipe going out of your house can spot problems in your main sewer pipe. Fixing these before they get bad is imperative to prevent expensive repairs.
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In a conversation recently, a neighbour mentioned that they are super careful about what goes down the kitchen sink. They were still surprised at how much was inside the drain when it was taken apart during a reno. Little bits of grease might go down when washing dishes. Washing the inside of the drain with a hydro-jetter is one method to take care of the grease deposits which build up over time.
I hope this post was helpful in both figuring out causes and solutions to clogged drains. Remember too, if you notice that your drain is running slowly, it is easier to fix than a complete blockage. Less messy too. Mike is always happy to help you out with clogged drains if DIY solutions fail. Just give us a call.