Your own plumber, or how to clear a clog in the bathroom yourself?
Blockages in the bathroom are a problem that often arises at the most inopportune moments.
It is difficult for an untrained person to remove blockages. The process takes a lot of time, and does not always end with a solution to the problem.
Having studied in advance all possible ways to remove blockages in the bathroom, you can achieve the desired result as quickly as possible and without much effort.
We’ll tell you in this article how to remove a blockage in the bathroom using improvised means, chemical compounds and more.
Content
Causes
The main reason why the problem of clogs occurs in the bathroom is lack of regular maintenance of plumbing products. Dirt, grease, hair and other small debris, after each use of the bathtub, settles on the walls of the drain hole, the surfaces of the siphon and pipes.
Also, the problem with frequent blockages in the bathroom may be associated with errors made during the installation of plumbing products (insufficient pipe diameter, large number of joints, incorrect slope of the drain pipe).
Depending on what caused the blockage, one or another method of eliminating the problem is selected.
How to clean using improvised means?
Before you run to the store for household chemicals, you need to try to clear the blockage using improvised means.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
The secret to the effectiveness of this product is that by entering into a chemical reaction, soda and vinegar form carbon dioxide, which pushes the clog in the narrow space of the sewer pipe.
Algorithm of actions:
- 100 grams of soda are poured into the drain hole, after which 100 ml of table vinegar is poured.
- As soon as the chemical reaction begins (determined by a characteristic hissing sound), the drain must be closed with a stopper.
- After an hour and a half, the plug is removed and at least six liters of hot water are poured into the drain.
Instead of table vinegar, you can use the juice of one lemon.
The video will show you how to clear a clog with baking soda and vinegar:
Boiling water
Boiling water will help dissolve plugs made of organic particles (such as fat). Just open the hot water tap and wait until the hot water dissolves the plug and cleans the drain pipe.
Lemon juice
This method is good when minor blockages are observed. drain pipes in the bathroom (water drains, but very slowly). It is necessary to pour freshly squeezed juice of three lemons (about 150 ml) into the drain. After an hour, the sewer system is flushed with hot water.
Table salt and soda
By mixing just two ingredients (200 grams of soda requires 500 grams of soda), you can get an effective product for cleaning bathroom drains.
The soda-salt mixture is diluted with water (one liter is enough) and brought to a boil., pour into the drain hole. After two hours, the dissolved plug in the pipes is washed off with water pressure.
Maximum effect can be achieved by using only a hot cleaning agent. It will not be possible to remove the plug with a cooled mixture.
Caustic soda
Unlike the usual baking soda, caustic soda can clear blockages in the bathroom several times faster. Everything is very simple:
- 200 grams of caustic soda are diluted in a liter of warm water;
- the resulting solution is poured into the drain and left for three hours;
- After draining the bathroom, rinse thoroughly with hot water.
How to remove a plunger, how to do without it?
The simplest device that is used to hydraulically clear a clog in a bathroom is a plunger. Active forward movements of the plunger create the necessary pressure inside the pipe, due to which the plug is destroyed.
Sequencing:
The bathtub is filled with water (the rubber bowl of the plunger must be completely covered).- The rubber bowl of the plunger is pressed tightly against the drain hole.
- Several times, actively pressing the plunger handle, pump air in the sewer pipes. Under pressure, the plug of accumulated dirt will begin to collapse.
- Good water pressure will help to completely clean the pipes (to do this, insert the flexible hose of the mixer directly into the drain hole).
A plunger helps clear plugs located as close as possible to the drain hole.
A hydrodynamic machine will help clear deep blockages. The device consists of a compressor and a hose with nozzles. Under strong pressure, water breaks up blockages through the nozzle and cleans the inner surface of the drain pipes (brush effect).
During the cleaning process, you only need to control the position of the hose and adjust the water pressure.
A visual demonstration of the process of clearing a blockage with a plunger is in the video:
Mechanical methods
A plumbing cable will help remove a dense plug in a pipe that cannot be dealt with using improvised means. This is a long (up to 10 meters) metal cable (up to 9 mm in diameter) with a spiral handle fixed at one end and a wire brush or tip with sharp peaks at the other.
How to work with plumbing cable:
- The siphon is removed and cleaned of large debris.
- The cable is inserted into the hole in the drain pipe and, carefully twisting, pushes it inside.
- At the moment when the cable rests against the blockage plug, it is slightly pulled towards itself, after which, with a little effort, it is again pushed deep into the pipe. The movements are repeated until the traffic jam is eliminated.
If the water is slowly but still draining, and there is a persistent sewer smell in the room, then most likely a blockage has formed in the siphon. It can be removed only by dismantling and cleaning this plumbing element.
Algorithm of actions:
place a rag under the siphon and install a wide basin;- carefully unscrew the fastening nut (made of plastic) located at the overflow hole;
- using a screwdriver, unscrew the fixing screw in the drain hole;
- remove the siphon, pour water out of it, unscrew the bottom and clean it of accumulated dirt;
- install the siphon in its original place;
- screw the fastener into the drain hole and tighten the plastic nut near the corrugated pipe.
When installing the already cleaned siphon in its original place, you must ensure that the drain pipe does not rest on the flask. If the connection is correct, there should be no sewer smell, and water should flow without obstruction.
Chemical compositions for use at home
On the shelves of hardware stores you can find many products to remove blockages in the bathroom. Choosing the right composition, special attention should be paid to information about what types of pipes it is intended for.
Regardless of the consistency of special means for removing blockages in the bathroom (liquid, gel or dry powder), the principle of their operation is simple: the mixture is poured or the powder is poured into the drain hole and after a while the pipes are thoroughly washed with hot water. The manufacturer indicates the holding time and volume of product used on the label.
TOP 3 most effective compositions for clearing blockages in the bathroom:
Mr.Muscle Pipe Cleaning Powder
Special granules very quickly break down layers of adhering fat, hair and other organic contaminants that clog bathroom pipes. The product is suitable for all types of pipes.
The average price is 100 rubles. (pack of 70 g).
Liquid Mole
Cleans the inner surface of adhering fat, food debris, and hair. Eliminates unpleasant odors, kills fungal and mold spores.
The average cost is 40 rubles. (bottle volume 1 l).
Gel Tiret
Removes blockages and disinfects surfaces. The thick gel penetrates deep into the pipe even in the presence of water in the bathroom. Suitable for all types of pipes.
The average cost is 480 rubles. (bottle volume 1 l).
Work to remove bathroom blockages using household chemicals can only be carried out in a well-ventilated area wearing protective gloves and a respirator.
How much does it cost to call a specialist?
When it is not possible to eliminate the problem of blockages in the bathroom on your own, a professional master comes to the rescue. How to find it?
It’s worth asking your acquaintances and friends if anyone can recommend an already proven specialist. If you cannot find a plumbing specialist based on reviews, there are a sufficient number of Internet sites of service centers that provide complete information about the availability of specialists, types and costs of repair work.
Prevention measures
Prevent clogs in the bathroom A few recommendations will help:
- after each use of the bathroom, hair must be removed from the drain;
- preventive cleaning of pipes must be carried out at least once every two weeks;
- A fine-mesh mesh installed in the bathroom drain prevents small debris from entering the sewer pipes.
Replacing (if possible) all metal pipes with plastic ones will forever eliminate the problem of rust build-up, corrosion, and frequent drain clogging.
Adviсe
Knowing some of the subtleties and secrets of clearing clogs in the bathroom will help carry out work quickly and efficiently:
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If you don’t have a plumbing cable at hand, you can make it yourself. For such purposes, three or four metal wires are twisted together.One end of the homemade torso is fluffed (the ends of the wire are bent in different directions). For convenience, the other end of the homemade cable is tightly wrapped with burlap or any other rough fabric.
- Alkaline compounds are effective in combating greasy deposits, while acid-based products are best used to remove dense blockages from hair, wool, and small debris.
- Treating the rim of the plunger with Vaseline will ensure a tighter fit of the rubber bowl to the bathtub drain hole.
All the most important and useful information about cleaning the bathroom is collected in this section of the site.
Conclusion
A little patience, accuracy and the right method and there will be no trace of blockages in the bathroom.
