If this is the first time your drain has become blocked, it’s possibly something you can fix yourself.
However, if it’s happening once a year or more often, we’d suggest you skip the DIY plumbing. Instead, get Mott Plumbing out to do a professional job, identify the cause and rectify the problem for the long-term. Unless, you’re really keen to splash around with a blocked toilet, we’d also suggest that’s something best left to us!
So, how do you unblock a clogged drain? Firstly, think about possible causes…
If it’s your kitchen sink, is it possible that liquid fat has been poured down it? If so, boil the kettle and pour boiling water into the plughole, being careful not to burn yourself. Then run the hot tap for a minute or two. If the water still isn’t draining freely, grab your plunger. Position it over the plughole and quickly press down – this will force air into the pipe and hopefully shift the blockage. When you pull the depressed plunger back up, it creates a vacuum that also serves to move blockages. Try pumping with the plunger for a minute or so to work any blockages free.
If your bath, shower or basin isn’t draining at all, or is draining slowly, start by checking the plug hole for any buildup of hair and removing the nasties. If it’s in your shower or you have an old-fashioned plughole, this should be pretty easy to fix. If your plug is one of those push lock stoppers, it’s a little more complicated. You’ll need to push the plug so it’s open and turn the disc counter-clockwise until it comes off. Remember ‘lefty loosey, righty tighty’. Once the disc is off, you can clear any hair from the crossbars. Refix the disc and see if this has solved the problem.
If clearing the plughole hasn’t worked, it’s time to grab the plunger. The cause of the blockage could still be a buildup of hair or soap. Pump for a minute or so to loosen any blockages.
If the water is still not draining freely, you have one last course of action before calling in the professionals – drain cleaner. You can usually find this at your local supermarket in liquid, crystal, gel or pellet form. Which one you should use depends on how blocked your drain is (totally blocked or slow draining) and how long you’re willing to wait for it to take effect. Enzyme activated drain cleaners are safer to use and safer for your drains, but can take 24 hours to work. Alkaline cleaners are more corrosive, but work quickly. Make sure to follow the safety instructions carefully for whichever one you choose.
Hopefully, drain cleaner solves the problem. But if it doesn’t, it’s time to give us a call. The problem could be a stubborn, bigger blockage, or it could be located further down your pipes, or it could be invading tree roots causing the problem.
Whatever the cause, Mott Plumbing can have your drains unblocked quickly, with a minimum of fuss and mess!
