Agravation time – plugged waste pipes
Agravation time – plugged waste pipes
This has happened to all of us – the water fast submerging our feet while are taking a shower. It’s definitely not a very good feeling! A obstructed drain pipe sounds horrible to begin with. Or while brushing your teeth by the sink, all of a sudden the sink starts to fill up. The prospect of sorting stopped drainage out is not a happy one; it can be messy and time consuming. But the fact is that sooner or later, a bathroom drain is going to become choked or suffer a stoppage. The most preferred approach is to prepare ahead of time for such a predicament by educating oneself on how to fix bathroom drainage when the drain pipes become clogged up.
Why Do They Happen?.
Blocked drainage can result from trapped solid objects such as hair, dust and particles between your bathroom drain pipe and the attached pipes. The problem gets worse when the particle build up is cemented together by the residues of detergents and cleansing cosmetic items. Finally the accumulation becomes too thick to allow any water to pass through and it is then that the drainage get completely obstructed. If the water has started building up quickly in your tub or sink, then without delay you should unclog the drain.
How do you unblock your drainage?.
If you’re facing a blocked bathroom sink or bathtub drainpipe problem, there are a couple of different things you can do to get things flowing smoothly again. The first thing you will have to do is take out the stopper of the blocked sink or drain pipe. In case of a bathroom sink, the plug can be removed easily with a simple pull or it might need the complex effort of unlocking the hook keeping it in place from under the sink. In the case of a bath, an overflow plate may have to be detached so that the entire assembly can be opened up, or there may be provision to unscrew the stopper at the drain pipe itself.
You might be able to see the reason for the blockage after you have successfully taken the plug out. It is very likely to look like a small mass of hair and debris wrapped around the drain’s hardware. Try to get hold of the mass and pull it out. If it is difficult to reach the area where the blockage is located, or difficult to grasp the mass, simply use a bent wire clothes hanger to help you do the job. Removing the hair, detergent residues and the rest of the material will surely solve your problem.
If you need to disassemble the drainpipe and notice that the clog is not even within reach of a wire hanger, you will have to try another method. Use a drainpipe plunger to loosen the blockage that is deeper down the pipework. First, cover the overflow drain with a wet cloth in order to make the air suction from the plunger stronger. Then put the plunger over the drain pipe mouth and press it up and down repeatedly. You may find that this suction-push action of the plunger loosens the plugged debris down the pipe and the collected water now drainage freely.
If the plunger also fails to clean your bathroom drain, then you should take the help of chemical drain pipe cleaner. It should be noted that chemical drain pipe cleaners should only be used as a final solution as the chemicals are harmful and could damage your bathroom fixtures and sanitary fittings.
You can always take expert help if this concerns you.
If all the steps outlined above fail to clear the choked drain, then it is best to call in a crack team – a qualified and experienced plumber or drainage contractor from your area. Plumbers are equipped with tools that can remove clogs with great speed and efficiency. Calling in a plumber does cost money, but you can then rest assured that your drains are completely cleared and will not hassle you in the near future, a good plumber will also clean up any mess created as a bonus.