Sometimes, you don’t have the money or the time to call a plumber. You need to get your drain unclogged right now! Don’t worry! There are a couple of ways for you to work on your own drains. If these don’t help, you will need to call a professional, but it’s worth a try to save yourself the hassle.
Chemical Solvents
One of the most popular DIY ways to clean a drain involves using chemical solvents to dissolve the drain clog. You can buy these at your local hardware stores, though places like Target and Wal-Mart often sell them, too. Read the bottles before you buy, just to make sure that you get one that’s right for your pipes and your clogged drain.
When you get home, follow the directions on the bottle. Most of the time, you pour the solvent down the clogged drain. Then you wait a specified period of time before you run water down the drain again. If the solvent has worked, the drain should be open.
Do be sure not to leave the solvent in your drain too long. Since the solvent is made to eat away at things, it can damage your pipes, especially if you leave it there for a long time.
Rent a Snake
If you don’t like chemical solvents or that doesn’t work for you, consider renting a plumbing snake from your local hardware store. Thread this through your pipes carefully. When you reach the clog, twist the snake or use the built-in mechanism to try and remove the drain clog.
Make sure that you get a snake the right diameter for the pipes you’re working on, or you risk getting it stuck. Similarly, don’t thread it more than three feet into your pipes, or it may be too hard to get out.
If you don’t want to snake your own drains or you run into problems while you’re doing it, contact us at Blue Sky and we’ll get your drain unclogged as soon as possible.