Welcome! My name is Sally. This is my blog about plumbing. I decided to start writing about plumbing after a very scary experience. I arrived home from work one day only to discover that a pipe burst in my home. When I opened the front door, I saw a torrent of water pouring down the stairs. I panicked and ran next door to my neighbour. Luckily, he used to work as a construction contractor, so he has a lot of experience in dealing with household problems. He helped me to turn off the mains water and helped me to mop up the mess. After this event, I decided I wanted to learn more about the plumbing in my house, so I went to a night school class.
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A qualified plumber will always be your best option when it comes to dealing with blocked drains. However, depending on the extent of the blockage, you may be able to clear your drains on your own using one or more of several simple plumbing tools.
You will not require any special skills to work these simple tools in clearing blocked drains. However, you will need to be a little careful to avoid any damages. Some of these tools you can modify from other things you have at home, while you may have to buy others from the store.
1. The Coat Hanger
You can easily straighten out your coat hanger and use it to clear blocked drains. Although it may not reach as far down the drain, you can expect good results if the cause of the clog is superficial, such as hair down your shower drain. Apart from pulling out what is causing the clog, you can also use the straightened hanger to rigorously push into the clog. Both techniques are very effective in clearing blocked drains.
2. The Plunger
The common household plunger can be quite effective in clearing blocked drains. What you will need to do is simply position the plunger's suction cup over the clogged drain and plunge several times until your drain clears. For quicker results, you should choose a plunger size that is just right for your drain because you will need to create a complete seal around the drain. Plungers are readily available in different stores.
3. Plumber's Snake
Sometimes, your plunger may fail to get the job done for clogs that are a little more difficult. For these kinds of clogs, especially those caused by an obstruction further down the drain pipe, a plumber's snake, also known as a drain auger, may do. You should be able to find a plumber's snake at our general and hardware stores.
Simply insert the snake into the clogged drain, and twist the handle as you gently keep feeding the cable. You will be able to feel the resistance once the snake reaches the obstruction causing the clog. The obstruction will disintegrate as you push the snake further into it. You can also pull out whatever is causing the obstruction as you pull the snake back out.
Whether or not to give any of these fixes a try is up to you. If you are unsure or don't see any results, be sure to call your plumber.
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