Five Tips for Fixing a Clogged Drain

You have been waiting for a few minutes for the sink to drain but the water doesn’t seem to be moving. You know what that means: A clogged drain. While you may not know what is preventing the water from going down, you may be able to fix the drain with a little information and a lot of elbow grease. If not, it’s time to find a plumber!

Here are a few quick and simple tips to help you fix a clogged drain so that you can get back to using your plumbing the way you want and need.

Use Your Wet Dry Vac

Do you have a Wet/Dry vac sitting in your basement or garage? If so, then it might be the perfect way for you to suck out whatever is clogging your drain. Before using your vacuum in the sink, make sure that it is set to handle liquids and not solids. Otherwise you might have a real mess on your hands.

Use an attachment that creates the best seal over the drain. You could even use a plunger head or some other rubber gasket to help you create the seal. Now, fire that vacuum up and see if it can dislodge the clog.

Straightened Wire Hanger

Sometimes clearing a drain clog is as easy as breaking up whatever is causing the clog, which can sometimes be done with a tool as simple as a regular wire hanger.

Find one that isn’t being used and straighten it out. You can even create a small hook on the end if you would like to pull out anything like hair that might be caught down there. Then, just drop the hanger into the drain and start fishing around. You want to pull gunk up, not push it down more.

Boiling Water

Some fixes are truly simple, requiring minimal effort. One such solution to fix a clogged drain is by using boiling water. Drop a kettle or pot on the stove and bring some water to a boil. When it’s ready, drop the hot water carefully down the drain. Break your pour up into three or four separate chunks.

This will allow the hot water to work on the clog and keep a steady stream of heat on it.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Lastly, you can use a simple solution of baking soda and vinegar to disintegrate the clog and clear your drain.

There are a couple of ways to do this little trick. First you could mix the two together and as they begin to fizz drop them down the drain. The other way is to put the baking soda in first and then drop the vinegar in.

Whichever method you use, the mix will quickly get to work on any hair, grime or other nastiness that is clogging up the drain. After about an hour or two you should be able to flush the drain with hot water.

Fix a Clogged Drain and Preserve the Health of Your System

Dealing with a clogged drain can be one of the most frustrating circumstances you’ll ever deal with as a homeowner. Fortunately, as we’ve seen, with a few tips and the right tools you can keep your drain clear and your plumbing up and running. Fix a clogged drain as soon as possible and save yourself a lot of time, money and frustration down the line.