Blocked Drains

You can’t go past the good old fashion plunger to force the block from the plumbing pipe. It’s the force of the push that forces air through the pipe to clear a clogged drain. Before plunging, cover the overflow with a damp cloth to ensure a drain seal and force the air out through the drain blockage. If you have a double kitchen sink make sure you block off the second drain to ensure good pressure. Try this a few times before you throw your hands in the air. Many home DIY-ers have reported this to be one of the most successful methods.

You can hire a Drain Auger (AKA Plumber’s Snake or Electric Eel) from most plumbing hire places. However, be aware that these require a bit of skill and experience. They can be quite dangerous, therefore we recommend that drain machines be operated by a certified plumber. These will unblock just about any blocked drain, including tree roots.

I know of an apprentice plumber who had a bad experience when using a snake for the first time. He yelled out, ‘STOP!!!’, to his colleague just as the toilet block was dislodged. For those with a weak stomach I won’t go any further with that story, but needless to say, his wife wasn’t too keen on a kiss that afternoon. The moral of this story is – do wear protective clothing and practice good hygiene after coming into contact with drain fluids.

The drain snake does have the potential to scratch ceramic surfaces of plumbing fixtures and drainage pipes. Drainage pipes are kind of a complicated system and need  to be dealt with professional care. We still recommend that a certified plumber, such as any Plumber from Sharpe Services, be contacted.

Many of us have been convinced that you need a full chemical arsenal to clear a blocked drain. Drain-O, Hydrochloric Acid or Caustic Soda are commonly used and are available at most hardware stores. You generally pour the substance down the affected drain, leave for 20-30 minutes (refer to instructions), and follow with cold water afterwards. Do not put hot water down immediately after the chemicals as it may spray back up in your face. Follow instructions carefully, and always wear gloves and a breathing mask when dealing with any kind of drain pipe cleaner.

If it’s just soap or fat you could try to unblock it with boiling water, but be careful not to burn yourself or melt the sink seal. Using natural enzymes is also a good place to start, so in the following order try putting 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup bi-carb, 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup hot water. This method is perfectly harmless for you, the sink, pipes, and the environment and can be repeated as often as required. However, it will have limited effect on severe blockages. Alternatively, your local health food stores or chemist may stock the bacteria based enzyme cleaners which are also quite successful at doing the job and they often smell quite pleasant too.

Before you get carried away with all of the above, check that the blockage is not in the U-bend of the sink. Often food blockages have not got further than the drain directly beneath the sink. Place a bucket under the drain to catch any water or waste, unscrew the two connections and unblock the U-shaped pipe and give it a quick clean to clear your sink drain.

Contact a licensed Adelaide Plumber at Sharpe Services, ‘We can be there Within the Hour‘ for blocked drain plumbing services. We employ experienced, fully trained plumbers. All our certified plumbers drive well-stocked vans with all the equipment required to quickly carry out most plumbing jobs be it drain unblocking, releasing clogged drains or overall drain cleaning in Adelaide.

Simply call our team on 131 750 or complete the online Service Request Form today.