Yep, clogged drains. They’re amongst the most common plumbing problems that homeowners and business owners face here in Melbourne and elsewhere. A lot of the time, they’re caused by us tossing stuff down that shouldn’t belong there, but even with good care and caution there’s no avoiding some gradual buildup of fats that line the interiors of our pipes and eventually cause blockages.
Here’s what you should and should not do if you’ve got a clog in your drains:
How to Tell if Your Drains are Blocked
It should be pretty obvious if your drains are blocked. Water simply isn’t draining down the pipes! It could be draining very slowly, or it could even be releasing some pretty nasty odours, making a gurgling sound, or backing up.
Seldom will your drains get all clogged up from one specific item being flushed down when it shouldn’t have. Instead, it’s more like a cumulative process where the final “straw that broke the camel’s back” is that one grease or fat poured down the drain that ends up hardening and finally clogging up the drain. This means that it’ll usually happen all of a sudden, which is why you’ll usually have to call a plumber to resolve the matter quickly.
Things You SHOULD Do if Your Drains are Blocked
So if your drains are blocked, well, you’ll know. Now what are you supposed to do about it? First and foremost, let’s narrow down a few common blockages you might have, because the method of dealing with them might be a little different.
For toilets, a clog can sometimes be removed with a good plunger. Try and get a flanged plunger (it has a rubber cylinder inside of the normal plunger and gives better suction). If that doesn’t work, you could try and dislodge the clog with a toilet snake, but don’t get too overzealous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
For sinks, pouring some hot water down the drain could help unclog it. Unscrewing the P-trap underneath the sink could also dislodge any blockages there, but don’t do it unless you have a fairly good idea of what it involves.
Shower drains are often a little tricker. Drain cleaning products could unclog it, but don’t overuse these products. Removing hairs and fats around the drain trap might also help, so try that first.
Lastly and perhaps most importantly, call a licensed plumber in Melbourne if you want fast, reliable solutions. Maybe try a few of the simpler methods above first, but if they don’t work (and don’t fret, they don’t always work) then a plumber is the right call.
Things You SHOULD NOT Do if Your Drains are Blocked
There are a few things you really shouldn’t try to do yourself when it comes to clogged drains. Firstly, don’t get too used to using chemical drain cleaning products. Yes, they can help to dissolve some clogging once in a blue moon, but over time they can wear away at the interior of your plumbing and cause even more headaches.
Next, don’t get the wise idea of jamming sharp, pointy things inside of the drain to dislodge it. Blockages might be nearby, but they’re often beyond reach, e.g. long past the toilet bowl or sink P-trap.
Lastly, don’t ignore a clogged drain. Unless it’s backing up, you might not think it’s an emergency. Perhaps it could wait a day or two at most, but don’t put off calling a plumber – the earlier, the better.
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