The joys of living in a personally owned house are many, but they come with a complete package of problems that you will have to tackle. Utility bills, upgrades, repairs, and maintenance are some of the everyday worries on the list of owners. Neglecting any one of them will end up in a disastrous situation the very next moment.
Plumbing issues are the most common example of such cases that will leave you in a helpless and frustrated state across the state of California. They might start with bowls and sinks taking longer to drain, and you might think that you can still run with it for a couple of more weeks. But unfortunately, that’s the mistake that might make you open your front door only to step into a pool with all your belongings floating around in it.
Many people who are inexperienced with managing their house or too ignorant of choking drains and pipes often have to deal with these situations. They shoulder the repairs to solve these problems and also have to bear the damages resulting from it. Los Angeles is providing its people with such companies who have specialized employees in this area and people call them for reliable services. It might even make some residents feel that it’s better to consider renting apartments instead of taking on the worries of buying one yourself, but that’s giving up too soon.
While facing any plumbing problems, having some reinforcements in the form of tools and knowledge is all you need to fend them off. There’s also the option of using things that you can easily find in your house if a DIY solution is what you are after. Or, the best way out is to hire some professional help to get rid of the mess for you. For instance, drain cleaning in Irvine, CA, is amongst the most pursued professionals for dealing with these problems for good. All you need is to reach out online, and they will take care of the job for you.
However, if you feel like trying your luck before getting a bill from the plumbing company, here are some of the most useful tips to clear blocked drains and pipes. These might not always work, but they can save you from a troublesome situation.
1. A MIX OF BAKING SODA & VINEGAR
It might be a general home remedy, but it does pack a punch against clogged drains for logical reasons. Baking soda and vinegar are substances of opposing properties and undergo a fizzing reaction when you combine them.
Mix them in equal quantities, pour them down the drain right after, and let it sit for a while, preferably overnight. The fizzing will help get rid of the grime and hair that’s blocking those pipes. Once done, flush it with some hot water to clear any residues clung to the pipes.
You can also choose to put them in your pipes one after the other, but make sure that you are using equal quantities. That should release all the dirt that blocking your drains.
2. RUNNING BOILING WATER
Boiling water is another easy option on this list. All you need to do is pour down a couple of buckets down the line that seems clogged. That hot running water will loosen the grip of the grease that’s narrowing the stream of flow and get it flushed along with whatever dirt is blocking them. Just make sure to take some precautionary measures like gloves and goggles before handle any boiling water for your safety.
3. WIRE CLOTH HANGERS
If you think that it’s a ball of fur or hair or some ornament that went down your drains, then a wire hanger might be handy. Straighten it out and form a hook at one of the tips to pull whatever’s blocking the pipes out of it. Make sure that the tip is not too broad, or you might end up pushing it further down the line. Pull whatever you can hook and then use the baking soda mixture or boiling water to flush what’s left down the drains. That might help clear up the dirt and grime that’s blocking them.
4. CLEANING THE U-TRAP
You will have to pull out your plumbing tools for this job. Get a wrench and loosen the nuts on the U-shaped pipe right underneath your drain. Place a bucket to collect any water before pulling it out of the joints. Next, empty its contents in the same bucket to make sure there’s nothing too big that was blocking it. Then you can move onto rinsing it with a brush to get the layers of dirt that settled onto it. Clean the joints that were holding it the same way before putting it back in.
5. DISH DETERGENTS
You can free up toilet bowls from any residual grease using some dish detergent. Pour a quarter cup of it, followed by a bucket full of hot water. The soap will act as the lubricant to loosen up whatever’s clogging it, while the water will make sure that it leaves the surface. You can go on to use a plunger following this if the problem remains unsolved. It might be a little extra effort, but that will help to get the job done.
6. PLUMBER’S DRAIN SNAKE
If it gets this far, then you need to have at least a plumber’s drain snake to help with things. It might be a low-tech piece of hardware, but it can still do wonders for you in a tricky situation. Open the sink cap and put the tip of it inside the line until you feel some resistance. Rotate the snake to release whatever is clinging to the surfaces and move anything down that’s blocking the pipes. Once that is done, you can flush some boiling water in bursts down them to make sure there’s nothing left of that dirt.
SUMMARY
These tips will eventually avoid experiencing a plumbing crisis. Hopefully, you are unlikely to face any significant trouble if you are trying these out in time. However, if none of these appear to resolve the issues, and your drains and pipes are still not flushing fast enough, then a professional plumber’s help might be your only option.
