Before reaching out to plumbing professionals in Toronto for professional
drain
damage inspections, there are some handy home remedies you can try;
remedies that often clear clogs or grease concentrations within
home drain pipes.
These simple solutions can usually be completed with items you already
have in your home! Here, we have outlined ways Toronto homeowners have
thought outside-the-box to resolve problems with their
home drain pipes.
- Baking Soda Solutions
One of the more common home drain cleaning
remedies, baking soda solutions are less damaging and probably cheaper
than chemical drain cleaners. All you’ll need is regular baking soda and
vinegar. Simply pour a cup of baking soda and one cup of warm vinegar
down affected drains, and follow it after a few minutes with boiling
water.
This home remedy is just as effective at
removing clogs as chemical solutions, and much less chemically
dangerous, or corrosive to your drain pipes.
- Everyday Plumbing Tools
You’d be surprised how effective
everyday plumbing tools can be in eliminating drain clogs and performing
repairs. Namely, conventional plungers,
sink plungers and drain snakes. The plunger in your home right now can resolve
sink and bathtub clogs, as well as toilet clogs.
Fill your clogged sink or bathtub a
short way with water, and use your plunger the same way as you would
with your toilet, pressing and pulling fluidly for about half a minute.
Make sure to completely cover the drain with your plunger; you can also
use petroleum jelly, coated on the brim of the plunger, to form a
tighter seal around the drain. Move the plunger back and force
consistently to build the pressure required to disrupt clogs.
Drain snakes, typically available at
home improvements stores, can also be fed through drain pipes to
dislodge clogged substances. Buying or renting a professional drain
snake can be a cheaper alternative to
hiring a plumbing specialist for your drain repair needs.
- Don’t Forget Overflow Vents!
What many homeowners forget to consider
when cleaning clogs in their drains and repairing their pipes is their
overflow vents. These are the open slits or holes near the brim of sink
fixtures and bathtubs. These openings protect against water overflows,
and funnel gratuitous water back into your plumbing system; because of
this, they provide an additional air tunnel to your drain pipes, in
addition to the actual drain entrance.
When unclogging a drain with a plunger,
you will need to seal these overflow vents tightly to force maximum air
pressure against a clog. A wet cloth usually will do the trick, and also
catch any excess water trying to escape through the overflow vent. For
side-by-side sinks, you may need to cover both vents (and the other
sink’s drain) with a cloth, as they are likely connected to the same
drain pipe. Remembering to cover these air vents is crucial for
successful plunger solutions.
- Approach Clogs Like A Plumber
By this, we mean to approach clogged
drains and damages from a professional plumber’s perspective; know how
to navigate your pipe system, and properly dismantle or repair
individual parts.
For example, many severe clogs can be
remedied by removing your drain pipe’s plumbing trap. In most modern
systems, this trap is known as a P-trap for its curved “P” shape. The
curvature in these traps creates a water barrier between the air in your
home and the unpleasant, even dangerous natural gases in municipal
sewer
lines. It is also in this curve, however, that grease and food debris
can collect and form frustrating clogs. Plumbing traps are low-points in
plumbing systems. Following the correct steps, however, removing and
cleaning your plumbing traps can be a near effortless drain clog
solution.
Simplified, these steps are:
- Shut off water to your drain and plumbing trap
- Use conventional tools to loosen nuts connecting the trap to the
drain pipe; have a catching bucket in place for water and sludge
spillage
- Use a wire brush to clear out grease and clogging agents
- Reattach the trap to your pipes, and test it by running water and watching for leaks
For a more in-depth explanation of
plumbing trap cleaning, read our blog, “Understanding and Cleaning
Plumbing Traps.” Plumbing professionals recommended that you regularly
clean your plumbing traps, at least four times a year.
- A Sugary Solution: Soda Products
What may come as a shock to many
homeowners is that drain clog solutions on par with chemical cleaners
may be in their homes right now: sugary sodas, such as Coca-Cola and
Pepsi, can virtually eliminate buildup in your drain pipes. In fact,
cleaning your drains with soda is even safer than using chemical
cleaners, which can cause skin burns upon contact and damage your drain
pipes after extensive application.
The powerful dissolving agents in soda
products, such as phosphoric acid, break down clog materials and grease
with ease. This acid can even fight through some clogs and tough debris
buildups that regular chemical cleaners cannot. Once poured through your
drain pipes, flush the pipes with hot water to clear out the loose
grease and food materials that cause your clog.
- Easy Prevention Tips
Prevention of drain damage and clogging
is actually quite simple, if you understand what can and cannot be
processed through drain pipes and your kitchen sink fixtures. A simple
drain filter, which catches loose debris before it can flow down drains,
will essentially prevent all large material buildup in your pipes, and
can be found at your local home improvement store, if not department
stores.
Knowing what kitchen garbage disposals
can’t handle will also help you prevent many frustrating clogs from
forming. Most garbage disposals are meant to handle easily processed
food waste, yet many homeowners treat their disposals like a trash bin,
resulting in the need for extensive drain repair.
Just as shower drains have trouble with hair clumps, kitchen garbage disposals cannot effectively process:
- Potato and banana peels, or other food skins
- Expandable rice or pasta
- Celery, corn husks and other fibrous food products
- Plastics, such as wrappers or containers
- Animal bones and cartilage
- Paper products, such as paper towels and napkins
- Bleach, and other harmful chemicals
- Food and kitchen grease, or oil
By following these tips, you can significantly improve your drain cleaning,
clog-dissolving efforts. To learn more about effective drain pipe
maintenance, or what other tools plumbing specialists use to resolve
home plumbing issues, contact the Mister Plumber!
If you are looking for trusted plumber,
Mister Plumber in Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York specializing
sewer repair, upgrade waterline, water service upgrade,
drain cleaning,
backwater valve installation,
lead pipe replacement,
re-piping
and emergency plumbing, Mister Plumber uses the latest technology to
effectively troubleshoot and quickly repair any plumbing problem and
offers a fast response and free estimates.
Reliable and Trustworthy Plumbing services.
Call a fully-licensed, bonded and insured Toronto plumber at 416 939 1530
