The Common Mistakes to Avoid with a Blocked Drain

Whether it's the kitchen or bathroom, along with water a lot of waste goes down the drains. In the kitchen while these wastes might be scraps of veggies, tea leaves, oil, and greasy substances, in bathrooms these could be hairs, soap lather, oil, toilet paper, etc. However, the result in both cases will be more or less the same, that is blocked drains. While calling for the plumber could be the best solution, many people prefer trying DIY at first. So here are some tips that one should not do while attempting DIY for it could worsen blockages.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many people who try out chemicals to clean up the blockages mostly use any of these:

1. Caustic cleaners are alkaline which when applied to blockages react with the waste to create heat and the block is turned into a leather-like substance.

2. Oxidizing cleaners are mostly used for organic blockages like scraps of food, etc. in the kitchen, where the reaction causes heat and gas, helping to shift the solid mass.

3. Acid drain cleaners are most powerful as they effectively melt most blockages after the reaction.

However, acid cleaners should not be used without proper precautions and safety measures. There are many potential dangers and damages which can be caused due to strong chemicals like:

1. If you are using the chemicals without crosschecking the condition of your PVC pipes or old metal pipes, it could lead to the melting of pipes causing leakages or corrosion in metal pipes as well.

2. Use of acid cleaners without using gloves and protective footwear could lead to severe skin burn or rashes.

3. The fume created due to the reaction of strong acidic chemicals applied to blockages is mostly choking and may cause breathing trouble or even irritation in the nostrils if a proper protective mask is not worn.

Thoughtless Poking into the Drain

Plunging and poking are two different opposite poles of action when it comes specially to attempts of unblocking a blocked drains. While the toilet or sink plungers are easily available in the market, people come up with unique ideas of poking. Logically when you poke a blockage in a narrow drain where it is already stuck, you tend to push it further down. Straightened hangers to wires, metal rods to others, people try this method with many things. However, a blockage that might be nearer to the opening mouth of a drain could be forcibly pushed away by poking. Besides many people also attempt doing this with sticks, which can break off anytime leaving behind a bigger problem.

Plunging the Wrong Way

It is a wrong belief that plungers are only of one kind. No, there are different types of plungers available for different drains, toilets, and sinks. So, if you want to plunge out a blockage you need to get a plunger according to your drain.

For example, sink plungers come with a bell-shaped bottom design, toilet plungers, are mostly flat bottomed. Some plungers again have a broader bottom, others are comparatively smaller as per drain size. However, not only the size or style of the plunger is important the technique and how you use it are also important for effective results. To plunge out a blockage properly it is necessary that you cover the drain completely, and instead of rapid strokes, slowly push and pull the plunger.

Even after two to three attempts if you find the blockage is not removed it is better to call for a professional plumber to help you out with the blocked drains. Keeping a blockage for longer could lead to germ built-up, infection, odor, overflow of dirty water, etc. Therefore, contact a plumber and call for help immediately.