Your home’s plumbing system includes a series of drains, which sometimes don’t drain. Now, let’s be clear: your drains want to fulfill their purpose, but over time the amount and kind of stuff you flush down those drains can compromise their basic function. Don’t hold it against your drains…. they didn’t pour bacon grease down the drain or dinner leftovers into the sink instead of the garbage disposal. Plus, as we all know, everything needs to be cleaned occasionally, right?
At any rate, let’s turn to the issue at hand: you have a clogged drain, and you don’t want to call your favorite Palm Springs plumber – General Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We understand, so we are happy to talk today about some tips that will unclog drains and get them operating the way they should. So, here are a few DIY drain tips.
- Start with the Obvious. It’s so simple, yet oftentimes a good hot water flush is all your clogged pipes need. Try running hot water through your drains for 10-15 minutes and see if the combination of heat and water pressure does the trick. If so, a fix doesn’t get much easier than this.
- Take the Plunge. Most of us have a basic bathroom plunger on hand. If you don’t, well alrighty then (go get one!), but for those that do, it will unclog your drain as efficiently as it will your toilet. There are also special sink plungers specifically designed for kitchen and bathroom sinks. No matter which one you use, the technique is the same: cover the drain with the plunger and make continuous, fluid-pressing motions. The steady pumping will build suction and loosen up whatever is clogging the drain. Handy hint: make sure you cover the overflow vent found on most sinks, otherwise the pressure you are creating will escape.
- What Can I Pour Down My Drain? If the hot water and plunger pumping just aren’t getting the job done, it may be time to turn to liquid drain cleaners. General Air Conditioning & Plumbing suggests using homemade liquid cleaner mixtures. These solutions will achieve the same effects as commercial chemical cleaners – breaking down, dissolving, and dislodging particles clogging up your drains – but without the danger of corrosion or pipe damage, some chemical cleaners can produce. A few common ingredients include vinegar and baking soda, which when combined, produce a strong drain-cleaning liquid. Try pouring a cup of each down your stopped-up drain, let it work for about five minutes, then flush with boiling water. Another effective home-brewed drain-cleaning liquid solution comes in the form of carbonated soda. Most sodas contain phosphoric acid, which can effectively break through debris clogging your drain.
Of course, the best advice General Air Conditioning & Plumbing can give you is to practice clog prevention. Avoid dumping greasy food items, animal bones, or food wrappers down the drain or into the garbage disposal. And don’t forget the regular maintenance that our professional Palm Springs plumbers are ready to provide. We can perform a regular plumbing inspection, including video inspection, line jetting, and drain cleaning with our environmentally safe BioGen solution. BioGen uses non-harmful and naturally occurring bacteria to break down drain build up, without those harsh chemicals. We also sell Biogen by bottle to keep at your house or business!
And of course, if your drains do get clogged and you can’t handle the problem yourself, we are happy to help, 24/7. Nobody likes the mess or inconvenience of a clogged-up, backed-up drain. Call General Air Conditioning & Plumbing and our troops are on the way! Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
