All the pipes and plumbing systems installed in your house can develop clogs. You will eventually face such a situation no matter how careful you are. If you learn the causes behind those clogs and equip yourself with the right tools you can often times fix those without having to call outside help.
However, it is also worth remembering that if after some attempts you are not able to clear the blockage it is best to turn the job over to professionals that offer services for drain cleaning in Sugar Land. Exerting too much pressure in an attempt to clean pipes can be counterproductive as it can cause permanent damage to your plumbing fixtures.
Having said that we now move onto ways you can unclog your drains at home. First you will need to equip yourself with the plumbing tools necessary for drain cleaning in Sugar Land and clearing jams in the piping system
What tools you’ll need
The specific tools needed for such plumbing jobs are quite affordable and can be easily purchased from a hardware store near your house. Some of these tools can also be rented out. The first tool you should purchase for combating clogs is a plunger. They cost somewhere between $5 and $10. Plungers are easy to use and can work to clear most of your fixtures including sinks, tubs and toilets. Plungers are extremely important for drain cleaning in Sugar Land.
To dislodge blocks that can’t be reached using a plunger, you can make use of cable augers, which are also called plumber’s snake. Cable augers have long and flexible cables made out of steel. These cables are fixed to the auger with a hand crank. The model of cable augers that suffice for most of household usage is 25 feet in length and costs from $15 to $25. Closet augers are especially used for cleaning toilet blocks and can cost up to $40. Closet augers are useful as they bent at precise angles to fit through the arcs of the toilet pipes. If you face a clog that is large in size or is out of reach of a normal auger, you can rent electric powered augers. Their rent varies from $15 to $30 per day. But before bringing an electric powered auger cable home, make sure you learn how to safely dispense and retrieve the cable. The rental agent can teach you how to operate it.
With these tools at your disposal, you can ensure safe and effective drain cleaning in Sugar Land.
Unclogging a sink
Plungers can help you clear out most of the minor sink clogs at your home. Let some water run on to the sink and then vigorously work the plunger up and down the drain opening several times before swiftly pulling it off for easy drain cleaning in Sugar Land.
If you have to clear a kitchen sink with twin-bowls, you can proceed by stuffing a damp rag into one drain opening while plunging the other opening. If it’s a bath sink that is clogged, you can stuff the rag into the overflow hole. The rag in these cases exerts pressure to the clog. If plunging is unsuccessful for drain cleaning in Sugar Land, then you’ll have to use a cable auger. Grab the auger and get to work under the sink. Unscrew the sink trap (it is a U-shaped PVC pipe located directly under your sink) using a wrench. Make sure to place a bucket below the sink to capture the water trapped in the pipes. Feed the flexible cable from your auger into the drain hole leading into the wall. Continue this process until you fell resistance from the clogged sludge in the pipe. Once you reach the blockage, move your crank into clockwise direction to exert the cable furthest you can into the blockage. Repeat it until the block has been cleared. Once cleared, retrieve your cable, screw the trap arm back onto the pipe and run hot water into the system to make sure everything is working fine. If you feel the drain is working slowly at first, don’t worry! Some of the clog sometimes settles back into its initial position, but this time hot water and plunging will clear the drain route easily.
Snaking a tub drain
Clogs in the bath tubs don’t appear suddenly, instead they build up soap scum, skin flakes and fallen hair over a period of time, generally several weeks, with the tub draining more and more slowly each day. We all experience this at our homes. As with clogs in sink, here too, start with a plunger. First, you’ll need to unscrew the drain screen on the tub and then you can use a bent wire to fish out any hair and soap scum lying on the top. You can cover the opening in the overflow drain with a wet rag and plunge the tub drain for drain cleaning in Sugar Land.
If that doesn’t help you drain cleaning in Sugar Land, use the cable auger. Feed about 30 inches of cable down the overflow tube. Push forward while turning the hand crank in clockwise direction. You might feel resistance almost immediately, but keep cranking until the auger cable passes all the way through the P-trap that lies underneath the tub. Retrieve back the cable, and then run several gallons of hot water down the drain. Finally, replace the overflow plate back into its place.
Final Words
The processes mentioned above will help you in clearing clogs from your tub and sink drains. However, as we mentioned before as well, there could be clearing jobs beyond your capacity to handle. For those, it is best to contact companies offering drain cleaning in Sugar Land.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® & Drain Services of Rosenberg offers drain cleaning in Sugar Land, and is well renowned in the plumbing industry for its professional and reliable service.