You Don’t Have to Learn to Live with A Clogged Drain

Lone Star Plumbing and Heating’s Tips on How to Keep the Water Flowing

You fear it and at the same time you hope that it will go away on its own… and no, it’s not the in-laws. We are talking about clogged drains. Lone Star Plumbing and Heating in Calgary knows that a clogged drain can be frustrating, especially when you’re taking a shower while standing in water that’s past your ankles. If you notice a slow drain in any of your sinks or tubs, we can tell you from experience, if you don’t try to unclog the drain, it’s going to get worse. Continue reading this blog for tips on how to unclog drains.

When dealing with a sink or tub clog, the first thing you do is throw on some dish washing gloves. Take off the drain cover and remove any debris that is reachable with your hands. Often sinks will have left over food residue that is obstructing the water flow near the top. Tub clogs can be a little more difficult, where hair is commonly the culprit. A single hair causes little to no problems; however, a collection of hair together can become an immovable force. If water is still not flowing down the drain after you remove debris, the clog is deep in the drain pipe and will need to be cleaned out.

When there is a clog deep in your plumbing system, you commonly reach for Drano or other similar products. Most of these chemicals are horrible for the environment and hard on your pipes. Furthermore, when you’ve run out of patience, you throw various chemicals down the drain in a desperate measure to unclog the sink, potentially releasing dangerous fumes into the air. A better option than a Molotov cocktail of chemicals is to slowly pour boiling water down the drain, which should help loosen the clog. If you’re handy with tools, you can remove the drain trap, which is the U-shaped pipe (under the sink) and clean the debris from it. If that still doesn’t solve the problem, try using a flat base plunger. After creating a seal with the plunger around the drain, work the plunger up and down for 30 to 60 seconds. The pressure created should loosen the clog and allow it to flow down the drain.

Not everyone is going to be a handyperson and many clogs are just beyond a “do it yourself” project. If you’re praying that a clog in your sink, shower or toilet is just going to just go away, the bad news is, it’s going to get worse. The good news is, Lone Star Plumbing and Heating can easily remove clogs and solve your plumbing solutions. Contact us today in Calgary at 403-295-3028.