# Can YOU Unclog Your Own Drains?



## F250 (Feb 13, 2018)

I've never paid anyone to unclog a drain, and it's because I grew up in a DIY household and am a firm believer that I can generally do it as well or better than most of my "hire out" options... even if I have to learn how to do it to begin with! That approach has characterized my entire adult life , and I've learned a whole lot, and the money I've saved by doing things myself I generally turn into another investment into the house for additional upgrades.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

99% of the time yes.

If it requires digging up the septic tank I will hire a crew, dug it up once by hand when I was 35 years younger. Took 5 hours of steady shoveling to get enough uncovered to open the lid.

I then installed a proper cleanout that the previous owner omitted.

I learned home repairs because as a kid there was never any money to hire professionals, and if I did not do it, nobody else was sober enough to do it. 

Had an alcoholic step-father whose case a day and cigarettes took most of the money. 


ED


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## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

Yes.

The question is, how willing are we to get as dirty as it might require?

In a lot of cases, plumbers earn the tab..............


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

> Can YOU unclog your own drains


Lots of time the answer is yes.

The first thing you need to do is learn how to use a plunger.

When using a plunger you are using it to create some pressure on the water in the pipe between you and the blockage. When you push down you are creating pressure and pushing the water against the blockage, when you pull up you are creating a vacuum and pulling the water back toward you. This movement will often break up the blockage. 
(You won't believe this but the wife just came down and told me to look at the sink in powder room. Said drain is very very slow)

Next thing to know is that all bath room sinks and tubs have an overflows. You must seal that overflow. (Usually with wet wash cloth.) If you don't you will simply be pushing water up into the overflow pipe. Of course you want to plunge rapidly so that you create as much turbulence as possible. It seems that you get more results from the pulling action than from the pushing. Make sure you have enough water in the sink or tub to cover the plunger.

Kitchen sinks don't have overflows but many are double sinks or have garbage disposals. You must of course block the other side of a double sink or the garbage disposal before plunging. 

Depending on your manual dexterity, mechanical abilities and experience and physical strength most sink drains can easily disassembled and reassembled. This allows you to use manual snakes to clear or attempt to clear a blockage.

Some things that help you avoid or reduce the number of blockages.

Garbage disposals.
First turn the water on, next turn the disposal on. Then put the food waste in. When the food waste has been dispersed (you can tell by the sound) turn the disposal off, then turn the water off. You want enough water to carry the food waste away.

Ladies with long hair should have strainers over the drain of tubs and showers.

Never put anything down a toilet that you haven't eaten first. If you use a lot of tissue, flush twice. You may think of that as a waste of water but it is more economical than calling me. Nobody like unblocking a toilet.

Never put sanitary napkins down a toilet

A toilet auger is a handy thing to have available and is easy to use

I now have to go clear the powder room sink before I get fussed at.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

I really have to agree with


> Lots of time the answer is yes.


For bathrooms the single greatest tool anyone can own is a flexible nylon snake like this https://www.zoro.com/cobra-drain-cleaning-tool-yellow-plastic-22-l-00412bl/i/G2045729/ that lets you get the hairballs out of the tub drain.

After a brief training session my wife cleans up her own mess all the time when needed.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Colbyt said:


> After a brief training session my wife cleans up her own mess all the time when needed.


I tried that once. IIR the training session lasted about 0.0001 seconds. Not a word was spoken but a glance of the eyes was all it took to tell me she wasn't listening.:surprise:


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## F250 (Feb 13, 2018)

We once had an experience with one of our children dropping in and flushing one of the super-sized Lego blocks into one of our toilets. I was out of town at the time, so, after spending some time with no success with the plunger, my wife had two of our friends come over to help "unclog" the toilet (still did not know what was causing the "clog" at that point). They worked on the toilet for over two hours before finally getting my wife's permission to remove the toilet and try from the bottom side. That's when they caught a glimpse of the culprit, but it was already jammed into place and would not budge from either direction. She finally told them to just go buy another toilet.

Once they finished the install, one of the guys asked her if he could PLEASE get that block out of the old toilet with a hammer, and she told him that he had more than earned the right to break up the toilet to get it free, so he did just that, and with great satisfaction! We kept that Lego block for years as a funny story to tell the kids!


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

In nearly 30 years of home ownership I have never hired a plumber other than for septic work. 
I agree that a plunger is essential for any house and solves most problems.
Next the small plastic snake as mentioned above. And for those willing to get little dirty, a toilet auger and a longer snake are useful.
I almost always would rather buy a new tool, and learn how to use it myself, rather than hire someone. This is how we learn, and hopefully will be prepared for the next catastrophe.

Almost missed it, most important item needed for drain cleaning, rubber gloves!


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

> rubber gloves


Wimp.

Three things you have to know to be a plumber.

Stuff flows downhill.
Don't bite your fingernails while you are snaking the toilet.
Payday is on Friday


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

> We once had an experience with one of our children dropping in and flushing one of the super-sized Lego blocks into one of our toilets.


Here is my story.

Years ago I had a piece of rental property (still have it). It was a town house with bath on the second floor and cast iron stack. I rented it to a young couple with a 2 year old. 
Got a call from the tenant that the toilet was backed up. By the lease that was his problem but I go over with a drain snake. Pull the toilet and run the drain snake down it.
About a week later he called again. Toilet was back up again. I go over and snake again. A week later it was the same thing. After snaking about four times I knew I was going to have to do something different.

I go by rental place and rent a sewer snake. Now this thing was pretty big. The auger was sections of spring about 1 1/2" in diameter and about two foot long. You put these sections together as you fed them down the drain. This thing could seriously hurt you.

What ever was in there I don't want to push all the way to the street. Down in the basement there is a brass clean out plug. I can't get it out so I just burst a hole in it.

So I put the wife there with a flash light and a hammer. Tell her rap on the pipe when she sees something. 

The husband and I are up in the bathroom. Now as I said this snake is big. In fact the motor won't go through door. I put together about three sections of these springs to reach the toilet drain. I have the husband working the switch. I tell him that when I say stop he is to stop immediately. This thing can hurt you.

We start snaking. I am feeding the snake down the drain and he is working the switch. Wasn't long before the snake got bound up. I'm yelling stop and this big spring is wrapping itself around my arm.

So we get clear and start again, but I admit that I am now quite irritated. Don't think he reacted as quickly as he could have. That thing could have broken my arm.

Shortly there is a rapping on the pipe. Now the snake motor is in the door way and he is outside. So he says he will go see what it is. 

He goes to the basement and I hear this laughing and him calling me. 

Now what the hell could be funny? I am hot, irritated and frustrated as I crawl across the motor. What's funny?

When I get to the basement they are both laughing, saying look in here.

When I looked in that hole in the clean out plug I had to laugh also. There grinning back at me was a clown's face. Seem to be saying "I gotcha" 

It was the kids hair brush with a clown on the back side. It was positioned just right for the clown's face to be grinning back at you through that hole in the pug.


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

Most people talk about unclogging interior drains. Last year I was replacing some underground corrugated down spout drains that were clogged. A portion went under a walk way that I did not want to rip up. Snake only partially got the dirt out, then I discovered this beauty:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Large-Drain-Bladder-82-977-111/301879197


Worked like a charm to remove dirt/leaves. I guess you could use the bladder on inside lines as well since they come in different sizes., but I do not know if I would want to.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Clowns, are everywhere! :biggrin2:


My story is not as funny, but once also had a rental with a toilet problem, clogged, then unclogged repeatedly.

Finally after a few weeks of this, pulled it and there was a RAT-TAILED comb stuck in there tail first.

Banned them from the house after that.


ED


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Plastic butter tub lids can work intermittent as a flapper check valve. Doesn't flush today but tomorrow it may flush like a new toilet. May flush like new for 2 days then not so well for 3 days.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

You may be surprised with what you can do with a shopvac. :balloon:


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## DR P (Dec 16, 2017)

had customer with twin boys who flushed anything & everything they could get their hands on down toilet from letter sponges to toy boat included in a happy meal from the little mermaid movie... actually found lots of those back in the day; evidently recreating a scene from movie?

there was the smaller size bottle of baby powder that had to be burnt up as auger just ripped plastic apart but would not snag/pull out...

best clog inside the toilet was a standard door handle wedged inside... could not snag it nor push on through - flushed down grandmas only toilet to get rid of the evidence; had to take toilet outside & push back up through the bowl... opened closet door & sure enough inside of closet door handle missing where young'un was holding onto & swinging with door... if looks could kill there would be 1 less chap at that point...

Peace


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

hkstroud said:


> Wimp.
> 
> Three things you have to know to be a plumber.
> 
> ...


Hahaha. This reminds me of when I was a kid. I was about 10 years old and had this small pocket knife that I really liked. Somehow I dropped it in the toilet and could not get myself to stick my hand in there to get it. I spend a couple hours trying to fish it out with a string and a paperclip. My dad finally came home, needed to use the bathroom and I had to give up. It was flushed down the toilet. :crying:
Eight years later I am in Army basic training and find myself swabbing latrines every few days. That experience cleaning up after dozens of slobs desensitized me for life, and I can now stick my hands in the toilet without even thinking about it. I just wash my hands thoroughly afterwards.


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

Years ago we take a Mediterranean cruse. The cruise ended in Venice, Italy. So walking around through the stores and shops I have to go to the restroom. There is a sign posted "Do put tissues in toilet. Put in waste basket". OK, I comply but wonder why.

Later we take the mandatory gondola ride. Not the romantic boat ride of two lover being serenaded by the boatman. More realistic description would be a long narrow boat in which they crowd the maximum number of people. There is no scenic route. There is no narration, no serenading. You are just poled along the canals in between the buildings. The buildings are built on poles sunk down into the mud flats. There is no solid ground in Venice.

So as we float along I notice water flowing out of pipes out of each building. Now I understand why they don't want you to put tissue in the toilet. That is their sewage system. 

Some guy in the back of the boat wonders out loud where their sewage system is?
(Must have been someone that thinks like me). 

To which I respond,
"You are riding in it." 
"Oh, my god, I've been dragging my hand in it"


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## ClarenceBauer (Mar 4, 2005)

hkstroud said:


> Wimp.
> 
> Three things you have to know to be a plumber.
> 
> ...


Other things you should know.
Hot is on Left - Cold is on the right - Don't take your smokes out of the pack with your fingers & by all means DO NOT remove the cleanout plug in the basement when you have a back up too the second floor.
All plumbers wash there hands before smoking.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Dave Sal said:


> Hahaha. This reminds me of when I was a kid. I was about 10 years old and had this small pocket knife that I really liked. Somehow I dropped it in the toilet and could not get myself to stick my hand in there to get it. I spend a couple hours trying to fish it out with a string and a paperclip. My dad finally came home, needed to use the bathroom and I had to give up. It was flushed down the toilet. :crying:
> Eight years later I am in Army basic training and find myself swabbing latrines every few days. That experience cleaning up after dozens of slobs desensitized me for life, and I can now stick my hands in the toilet without even thinking about it. I just wash my hands thoroughly afterwards.


NO!!! Don't do it! :vs_OMG:If you have sores on your hands, even nail biting, etc., you can catch some of the thousands of infections there. Oh, my gosh, esp., young military guys. . .I used to teach them about STDs:surprise:, you should have seen the looks on their faces.:smile:You never know when you might snag your skin on something, either.
It's so much worse nowadays with the awful viruses. I used to reach in patients' diapers without gloves, not now! Rant over.:wink2:


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

Nik333 said:


> I used to reach in patients' diapers without gloves


:vs_whistle::vs_whistle::vs_whistle::vs_whistle::vs_whistle:


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Dave Sal said:


> :vs_whistle::vs_whistle::vs_whistle::vs_whistle::vs_whistle:


Like you would with a baby. Naive, though.:vs_worry::vs_bulb:


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

Nik333 said:


> Like you would with a baby. Naive, though.:vs_worry::vs_bulb:


Sorry, you couldn't pay me enough to do that job. I think I recall that you mentioned working in the ICU. That's another job that I could not do. I tip my hat :vs_cool: to you for being able to deal with these jobs.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Dave Sal said:


> Sorry, you couldn't pay me enough to do that job. I think I recall that you mentioned working in the ICU. That's another job that I could not do. I tip my hat :vs_cool: to you for being able to deal with these jobs.


Back at ya!:wink2:


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

Kitchen clogs are greasy. Sometimes you can open them up by just running a whole mess of hot water. Sometimes a snake will go right through and then it will seal right back up. 

Bathroom clogs are usually just hair and you can fish it quickly with one of those mini snakes.


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## Wesman (Dec 20, 2017)

kwikfishron said:


> You may be surprised with what you can do with a shopvac. :balloon:



very interesting option and certainly one I never thought of


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

SeniorSitizen said:


> I tried that once. IIR the training session lasted about 0.0001 seconds. Not a word was spoken but a glance of the eyes was all it took to tell me she wasn't listening.:surprise:



I hope all is well with SS, and his "training session" did not end poorly for him, as I know those unspoken "looks" from the Mrs. well. Just have not seen any posts from him lately.


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

Wesman said:


> very interesting option and certainly one I never thought of


It works. I do that all the time. Mainly because I usually have a shopvac in the truck more often than I have a plunger. It's great for all kinds of plumbing jobs. Cleanly remove the water from a p-trap or toilet tank before you take it apart. Just don't get smart and hook up to the blow port. The dirty water will find another way out and spray all over the room. :vs_mad:


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## Druidia (Oct 9, 2011)

When I visited my older sister in New Zealand, she and her two daughters were living in a 2-BE, 2-BA apartment. The sinks in both bathrooms were ultra slow draining. It was gross just brushing my teeth because I had to stare at all the foamy waste water. 

She’d been using those liquid unclogging stuff from stores. 

Out we went to buy a plunger for their sinks. 

I felt a perverse sense of satisfaction when plunging sucked out huge clumps of hair from each sink. 

Where did I learn to do stuff? Being around my father. He was a MacGyver (loved Mac, hated helpless Penny) type of guy, but more into electrical and electronics (building and fixing) than carpentry. I didn’t actually have to repair stuff when I was a kid but I liked taking things apart to see how they work. Reading was also a passion. While many people don’t read instruction manuals, my favorite reading materials when I was a kid and through high school included my dad’s tools’ instruction manuals, RD’s Complete Do It Yourself Manual, The Good Housekeeping Complete Household Handbook, encyclopedia sets. 

The can-do DIY attitude became very useful when I left for university since, from then on, I only had me to fix things around me. 

I think there’s also a bit of inherent mechanical aptitude involved. Some people have an aptitude for molecular biology or math but have absolutely zero for things mechanical.


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## interiordesign2 (May 14, 2018)

Hi,

Yes, you can unclog your own drain without having to hire a plumber. All you need is an old hanger that you no longer want to use and 1/3 baking soda and 1/3 vinegar. Pour the baking soda and vinegar down the drain until it fizzes. Then, bend the tip of a hanger and stick it down the drain until you pull up gunk. This suggestion is very effective and will save you time and money.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

> Next thing to know is that all bath room sinks and tubs have an overflows.


Bathroom sinks come both ways, with or without overflows.

When you are installing the drain pipe/popup assembly, you need to get the right one for the sink that you are working on. 

As many of the non-overflow sinks are thinner at the drain hole area, putting an overflow drain in a non-overflow sink will often make a mess in the vanity or on the floor.


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## ct18 (Sep 20, 2012)

I am a large construction plumber and will not rent and run a machine myself. My brother in law did a favor and the machine they rented had a coupling at 75 feet which broke. That favor turned into a 5k backyard dig up and replace. 

If i ever have a clog i cant get my my plunger or little toilet snake i will call a guy with a machine. Knock on wood i have yet to have to call a sewer guy in.


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## fireguy (May 3, 2007)

1/3 of baking soda and 1/3 of vinegar = 2/3. What is the other 1/3 to finish the solution?


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

fireguy said:


> 1/3 of baking soda and 1/3 of vinegar = 2/3. What is the other 1/3 to finish the solution?


Water?

Vinegar and baking soda are going to make a fizzy smelly mess.

An acid and a base, will make a lot of fizz, Vinegar= Acetic acid, Baking soda + sodium bi-carbonate, a base.

And water to liquify it.

A soda fire extinguisher is one example of this. 


ED


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## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

I bought a 'Zip-it' at a hardware store for a couple dollars and so far (knock on wood) that has worked to unclog the bath tub and bathroom sink drains when they start draining slowly. It pulls all of the hair out of the drain.


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## cat's_pajamas (May 9, 2018)

gma2rjc said:


> I bought a 'Zip-it' at a hardware store for a couple dollars and so far (knock on wood) that has worked to unclog the bath tub and bathroom sink drains when they start draining slowly. It pulls all of the hair out of the drain.



I bought one awhile back and have found it really handy in both my bathroom sink and shower drain. I carefully(!) [very sharp, saw-like teeth on it]) clean it off after use even though the package says it should be tossed after one use because of the danger of cutting yourself trying to clean it.


I also removed the pop-up stopper in the bathroom sink because it let too much hair/debris down into the drain and caused blockages. I replaced it with one of those little mesh drain strainers.


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## DallasCowboys (Jan 30, 2017)

I use a plunger in all the sinks about every 3 months. You would be surprised how much hair comes up. I consider it an ounce of prevention.

I would never call a plumber. It's too easy and if it was really stopped up, I would just remove the trap at the bottom of the sink. But it's surprising how many people 
(grown men ) are intimidated by something like this....


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