DON'T use excessive force when plunging a clog. Too much pressure can damage the drain line connection and ruin the trap. DO use a plumber's snake if plunging didn't work.
Unfortunately, the pressure from a plunger probably won't break up a shower drain clog. Instead, it will only send the material deeper down the drain pipe completely intact. The clog still exists, but now it's even deeper into your plumbing system, causing your shower to drain slowly or not drain at all.
With the flap folded inside the cup, the toilet plunger can also be used on a sink or tub drain. Just be sure to clean it with bleach before switching from toilet bowl plunger to sink plunger.
A liquid drain cleaner can sometimes make the clog worse over time if you don't use it properly according to its instructions or use it too much. The chemicals in drain cleaners can corrode and damage pipes, causing cracks and leaks that can cause further blockages.
The good news is that a plunger won't damage your shower as long as you are careful. To begin, simply turn on your shower and fill it with a small level of water, no more than an inch. With the shower drain removed, place the plunger fully over the drain and start plunging.
A Plunger
The stereotypical plumber's tool, a plunger can be a simple and often successful DIY method to use when unclogging bathtubs (and other drains).
Don'ts: Don't use excessive force when plunging a clog. Also, keep in mind that you shouldn't use too much pressure because it can damage the drain line connection, which will lead to further problems eventually.
It is Extremely Corrosive For Your Drains
When your pipes are clogged, Drano will sit on top of the clog, continually reacting and generating heat until the clog dissolves. This can put a great deal of stress on your drains as the heat can cause PVC pipes to soften and even break or collapse.
Can liquid plumbers make clogs worse? Yes, it is possible for drain cleaners to end up making a clog worse. This can happen for a few reasons. First, the chemicals in drain cleaners can corrode pipes and cause damage over time.
Is Liquid-Plumr® Clog Destroyer Plus+ Hair Clog Eliminator™ safe for plastic pipes? Yes. Laboratory tests confirm that this clog remover is safe for all household plumbing, including plastic pipes.
A drain auger is a better choice, but the wire hanger will work in a pinch.
When you are using a baking soda and vinegar solution to clean out your drain, you are actually causing the rubber and plastic that are used for the drain's pipes to be eaten away by the mixture. Over time, this rubber and plastic will break down, causing the drain to become even more blocked.
Plunging down too hard
A hard thrust downward can break the wax seal between the toilet and the floor, causing a leak. And a really hard thrust could even crack the bowl. The proper toilet plunging technique: Place the plunger in the toilet bowl so that water is covering the lips of the plunger.
Many people think that a forceful push into the plunger is what frees up the clog, but this can often worsen the problem. In fact, pushing the plunger in with enough force can even break the seal of the toilet gasket (the seal between the toilet and the floor where the plumbing exits).
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is a strong acid that is commonly used to dissolve clogs in drains. This acid works by breaking down organic materials such as hair, grease, and soap scum that can accumulate in pipes and cause blockages.
Using a snake is also more invasive and time-consuming than using a chemical cleaner is, and can often become a dirty job. When it comes to getting at and removing major clogs or clogs that are deep down in your pipes, however, a plumber's snake is your best bet.
Single Use, Not Frequent Use
Because of the chemicals found in these types of products, you could cause irreparable damage to your pipes. In most cases, a single use of Liquid-Plumr or Drano will not cause any issues with your pipes, though you should avoid using them in your toilet.
Yes, the heat these chemicals produce will break down the remnants of a clog, but likely only push them farther down your system to form a more dense clog in a harder-to-reach section of your plumbing. This leads to repeat clog offenses, repeat pouring, and the eventual ruin of your plumbing system.
The first thing you need to do is turn off the toilet's water supply. This will stop the toilet from overflowing. If you cannot find the valve, take off the top of the toilet cistern and lift the float cup or ball high enough to keep the water from running.
Before plunging, it's important to ensure there is enough water in the toilet bowl to sufficiently plunge it. If there isn't, then pour some water into the toilet bowl to create some suction, but only do this if the water level in the toilet is already low.
Check water level in toilet bowl
After plunging for thirty seconds, quickly break the seal and remove the plunger. Listen for a gurgling sound from the drain (a good sign) and check the water level in the toilet bowl. If nearly all the water drained from the bowl, then you've probably cleared the clog.