Most bathroom drain clogs result when dirt, skin flakes, and especially hair binds to soap scum on the walls of drain pipes. Over time, this gunk accumulates and reduces water flow.
Hair and Soap Buildup
Hair and soap are two of the most common culprits of bathroom drain clogs. As hair goes down the drain, it can get tangled up with soap and other substances, forming a sticky mass that can quickly build up and create a blockage.
Use Filters and Screens
If you have had problems with clogs in the past, every drain in your house should have a wire mesh screen or similar kind of filter to catch debris, hair, and bits of food. These drains are one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent clogging problems, so we highly recommend them.
While minor clogs can be cleared away with household tools, frequent clogging often suggest that you have a major clog developing in your drain line. Major clogs often form over months or years through the accumulation of soap residue, fats, hair, and other organic debris.
If your snaking session yields plenty of hair and soap scum, but still leaves you with a slow drain, there's a good chance that the P-trap is still obstructed. To clear it, plug the overflow hole with a rag and fill the tub drain with hot water, which will help to soften and loosen soap scum.
While snaking is generally considered safe for your pipes, it can damage your pipes if they are in bad shape. Homes that have older pipes are more susceptible to this happening as hairline cracks and corrosion occur over time. Surprisingly, snaking your main line can potentially make the clog worse.
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.
If more than one drain is slow moving, gurgling, smells bad or has water backing up, you most likely have a main sewer clog.
You may be surprised to learn that pouring soda down the drain does work for some clogs. To be specific, you need a dark-colored cola (such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi). This type of carbonated beverage usually contains a good amount of phosphoric acid, which given enough time, can eat away at some types of clogs.
To prevent backups, add Drano® Max Build-Up Remover to your monthly routine. One flush once a month can help prevent septic backups!
Mix 1/3rd of a cup of bicarbonate of soda with 1/3rd of a cup of vinegar in a measuring cup. It will fizz immediately, and you should waste no time pouring it down the clogged drain. The fizzing action will help to remove the gunk, hair, and grime that has built up in the pipe.
Baking Soda and Salt
Mix ½ cup of salt and ½ cup of baking soda and pour it into your clogged pipe. Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes, then follow with boiling water to rinse everything away.
Prevention is better than a blocked drain! Cleaning your drains monthly is usually sufficient enough, however you can choose to do this weekly or fortnightly if you wish, the main thing is that it is done on a regular basis.
What about Dawn dish soap? It would break down any fats in the drain and provide lubrication for the clogs to get through the pipe. I dumped ¼ cup down the drain. After an hour, I added one cup of boiling water.
Along with gravity, this pressure helps remove unwanted goop out of the pipes and unclogs drains. Baking soda, vinegar and boiling water can help clean drains naturally, but you may need something stronger, like Liquid-Plumr, to fully unclog those really tough drain clogs.
While the baking soda and vinegar solution is effective in breaking down a clog, it will also cause your drain to become more damaged. The baking soda's abrasive nature will wear down your drain over time. This is why you should avoid using baking soda and vinegar solution for cleaning out your drain.
Drano is not only ineffective, but it's also extremely damaging to your plumbing system. The heat created by the chemical reaction is more than your drains are designed to take. Corroded, aging plumbing can easily breakdown. Pipes can split and the glue holding them together can disintegrate.
Professional plumbers have access to several tools that can safely clear sewer clogs. Video sewer line inspection cameras help plumbers diagnose the issue, augers (drain snakes), high-power hydro jetters, and professional-strength drain cleaners help plumbers break up or dissolve any clog.
Repairs to sewers
Sewers and lateral drains connected to the public network used to be the responsibility of the property owner. However, most are now maintained by local water companies. If you have any problems with your sewer or lateral drain, for example if it's blocked, contact your local water company.
Why Plumbers Dislike Drano & Other Liquid Plumbers. One of the main reasons plumbers dislike liquid drain cleaners is that they can actually cause more harm than good. These products contain harsh chemicals that can corrode your pipes and cause damage over time.
Annually. Even if you don't notice any specific signs that your drains are having trouble with clogs, you should do your best to have them cleaned at least once every year.
You need to make sure that you've securely tightened thumbscrew(the piece that secures the cable inside the drum or handle). If the thumbscrew is loose, the cable will not rotate at all when you twist the handle. The cable rotation is how the drain snake picks up debris, so if it can't do this, your auger won't work.
Over time, the plumbing pipes get dirty and accumulate debris, slowly blocking the water flow. This buildup of slime in the drain is a notorious breeding ground for bacteria. As it grows, the biological matter creates black sludge in the drain.
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.