VIA: Lowes.Com
As the pool of water collects around the drain, you get a sinking feeling in your stomach. You dread another costly visit from the plumber. However, clogged drains are usually easy enough to correct on your own. An average homeowner should be able to clear most clogs in two hours or less, depending on the severity of the clog. This article explains a number of simple ways to unclog drains and how to avoid clogged drains in the future.
Tools & Materials
Tools
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Materials
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Locating the Clog
When faced with a clogged drain, the first thing you need to do is to figure out where the clog is. If only one sink, shower, bath, or toilet in the house is backing up, relax. Your task should be fairly simple since the clog is probably confined to the trap of that fixture. If more than one fixture is clogging up, the blockage will usually be in the main drain line. Unclogging the main drain is a little more difficult, but not impossible.
Cleaning Strainers and Stoppers
Many clogs collect around the strainer or stopper in the sink or bathtub. To unclog the drain, all you may need to do is remove the strainer and clean it. Here are a few tips:
If there is a strainer over the clogged drain, you should remove any screws holding the strainer in place and then pry the strainer up with the tip of a standard screwdriver. When the strainer is loose, remove and wash away anything that has collected around the strainer. Clean around the top of the drain.
Stoppers need to be cleaned on a regular basis since hair tends to twist around their base. First remove the sink stopper. Some stoppers are removed by turning them with your fingers. Others require that you unscrew a pivot rod that is connected to the opener. This rod should be located under the base of the sink. If you need to use pliers to remove the stopper, make sure to pad them so you won’t chip the chrome finish. Once the stopper is removed, clean it and wipe out the base of the drain opening.
