Clogged Drain? Here Are Some Dos and Don’ts

Here at Riley Plumbing & Heating, we’re one of the most reputable providers of toilet repair in Hartford County, CT. In fact, we’ve fixed hundreds of bathroom problems for a multitude of homeowners across the region. Many people call us when they’ve tried everything they can to fix a toilet, not realizing that they’ve worsened the problem and could have avoided calling us at all. 

Below are some dos and don’ts for homeowners trying to fix up a clogged drain:

Don’t Use Chemical Cleaning Products

Despite TV commercials that make it look like pouring an excess of chemical cleaners down a drain is a good idea, it’s not. 

Adding too much or too strong a cleaning product can damage pipes via corrosion. Either this or the chemicals will only get through some of the clogged areas. This will mean that many families will start to use the drain again as if it was fixed, and eventually, the problem will worsen.

Don’t Use Homemade Tools

In many cases, we arrive at a job to find that a homemade tool has snapped and increased the damage to a simple blockage. In most cases, shoving random objects down a drain will force materials further into a pipe. Plumbing professionals come equipped with specialist tools that are designed specifically for unblocking drains, foreign objects that can be avoided make our jobs harder and sometimes more expensive.

Don’t Use Professional Tools if you Lack Experience

Leave professional tools to professionals, we know what we’re doing, and we’re qualified to use them. Our rigorous training and experience mean that we can work efficiently without causing any further damage.

Things that you Should Do:

• Every month, pour an environmentally safe drain cleaner down your drains. The bacteria inside these products will eat the plaque that lines your pipes; this process helps to prevent drain clogging.

• Pour a gallon of hot water and a quarter of a cup of dish detergent down a clogged drain; this will help to loosen and de-grease any materials that are causing a blockage.

• Use a plunger with a small amount of vaseline smeared around the rim to try and entice any materials out of your blocked train and up to the surface.

• If you have one, use a plumbers snake to gently loosen up any blockage and work your way through the clog.

In most cases, it’s typically best practice to rely on professionals when it comes to fixing blocked drains. For blocked drains and clogged toilet services in Hartford County, CT, call us on 860-225-1534 or click here to send us a message online.