What To Do If You Can't Clear A Clogged Drain In Your Home
Clogged drains in the home are among the most common problems that affect the plumbing and can be challenging to clear. In many cases, you will need to call a plumber for a stubborn clog so they can bring some tools to break up the blockage and get the drain flowing correctly.
When To Call A Plumber
When a drain is flowing very slowly, or the water will not go down at all, you can clean the drain out if you see something in it like hair or food. Once the drain stops working and you can't see anything in it, you have a more significant issue, and you might want to call a plumber to clear the clogged drain for you.
Many times, when the clog is down inside the pipe and you can't see it, there is not much you can do to clear it. Dumping chemicals into the drain to dissolve the clog and open the drain might not always work, and some chemicals can damage the PVC drain lines over time.
If you have cleaned the drain and can't see any reasons for it not to drain, it is time to call the plumber. If there is more than one drain involved, the issue could be in the main sewer line that all the drains run into that then leads out of the house.
Clearing the Clog
The plumber will typically start by using a heavy-duty plunger to try and clear the clogged drain in your home if just one is affected. If that does not force the blockage out of the drain, the plumber will run a snake or auger down the drain until they hit the clog.
The auger or snake is rotated in the pipe, and the end is used to break up the clog. As the clog is broken up, the water in the pipe will carry it down to the sewer line and out of the system. Sometimes a clogged drain is so backed up that the auger will not work, and the plumber may need to jet the drain.
Jetting the drain involves inserting a high-pressure water hose into the clogged drain and using the water pressure to break up the clog. The best results often come from opening the cleanout on the sewer line and inserting the high-pressure hose under the clog.
As the water breaks up the material that is clogging the drain, the material can wash down the line and away from the remaining material. As the clog breaks up, it gets smaller and smaller until the clogged drain is opened up completely and the water can flow properly.
