Maybe it's happened to you before: you turn on the shower per your daily routine, or you run water hot into your kitchen sink to prepare dinner or wash dishes. After a few seconds you realize the water is pooling in the tub or sink, and there's no stopper making that happen. You have a clogged drain, and the additional headache of having to deal with it.
Drain clogs can be caused by a multitude of things - excess hair, waste, or food that gets caught in pipes and prevents water from flowing, or outside tree roots that compromise your plumbing. Depending on where the clog is and the severity of the problem, a quick solution may be all you need to handle it. Store brand or industrial strength cleaners one pours down a drain might do the trick if the clog isn't too problematic. Root killers, if applied correctly, can be effective and save you a phone call to a plumber.
Simple equipment like augurs and "plumbing snakes" may also address more stubborn clogs, but if you are not sure how to use them it might be best to avoid doing so.
Unclogging drains, however, is more than just pouring a solution down the hatch and hoping for the best. Once you've managed to dislodge a drain, you want to be certain another one doesn't pop up. This will require vigilance on your part to make sure the water flows smoothly down your pipes. If you find clogs occur too often and too close together, it could be time to contact a plumber to look into the problem.
Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Virginia Beach home repair, Chesapeake plumbing and plumbers in Norfolk. |
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