Yuck! A blocked drain can look and smell pretty gross. You want to get that thing cleared as soon as possible.
However, you might be worried about how much it will cost. The good news is there are a number of options for clearing a blocked drain that won’t clear your wallet.
How to Clear a Blocked Drain
First up, let’s look at the cheapest options for clearing a blocked drain. To get the most savings, you’ll have to DIY, but there are methods that don’t require special equipment or knowledge.
Boiling Water
Can you boil water? Then you can clear a blocked drain! …sometimes
In the kitchen, it’s common for grease and oils to build up in the drain, causing a blockage. Heating up the grease with a bit of boiling water will loosen the grease and wash it away. As the easiest method for clearing out a drain, it doesn’t hurt to try this first, especially in the kitchen.
DIY Drain Snake
In the shower, balls of hair are a common cause of blockages. These are pretty disgusting, but also pretty easy to clear.
Simply undo a metal coat hanger and create a hook on one end. Insert it down in the drain until you are able to snag the ball of hair. Pull it up and out!
Natural Cleaners
If these other methods aren’t working, you also might try the baking soda/vinegar trick. If you’ve ever mixed these two ingredients together (perhaps for a science project as a kid) you know they react to each other quite violently.
The bubbling, fizzing action can be enough to clear out your drain. Start by pouring in a bit of baking soda and chasing it with the vinegar. You may have to try a few times to have success.
Plumber’s Drain Snake
Sometimes the DIY methods just don’t work. Certain types of blockages require a professional hand to figure them out. Always call a licenced plumber for these projects to ensure the best results.
Plumbers use a professional grade drain snake that is far longer and more effective than a coat hanger. They can use this to clear the blockage.
CCTV
Sometimes, you need to take a closer look at the problem. A plumber can do this with a little CCTV camera on the end of a flexible cable that looks kind of like a drain snake. Once they can see what’s causing the blockage, they are able to recommend the easiest way to fix it.
Enjoy Clear Drains
Don’t let blocked drains get you down. There are plenty of things you can try to get your drains clear once more. DIY methods are free to inexpensive and work in many cases.
If you have to call a plumber, always choose one with a solid reputation!
