Chemical-free Opportunities To Fix Blocked Pipes

By Author: Scott Rodgers
Total Articles: 14
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So one afternoon you go to the toilet and you press the flush button and wander off not giving it a second thought. Everything is ok with the world, the sun is shining in the sky, the little birds are singing a happy song, and your friend comes round for a drink. You talk about the latest gossip or how the children are enjoying school, and then your friend needs to use the bathroom. The last time all was ok, there weren't any problems. So when your friend comes back into the room with an embarassed look and says there is something wrong with the toilet, don't know what it could be.

Your friend politely lets you look at the toilet on your own and you discover that, unfortunately, the toilet is blocked. This would not be so awful if you had found out on your own, but now it's rather embarassing and not precisely something would really like to solve while your friend is still there.

But seeing your friend still needs to go to the bathroom, there is nothing you can do but to go on in with the plunger. If you are lucky, this could solve the problem. But it is dependent upon if it's the toilet in itself that ...
... is blocked or if it's in the drain in between the fixture and the main line or if it's a matter of multiple drains or perhaps even it's a issue with the sewer system.

Give it a go using the plunger, and hopefully you will have it all fixed despite it is not more nice. If it isn't that simple, it is best to tell your friend what is going on and you will be able to gauge from their reaction if they want to stay and assist you solve the issue.

You may only know about the chemical products you can purchase at the local store. These are all okay and can do a satisfactory job, but they certainly aren't good for our environment. There are a number of simple alternative options that will not inflict havoc onto our environment. Not only that, but you it is likely that you will discover that some chemical cleaners can harm the PVC pipes.

So, first thing to do, try the plunger. If that fails, pour a cup of washing soda over the drain area and give it a chance to settle for some time to make its way down the pipe to where it's blocked up. Don't, however, ever use washing soda in a drain if you have recently used a commercial acid drain cleaner. The washing soda has a pH of 11 and it is likely that it will react badly with the acid of the cleaner which can badly affect your plastic pipes. And do not use washing soda too much if you have plastic pipes as it can cause damage.

If you are lucky and the water has not already backed up the drain, which clearly it has done in this example, you may use baking soda. Pour 1 cup of baking soda down into the drain and follow this with 3 cups of boiling water. The boiling water will form a reaction with the baking soda, making it more alkaline, and the drain will clear after 2 or 3 attempts. Or you could use the combination of baking soda and vinegar.

If these do not work, and there's a unpleasant odour in the home, there is a chance that there's a issue with the sewer system. This is the time to call your local plumber who will have the ability to sort out what precisely is the issue. It may be the sewer or it may be that in excess of 1 drain is blocked. In some locations there may be trees which at a particular season lose a significant amount of thin branches and leaves and these can get into the drains. If this is your case the plumber will advise you of a company who can use a snake-like coil that they feed into the drain that makes its way down through the drain and removes the rubbish. If this is case, ensure you ring around every local youngsters as they will be amazed by this extraordinary machine and will be grateful for your blocked toilet.

It's recommended to have all your drains cleaned out every few years. As with everything in your home, it's better to routinely check things and ensure they are all ok than wait until there's a problem and then need to pay a significant amount of money for something that could have been avoided. And if you are having a recurring issue, do talk to your local plumber who will look at if there is a leak in a branch drain line or the main waste line. It could be that the issue is to be found somewhere in between where your line goes from your home to the main sewer line alongside your road. This could be created by tree roots and certainly worth looking at to rescue you from regular plumbing bills.
Scott Rodgers has recently retired as a Los Angeles master plumber and he has been committed to resolving your flooding and dampness plumbing issues for many years. For more useful tips and information, visit Scott's website: http://eLocalPlumbers.com
He shares his extensive knowledge for the benefit of our country's plumbers and non-plumbers. For more useful tips and information, visit Scott's website: http://eLocalPlumbers.com