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How to Fix a Clogged Drain

What Causes Clogged Drains?

Before we talk about how to fix a clogged drain, it's a good idea to take a look at how a drain gets clogged in the first place.

There are a number of possible causes that a clog builds up:

  • Large pieces of debris get lodged in the drain
  • Fat congeals and builds up in the drain
  • Sediment builds up and forms clogs

You can take certain measures to avoid some of these common types of drain clogs. Always remember to use your garbage disposal to grind up large pieces of debris, and never pour oil or fat into the drain. Instead, pour it into a container and discard it appropriately.

If our plumber isn’t able to open your drain on that first dispatch, then the initial visit, inspection, and diagnosis are absolutely free.

When the Drain Problem Is a Much Bigger Issue

But where do you go from there? If we couldn’t successfully restore your drain’s flown capacity with a rooter or drain cleaner, that must mean there is a larger problem.

Some more serious drain blockage issues include:

How to Fix a Clogged Drain

If you have a clogged drain, there are some actions you can take care of yourself:

  • Pour a homemade mixture of half a cup of baking soda followed by half a cup of vinegar in the drain. Follow that up with two kettles of boiling water. The clog should start to break up.
  • Use a plunger. Suction can often break up clogs. Simply place the plunger over the drain, pump it up and down a few times, then remove. The clog will start to break up. Repeat as necessary.

For larger issues, how do we address these plumbing problems before they become disasters?

  • Large Cable Machine with Cutting Blade. When an obstruction is too impacted for a typical cable job to take care of it, we sometimes resort to the heavier-duty rooter.
  • Hydro-Jetting (High Water Pressure Jetting). This is far more often our first choice. Hydro-jetting is a process by which an extremely powerful hose is attached to a drain. The water blasting from the hose is capable of stripping grease away from the insides of your pipes, restoring them to a point beneath nearly ten years worth of grease and oil (which is built up after years of run-off from our hands and our soap). Hydro-jetting also is tremendously effective towards eliminating tree roots. Overall, hydro-jetting is a maintenance procedure that ought to be performed for all drains, regardless if they are actively backing-up or not.
  • Pipelining (CIPP). Cast-In-Place Piping is a “trenchless” technique for permanently rehabilitating and repairing drains; it’s called “trenchless” because it avoids the need to dig up your yard since the solution comes from the inside the pipe itself. An epoxy is poured into a pipe, lining it with tough plastic, and when the epoxy dries there’s a completed pipe inside the existing one!
  • Conventional Excavation. This is the tried and true practice of digging a trench in order to find the pipe, remove it, and replace it. As we mentioned, this service comes with a warranty of 10 years.

If none of these methods work, you're looking at a more stubborn clog and one that's possibly further into the plumbing system than you can reach. In cases like these, call JD Service Now right away. We can resolve the issue quickly and cost-effectively so you can relax!