How to unblock drains and other tips?

We all rely on water running smoothly in our day-to-day life, and you don’t think twice about waking in the morning and brushing your teeth or jumping into a hot shower. A blocked drain can cause major disruptions to your daily routine and can be expensive to fix. If you are looking to help with unblocking drains in Wirral, then we have put together some tips to help keep your drains running, and your costs down.

A blocked drain can occur through bad practices and accidents over time, from the odd makeup wipe being thrown down the toilet to hair getting caught in your plug hole. These all might seem like small, insignificant things, but over time they add up and cause problems that will require unblock drain services in Wirral if you are not careful. You need to take action fast to ensure that you don’t end up with a plumbing emergency.

Boiling Water

This may be the simplest trick to unblocking drains in Wirral, but it has been tried and tested over many years. All you need to do is fill the kettle and pour the boiling water down the plug hole. If your water is draining more slowly than usual, then the chances are you have small clogs of hair, grease, fat, and soap scum stuck to the inside of your pipes. These will slowly get larger and attract other things to stick together, causing a clog. The boiling water is one of the most effective ways to unblock drains in Wirral and will help to dislodge and break down all of these natural clogs. This is the first method you should try, and hopefully will keep the larger clogs from growing and keep your water running freely.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Another method that you probably thought was an old wives’ tale, this has been used over many years and proved its effectiveness in unblocking drains in Wirral. All you need is a kettle of boiling water, one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar

1. Pour the boiling water down the drain to get rid of anything that can be easily removed
2. Pour the baking soda and vinegar quickly down the sink – you should hear the mixture start to fizz immediately.
3. Let it sit for as long as possible, overnight is recommended, and then pour another kettle of boiling water down the plug.

The fizzing mixture should help to dislodge any small clogs and fatty substances that the boiling water couldn’t remove, and leave you with free-flowing drains again.

Bent Wire Coat Hanger

This method is often overlooked when you need help with unblocked drains in Wirral but can still work wonders if you are struggling. Take a simple wire coat hanger and straighten out with a small hook at one end. Push the hook through the plug hole and start to feel around for any blockages. You can then gently fish out anything that could be obstructing your pipes such as clumps of hair, soap scum and smaller blockages that are too stubborn to be removed by boiling water. You need to ensure that you are pulling these out of your plug and not pushing them further into the pipes, as this could end up making the problem worse. This is a good first step before trying baking soda and vinegar as it helps to dislodge anything first.

Get The Plunger Out!

The simple plunger is not just for toilets, it can also help unblock drains in Wirral. You will need a flat-bottomed plunger for sinks and baths, which is a different shape to the toilet plunger which is more coned. Plungers are brilliant for unblocking drains in Wirral, but do take some time, strength, and perseverance to work correctly. They have been successful for decades, and you will find that most households will have a plunger hidden away somewhere because of this. The best way to use your plunger to help unblocked drains in Wirral is to follow these steps:

1. Position the plunger around the plug hole and fill the sink or bath until it is about halfway full of hot water (not boiling!). This will help to create a seal around the plug which is important.
2. Begin to pump the plunger up and down quickly several times, this should help to dislodge any clogs.
3. Remove the plunger and see if the water drains down the plug hole.
4. Repeat the process if necessary, until your water is draining freely.

Shop Bought Chemical Cleaners

If you have tried all of the home-made remedies to unblock drains in Wirral and your pipes are still blocked, then you can try something a little bit stronger. You can buy chemical drain cleaners from most supermarkets, and all you need to do is pour them down your drain and leave for as long as possible (ideally overnight!). Then you need to flush away with boiling water and test to see if your water flow is back to normal. You do need to be careful when using chemical cleaners, and they should be used too much as they can corrode your pipes inside. This will eventually lead to a much larger and stressful plumbing emergency that will cost you a lot of money. These need to be used sparingly and only as a last resort.

Time To Call The Professionals!

If you have tried the above handy tips and your drains still aren’t working smoothly, then it may be time to call the professionals to help unblock drains in Wirral. It is important that you don’t put this off for too long, as leaving a blocked drain can cause a serious plumbing emergency that will cost a lot to put right. If you need our unblock drain services in Wirral, then call our friendly team will be on hand to ensure that we find the quickest and cheapest way to get you back up and running again.

One of the most effective ways to help unblocked drains in Wirral is to use high pressure jetting equipment. It is one of the safest and most cost effective unblock drains in Wirral methods and can help to solve some of the most common drain problems. It can get rid of clogs and blockages in an environmentally friendly way and without causing damage to the inside of your pipes. If you need our unblock drain services in Wirral then get in touch today for more information.

Common Causes of Blocked Drains

The best way to avoid costly unblock drain services in Wirral is to try to prevent them from happening in the first place. It is always worth knowing the things that are most likely to cause a blocked drain, and the most common offenders are:

• Wipes (wet wipes, baby wipes and makeup wipes)
• Fat, oils and grease
• Coffee grounds
• Cotton buds
• Hair
• Sanitary items
• Tree roots and leaves

Whilst you can’t control everything, it is important to be vigilant with what is going down your drains to try and avoid requiring unblock drain services in Wirral. Make sure that everyone is following the same rules, whilst you might not think that the odd wipe in the toilet will make a difference, if everyone in the house is doing it you will end up with a large clog before you realise it!