5 Best Plumbing Cleaning to Do
While You’re Stuck At Home
- Is the pandemic still keeping you stuck at home? If that is the case, this may be a great time to take care of a few of those plumbing chores that had gone undone for quite some time. When was the last time you gave your plumbing a TLC? Let us face facts, a blocked sewer drain can make your home unlivable, with no working drains or toilets. Cleaning the drain might be the last thing in your mind right now but bear in mind your plumbing’s health is also critical now, especially when everyone in your home is using it more frequently than before.
5 Best Plumbing Cleaning to Do While You’re Stuck At Home
- If you are looking for productive and cost-effective ways to take your mind off things while waiting for everything to get back to normal, taking care of your plumbing fixtures is a great idea. These cleaning projects are easy and do not require too much time to do.
- Clean your sink drains
- Most drain clogs do not occur all at once and right away. Grime, sludge, grease and gunk takes time to completely form buildup inside your pipe. Clearing out these sticky and nasty particles sooner will help you prevent most future clogs. We suggest periodically cleaning out your drains even if they do not seem to show early signs of clogs. And now is a perfect time! All you need are some kitchen ingredients such as white vinegar, salt, baking soda, and hot water.
- If this is your first time, do not worry, if you are committed to being productive at home, you will learn how to do it. Remove any standing water first, then pour about a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by an equal amount of vinegar, or a cup of baking soda and a half cup of salt. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes to allow it to do its magic. While waiting, bring to boil just enough water. After 15 minutes, pour hot water down the sink drain. The chemical reaction of the vinegar and baking soda breaks up the gunk, while the hot water melts any gunk and grease left. Finally, run water on the drains to see if you have successfully cleared the clogs. You will know you did a great job of cleaning your drains when the water starts to clear away.
- Clean your toilet drains
- There are many ways you can eliminate clogs in the toilet using practical tools you have at home, but the plunger tops the safest and effective. There is no trick in using a plunger to unclog a toilet. To get started, make sure to extend the flange at the bottom of the plunger cup to ensure the plunger can fully latch around the drain opening. Hold the handle straight up and start making a rapid pumping motion to send reliable pressure down the drain and loosen the clogs. Keep a good latch throughout the procedure. The plunging motion produces a suction effect that helps release the clog down the drain. If you notice the water has receded, you definitely cleared the clog.
- Clean your showerheads
- Your shower might seem like it’s working alright, but sometimes some issues can stay undetected by naked eyes. In most cases, the problem with the showerhead not spitting water as usual lies within the showerhead and not the shower itself. It comes about when minerals and scale buildup clog up the nozzles; Likely happens to homes with hard water. The high mineral content of hard water constricts the nozzles and blocks the water flow. Luckily, cleaning the nozzles is not rocket science, as you might think. All you need is an old toothbrush and the same ingredients used above. Give the nozzles a fairly good scrub with the mixture and flush it with hot water.
- To effectively clean the showerhead, you may need to take the showerhead apart to clean the filter inside. This part may be a bit tricky to do and requires you to read through the manufacturer’s instructions. If you need assistance, a plumbing expert may be able to assist you.
- Clean your drain traps
- Traps are the curved pipe underneath the sink. It is also called P-traps, S-traps, or U-traps, depending on the shape of their curves. Traps are designed to keep some of the water you flush down the drain. The water creates an airtight seal to prevent sewer gases from entering your home through the drain. Unfortunately, traps are also the best spot for clogs to develop.
- Luckily, removing and cleaning traps are manageable with proper knowledge. First, find the sink trap under your sink. It is a curve made of PVC or metal pipe and connected to the drainpipe via two slip nuts. Put on rubber gloves to prevent yourself from touching nasty things and place a bucket beneath the trap. Loosen the slip nuts, either by hand or using a wrench to detach it and pour everything in the trap out into the bucket. Check to make sure nothing is stuck inside the trap, then clean it out. When done cleaning, put the trap back and re-tighten the slip nuts. Run the sink to make sure everything is put back together and working correctly.
- Clean out the main sewer line
- A clogged sewer line does not automatically mean your entire plumbing system is in danger, but it is still a serious problem that leads to an expensive repair. If the issue is left unaddressed for weeks, your sinks and toilets are likely to back-up.
- Unfortunately, there is no easy or DIY fix for a blocked sewer drain, and you will need professional help from a licensed plumber. You can give it a crack and clean up the mess on your own, but bear in mind any carelessness towards them will lead to adverse consequences like water leaks and other serious damage. The best decision to make on clearing a blocked sewer drain is to hire a blocked sewer Sydney expert to do the job.
- Before a blocked drain Sydney expert comes for rescue, look for the sewer cleanout in your yard, basement or roof. The sewer line cleanout is usually about 3 to 4 inches in diameter and sealed with a screw-on cap. You can try opening up the screw-on cap using a pipe wrench. Doing this will release the pressure in the sewer line. Once it is open, the waste caused by the clog will spillover on the mainline and force any water that has backed up into your home. If you have sufficient drainage space, the waste will rush off completely. It is the only thing you can do before the expert attempts any fixes.
Why is it best to hire a blocked sewer drain expert?
- There are plenty of things you can do to help ensure your plumbing stays fully-functional while you are at home, but a wrong decision to put it off will only do more harm than good. Therefore, you should make all effort to prioritize clearing clogs on your pipes before something worse happens.
- If you are better off enjoying your stay-at-home vacation, and not taking plumbing on your hands, might as well hire a blocked drain repair specialist to do the job for you. Sydney drain services of the experts, like Revolution Pipe Relining, guarantees an all-out fix for any types of clogs on your drains. If we find out the problem requires more than just cleaning, for cases where structural defects are detected, we will suggest a drain relining or sewer relining to restore your plumbing to its full-operational condition.
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