DIY Drain Cleaning Help from a Plumber

Licensed Plumbers Teach you How-To Clear your own Drain Clog

Video Chat Plumbers instruct homeowners to DIY all types of plumbing repairs. On average homeowners that video chat before they attempt a Do It Yourself plumbing repairs are more likely to save money and time.

Your home's drainage system is installed by plumbers as the home is being built. There are various drainage pipes located under the floor in the foundation, in walls up to the attic, and through the attic to the roof, and out through a pipe flashing to open air. The movement of the wastewater through the pipes causes air to be pushed and pulled throughout the drainage system. The air is pulled from the vent through your home's roof and pushed out through another vent along the way as the wastewater is traveling through the pipe. There are combination drain and vent systems where the drainage pipe is larger and the displaced air actually travels above the wastewater flowing in the pipe. The most common reasons for drain problems are listed below and can be fixed by you or your local plumbing contractor.

How to avoid foreign objects in the sewer drain pipe

• Open sink drains with-out strainers or missing the pop-up drain is subject to foreign objects from around the sink falling into the drain and becoming lodged causing a drain blockage.

Avoid Stinky Grease build-up in kitchen drains

• Pouring grease down the kitchen drain causes the pipe to become clogged over time without proper maintenance. Grease combined with food scraps from the garbage disposal build-up eventually clogs the kitchen drain or even the sewer pipe further down the line.

Prevent Soap Build Up in the washing machine drain

• Powdered washing detergents and or powdered dishwasher soap does not completely break down in today's water-saving machines and appliances causing the powdered soap to pass through into the drain pipe. This soap that does not dissolve builds up in the drainpipe over time. In some cases, it mixes with the grease further down the line causing rock-hard sewer blockages that require expensive equipment and skilled drain cleaning contractors to clear.

Broken Drain Pipes

• When drain pipes break in the foundation drain problems will show themselves rather quickly. The pipe breaks or separates from a fitting below the foundation causing waste matter to become clogged as it passes through the break or separation. Some homes experience sewer pipe breaks in the yard and even at the sewer tap or septic tank tie inn.

Dips and Bellies in the Sewer Drainage Pipe

• A dip or belly in a sewer pipe is caused when the fill dirt below the pipe settles allowing the drainpipe to sag. This causes the wastewater to sit in the drainage pipe instead of flowing through to the sewer system. In some cases, this happens when the original plumber bows a drainage pipe close to where the drain pipe stubs up through the foundation into the wall. This causes the drainpipe to have a belly and over time your home will begin to experience drain failure.

Poorly Flushing Toilets

• When wastewater enters the drainage system from a poor flushing toilet the solid waste carried by the water stops in the middle of the drainage pipe causing the next two or three solids to back up. This combined with any defective workmanship provided by the original plumber will cause your home to require the drain cleaned and a new toilet installation.