How to Clear a Slow Drain

While the sewer lines connected to your home can often become obstructed by tree roots, broken water tiles, or busted pipes, the drains inside of your home can also become clogged by hair, soap scum, oil, and grease. When this happens, you may notice that it takes quite a long time to actually see your drain completely empty, which may signal a more serious concern with the plumbing either inside or outside of your home. To help alleviate your concerns, we recommend that you reach out to our friendly Durham plumbers at JD Service Now to schedule a service call with one of our seasoned technicians.

• What About Over the Counter Drain Cleaners?

  Prior to using over the counter drain cleaners, it’s important to note that these agents have extremely potent chemicals that can actually damage older pipes and drain systems. To help protect your property, we recommend that you lift the cover of your drain and try and remove any large clumps of hair, food particles, or items prior to using any drain cleaning products or flushes.

• Home Remedies

  In the event that you cannot locate any obstruction on the surface of your drain, we often recommend that our customers try a homemade remedy for flushing your slow drains. By combining half a cup of baking soda, alongside a cup of vinegar, and a gallon of boiling water, you can effectively flush out your drain without the aid of additional chemical agents.

• Snaking Your Drain

  If you have already tried to clear your drain by flushing it or using a drain cleaner, you may need to try snaking or plunging the compromised drain. While most homeowners own a plunger, it’s not common for people to have a plumbing snake on hand. Furthermore, understanding how to properly use a plumbing snake can be tricky as you need to navigate the head of the snake to the obstructed area of pipe without actually being able to see the obstruction.

• Is it Time to Call a Plumber?

  While it can be tempting to try and resolve your plumbing yourself, if you cannot clear your drain using the methods listed above, then you should consider seeking the assistance of a professional. At JD Service Now, we offer a range of plumbing related services and have the tools, experience, and follow through necessary to handle even the most complex plumbing problems.

To schedule a service call with our Durham plumbers, please contact our offices at 919-383-7000 today!