Costly Mistakes to Avoid When Clearing Your Blocked Drains

Blocked drains, whether in your bathroom or kitchen, can be a total nightmare. Sorting the problem by yourself seems like the right thing to do, but only if you get it right. Unblocking your clogged drains doesn't have to be complicated. Unfortunately, many homeowners who take on the project end up making some costly mistakes. If you are the avid DIYer and would like to unclog your blocked drains, here are some simple yet crucial mistakes you need to be keen to avoid.

Pouring Hot Water Down Your Drains 

Most people believe pouring hot water down their drains is a quick way to deal with the blockage problem. Unfortunately, this usually doesn't work because the hot water may not really be able to break down the materials stuck in the drains. For instance, food particles in your kitchen drain or hair in your bathroom drains won't be broken down by hot water. Therefore, running hot water down your blocked drains will only increase the build-up and cause an even greater overflow.

Using Your Garden Hose

It can be tempting to direct the water from your garden hose into the blocked drains. Similar to running hot water down the drains, you will only increase the build-up and create an even bigger mess. The water pressure from your garden hose is not enough to remove solid and sticky blockages. Instead of a garden hose, consider investing in an aqua/hydro jet, a plumbing tool with enough pressure designed to remove blockages from drains.

Using Coat Hangers or Broom Handles

While it's always good to improvise, using broom handles or coat hangers to push the clog down or try to fish it out will do less regarding removing the blockage. A hanger may help you remove some of the clogs. However, many clogs tend to be too far down the drainpipes, and the hanger may get stuck in the pipes if you jab it further down, leaving you with an even bigger problem to deal with. Consider purchasing drainage rods that are actually designed for unblocking drains.

Relying on Chemical Products

Abrasive chemical cleaners may work to clear out minor blockages. However, they tend to be ineffective against solid blockages such as food particles, hair, and paper. What's more, the chemicals have harmful long-term effects on the pipes. The quality of your drainpipe lining will deteriorate with time if you use too many chemicals because they are highly corrosive. Replacing your corroded drainpipes will be costly.