What to Do if Your Drain is Clogged With Dirt
King's Services
The last thing you want to deal with as a homeowner is clogged or malfunctioning plumbing. But naturally, as grease, dirt, makeup, soap scum, oils, and other elements make their way into your drain pipes, buildup can occur. This may not affect your lines initially, but eventually, the clog becomes too much for the plumbing to handle, causing water to pool in your tub or kitchen sink when it cannot drain properly.
A drain clogged with dirt causes the most problems, as typical drain openers you could buy at the supermarket cannot react to or clear dirt from drain lines. The more water that gets into the mud, the more challenging the process of removing it.
If you have mud in your drains that refuses to relent, contact the drain cleaning experts from King’s Services. We have the tools and techniques necessary to clear your pipes and get you back to equilibrium.
How Clogs Happen
As a general rule, you should never flush solids down your drain, as this leads directly to clogs and even more significant malfunctions that require digging up your plumbing. Solids can block sewage lines, which plumbers build to drain an intended amount of waste—primarily liquid.
Another common cause of clogs involves trees digging their roots into your pipes. Tree roots grow toward water, and they have no trouble navigating tiny cracks and imperfections in your sub-ground pipes. Naturally, the webbed nature of roots causes them to trap solids within your lines, leading to clogs that could back up your entire system if not treated.
Tips on How to Unclog Drain Pipes
You have multiple approaches to fix a drain clogged with dirt. First, if your clog is in an outdoor drain, abstain from the use of store-bought chemical de-clogging products. Modern clay or PVC pipes degrade, just like the dirt, leaves, and mud, in response to these chemicals, making this a poor long-term decision.
Many DIY solutions can work; however, we recommend calling us, as we have years of experience dealing with drainage issues. Nonetheless, when you call us, you’ll have a few options available to solve the problem depending on the drain type and the clog.
Blow Bags
You can attach a blow bag, an inflatable apparatus, to the end of a garden hose, sending it into your pipe as far as you can. When you turn on the water, the bag fills up, eventually bursting with water, creating a powerful stream of pressurized water that breaks up the buildup. However, depending on the severity of your clog, this is not always a viable solution.
Drain Augers and Sewer Cleaning Machines
These machines work wonders for PVC pipes and outdoor pipes in general. They work by feeding a cable down into the line where it spins to break up the buildup. When you complete this process, drain the pipe to ensure the clog is gone.
Mud buildup becomes concrete-like after enough time passes, meaning you’ll need a more robust cable to clean the pipe effectively. Likewise, make sure the cable size matches the size of your line. You want to get a large enough cable that does the job well while still fitting into your drain.
This method does not work with corrugated or perforated pipes, as the cable can get caught in the pipe openings or folds, tearing up the line and ruining your machine. Likewise, these provide great, heavy-duty solutions when you have a clog in a larger pipe, such as the toilet.
Drain Snakes
Drain snakes come in various types, including manual, electric, and a hand-held electric drill. Like the previous machines on this list, you can rent one out if you don’t want to invest in one for long-term drain cleaning.
Remove any drain grates—although drain snakes work better in smaller drains, such as indoor sinks—and feed the snake into the drain while wearing tough gloves. Once you feel the clog, retract the snake and clean any dirt or gunk with a towel. Keep prodding at the clog if the snake does not initially grab anything.
Hydro Jetting Machines
For perforated pipes, use a high-pressure water jet to burst through the clog. You can rent drain augers and hydro jet machines from your local hardware store. That said, be wary when using one of these devices, as they can be unwieldy in the hands of a novice, leading to personal harm or the destruction of your pipes.
Sulfuric Acid
Sulfuric acid drain cleaners utilize 90% acid—with a small mixture of anti-corrosion chemicals to protect your pipes. However, the strength of these cleaners prevents them from being sold in stores, meaning you’ll have to call an expert to try this solution.
Sulfuric acid disintegrates organic matter and even things like soap and oil. After breaking up the clog, you can clear your pipe with regular-pressure water.
If you hire a professional drainage company, they won’t use sulfuric acid on stainless steel, chrome, aluminum, and galvanized steel pipes, as the compounds will severely damage your pipes.
Hydrochloric Acid
Another powerful acid, we use hydrochloric acid in drains made from plastic and some metallic components. Hydrochloric acid will completely disintegrate solids and minerals that could quickly build up in your toilet pipes. While dangerous to handle unprofessionally, hydrochloric acid acts as a reliable drain cleaner in the right circumstances.
Fixing a Clogged Drain Costs
You will spend your time and whatever it costs to rent or purchase the equipment necessary.
Don’t call a traditional plumber as opposed to a drainage expert, as a clogged drain is not necessarily a plumbing problem. At King’s Services, we deal with pipes daily. As such, we have the tools, expertise, and techniques to get the job done quickly and affordably.
Having Trouble With a Clogged Drain? Contact the Experts at King’s Services Today!
Many times, DIY attempts cannot solve the problem. If you have a drain clogged with dirt and you can’t solve the issue, reach out immediately to the drainage experts at King’s Services. We have years of experience dealing with floor drains, tubs, sinks, outdoor plumbing, and even septic system malfunction.
Call 204-815-5886 today to speak with one of our knowledgeable technicians and learn more about how we can alleviate your drainage problems.
