Home Remedies to Fix a Slow Drain
Everyone wants water to drain out of their bathtubs or sinks without any problems. It can be very frustrating having to wait before your sink clears. There are a couple of things that can lead to a slow drain.
Some include food scrap build-ups, loose hair, clogs, and bath salts. Fortunately, many home remedies can fix a slow drain. You, however, need to be careful about the dangerous chemicals you might have to mix.
Even though the goal is to fix your slow drain, avoid some chemical reactions you might not be sure about. When using these remedies, you need to first evaluate the extent of your slow drain. Some serious clogs might not be easy to fix.
Handling Serious Clogs
Even though the home remedies discussed in this article are effective, they might not help you fix serious clogs. Imagine a situation where you have visitors at home but are experiencing a serious slow drain.
This can leave you frustrated and embarrassed at the same time. Fortunately, you can get certified technicians from ars.com to help you fix the problem within no time. Working with such technicians gives you a long-term solution to your problem.
Here are some home remedies you can use to fix a slow drain;
Vinegar and Baking Soda
Some people assume that vinegar and baking soda can only be used in their recipes and when doing fun science experiments at home. They do not know that the combination of white vinegar and baking soda is the most common home remedy used to fix a slow drain.
You can also add table salt to the mixture, even though this is optional. Vinegar and baking soda react to produce Carbon (IV) Oxide gas.
This gas scours everything that might be causing a slow drain. Adding table salt improves the scraping power of the mixture. Take a cup of vinegar and baking soda to get started. You can get table salt if you want. Ensure that you do not have water in the sink or tub.
Pour the baking soda first, then the salt, and finally the vinegar. You will see a lot of reactions going on in your tub. This means that the inside of the pipe is being scoured to eat the blockage away. Pour boiling water after ten minutes and you are good to go.
Clear the P-Trap
If you look underneath your sink, you will see a bend. The bend is designed in a way that allows it to maintain some water. This water ensures that sewer gas does not back up into your house. You would be surprised how much debris can get stuck here.
The first thing to do is to remove the P-strap. Before you start, ensure that you have shut down the water supply. You also need to clear the space underneath your sink. Get a bucket and place it on the floor under the sink.
Use your fingers or a wrench to unscrew the slip nuts holding together the P-trap. You can find them on the edges of the curved sink pipe. Lift the P-trap after this and then use your fingers to remove any debris that might be stuck inside. Screw back the slip nuts and then test your drain.
Use Coke or Pepsi
Most people do not know that they can use their favorite drinks (Coke or Pepsi) to fix a slow drain. Before getting started, ensure that you have room-temperature Pepsi or Coke. Pour it into your drain.
Wait for at least one hour before doing anything else. After that, rinse the drain using hot water. These drinks have phosphoric acid that works miracles when clearing your drain.
Dish Soap and Hot Water
We all have dish soap in our homes. You can use a combination of dish soap and hot water to fix a slow drain. The dish soap helps degrease a slow drain. To get started, squeeze or pour half a cup of dish soap onto your drain.
Wait for thirty minutes for the dish soap to get through the drain. After that, boil about two liters of water. The water should not just be hot, ensure that it boils. Pour the water into the clogged drain.
Get more hot water and flush your drain. Test to find out if you have managed to fix the problem. If the problem is not fixed, you need to repeat the process. This home remedy might not help those who have serious clogs. They will need the help of certified technicians.
Even though it is always recommended to consult technicians, you can try one of the home remedies discussed above to fix a slow drain. If they do not work, you have a serious clog that needs professionals.
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