How to clean a heavy blockage in the pipe

Sewage systems have a tendency to fail or become clogged. This happens due to garbage, foreign objects, improper installation or certain malfunctions. Most often, the problem can be solved with the help of several effective methods at home.

There are cases when it is not possible to fix everything on your own – then you have to call a master. Trubolub company specialists can always come to your aid , they will quickly and efficiently solve any questions related to sewage or the water supply system.

In this article, you will learn how to clean a heavy blockage in the pipe yourself. We have identified three effective methods for you, each of which has its own advantages. We will also consider the hydrodynamic method and professional help to eliminate complex cases.

Content:

1. What are the types of pollution?
2. Methods of cleaning the sewage system
3. Soda, vinegar, boiling water and citric acid
4. Mechanical method: plunger or plumbing cable
5. A chemical method for removing dirt in pipes
6. Hydrodynamic cleaning is an effective method against heavy clogging
7. Rules of operation and maintenance of pipes
8. Conclusions

What are the types of pollution?

Due to human activity and improper operation, sewers can become clogged and sometimes this becomes a big problem for their owners. If you do not pay attention to it in time, then everything can end in an emergency situation, burst pipes and flooding of premises. Blockages are often caused by mistakes made by the plumbers who installed your sewer system.

Let’s analyze the main types of blockages that can appear and their causes:

• Mechanical . This type means that there is a foreign object or some kind of debris in the pipeline. For example, all kinds of personal hygiene items, toilet paper, napkins, diapers, cat litter, textiles, construction waste, food and household waste, etc. Please note that all this cannot be poured into the sewer, because it is only suitable for liquid waste, and everything else can get stuck there and cause accidents.
• Operational . Pollution of this type occurs in the course of frequent and usual use of sewage. In the kitchen, it can be grease, leftover food, vegetable peels, and debris that gets into the sink while washing dishes (later it sticks to the walls of the pipes, hardens and forms a grease plug). In the bathroom, the drain is most often clogged with hair and animal fur, which get there and accumulate, gradually forming an obstacle for the water.
• Man-made . It is characterized by overgrowth of pipes from the inside with scale or rust, can occur due to design or installation errors, as well as damage or unusability of old pipeline systems. Near the place of breakage, debris will stick and accumulate more often, which will cause clogging. In this case, you will not be able to handle it yourself, you need to call an experienced master so that he can repair the system with quality.

Also, traffic jams can appear due to other reasons, for example, the formation of calcareous plaque inside the pipes, sprouting of tree roots, etc.

Methods of cleaning the sewage system

If you have a clogged drain, do not rush to call a specialist. You can try to solve this problem yourself using several methods. Already when they do not show the result, then you can ask for help. Each type of pollution has its own cleaning method, and it also depends on personal preferences, the location and complexity of the clog.

Let’s analyze the main methods for cleaning the sewage system at home:

1. People ‘s Using improvised means that anyone can find in the kitchen: soda, vinegar, citric acid.
2. Mechanical . Manual cleaning using special tools: plunger and cable.
3. Chemical . Dissolving various organic impurities with purchased chemistry.

Soda, vinegar, boiling water and citric acid

Folk remedies are an easy and affordable option for cleaning sewers. As you already understood, it consists in using soda, vinegar, boiling water or citric acid.

Of course, these products will not help to dissolve the stuck textile object, but they will cope with the grease plug and food waste. Although their efficiency is much lower, these methods are suitable for combination with mechanical cleaning and for preventive cleaning.

Here are the most popular ingredient combinations:

• Soda with citric acid . You will need half a glass of soda, 100 grams of citric acid, which must be dissolved in a liter of hot water. Pour the solution into the drain and cover all openings with a cloth, wait a few hours. Next, rinse the pipes with hot water.
• Soda with boiling water . Pour a liter of boiling water into the drain hole and wait some time. Then add half a glass of soda and fill with water again. Be careful if you have plastic pipes, they can crack under the influence of high heat, so it is better to use another method or just use hot water instead of boiling water.
• Soda with vinegar . It is necessary to add equal proportions of soda and vinegar to the drain hole (for example, 200 grams each). Wait until a strong chemical reaction begins, plug the drain. After an hour or a half, wash everything with hot running water until the dirt is completely removed.

Mechanical method: plunger or plumbing cable

To remove blockages using a mechanical method, two effective devices are used – a plunger or a plumbing cable. The first option as a kind of “first aid” for any blockages, you can buy it in a store, as this tool is very affordable. The rope is considered professional and is used by qualified plumbers when other methods have failed.

The plunger is very easy to use, so even a novice can intuitively handle it. To do this, you need to put the rubber cup of the tool in the drain, where the water was previously collected, and press it tightly. If the water does not sufficiently cover the edges of the nozzle, then you need to add more. Then make forward movements until the liquid starts to flow quickly – this is a sign that you have successfully removed the blockage.

Plumbing rope is more difficult to use and the process itself requires more effort and time, but you can also learn to clean pipes yourself with it. It is made of a special spring cable, has a handle for convenient rotation on one side and a nozzle for a specific type of waste on the other. Great for when you need to break through a difficult or old cork.

How to clean a heavy blockage in a pipe with a cable:

1. To clean the sink, you must first dismantle the siphon to make the process more comfortable.
2. Carefully place the nozzle and the main part of the cable into the sewage system.
3. Grasp the handle and start rolling the tool in one direction until it hits the pile of debris.
4. With short jerks, check whether the cable will move further through the pipe.
5. Destroy the traffic jam with rotational movements in the other direction.
6. Periodically, you need to take the device outside and clean it from pieces of dirt, hair, and garbage.
7. After the cable moves freely along the pipeline, you can finish cleaning.
8. Don’t forget to put back the siphon with all the rubber gaskets if you removed it.
9. Wash the instrument and drain under running water.
10. Wrap it in cloth or paper to prevent corrosion.
11. To get rid of the unpleasant smell, it is recommended to additionally clean with soda and vinegar.

Chemical method of removing pollution in pipes

This method consists in the use of purchased chemicals. They effectively and quickly dissolve garbage in the pipe, but are harmful to humans. Therefore, it is important to wear rubber gloves before use.

You can buy chemicals at any household store. They exist in the form of powder, gel and liquid. Many manufacturers make such preparations based on caustic acid or alkali, for this reason it is impossible to mix different compositions. Their prices vary, but most are quite affordable.

Chemical cleaning of the pipeline step by step:

• Dry the surface of the drain hole so that there is no “standing” liquid.
• If the agent is powdered, you need to pour it into the drain, and then carefully add a little water, or just pour it in if it is liquid or in the form of a gel.
• Wait about 10-15 minutes.
• Rinse with plenty of running tap water.

This method effectively cleans grease stains in the kitchen, hair plugs in the bathroom and provides an additional disinfecting effect.