How To Unclog a Drain With a Plunger

When it comes to Salt Lake City plumbing I’m an expert, but put me in front of a computer and tell me to build a website I might give you a funny look.

We all need certain things “dummified” for us sometimes and that’s what I want to do in today’s post and in the next few posts. The All Hours team wants to give some simple answers to some simple questions that might not seem so simple to some. Yeah that’s a tongue twister.

If you are a homeowner or just tenant who likes to get things done you should know how to do some basic plumbing tasks. After all not all tasks should require a Salt Lake City plumber (although don’t ever hesitate to call us over a small job). If it’s a simple fix we can walk you through what to do and if it’s something you’d prefer us to come out for we are happy to do so.

Sometimes in life small things can be a big annoyance. Like a clogged drain in Salt Lake City. DIY drain cleaning is, in most cases, one of the simple jobs that most people can handle on their own but for whatever reason is usually put off and off for long enough that it becomes a more difficult problem to solve.

Although this might sound silly and simple to some, I’m sure you can at least get even a small tip here that will make it even easier for you in the future.

Steps to Unclog a Drain With a Plunger:

1. In a lot of cases a clogged drain can be fixed with a plunger. Just make sure that if you’ve used chemicals like bleach or other cleaning chemicals that you wear some safety goggles before plunging.
2. The first thing you’ll need to do is remove the drain stopper (turn counterclockwise if needed or pull straight out).
3. Next use a wet rag to block the overflow hole. This will block the air source and allow a good suction to be created on the drain.
4. Then cover the drain with a plunger. You’ll want to ensure that there is enough water to create a tight seal. If the water is coming up at least halfway up the plunger you will be good to go.
5. Now what you want to do is push the plunger up and down but without breaking the seal. The upward movement should be fast but remember not to break the seal. Repeat as necessary.   After a few attempts pull up sharply to release the suction.
6. If the drain is still clogged you can continue to plunge but if the problem persist you’ll need to either pull out the plumbers snake or call a plumber for some professional drain cleaning in Salt Lake City.

For bigger SLC drain cleaning jobs you’ll want to call a professional. To avoid an emergency drain cleaning situation (which can be a nightmare for most homeowners) we recommend you have your sewer lines and bigger drains like your basement drains inspected every 2 – 3 years depending on how close lines are to typical clogging culprits such as roots and also the age of the system.

Although at All Hours, we encourage do it your selfers for small jobs, you should know that for more serious drain cleaning jobs it can get a little more technical and require some more state of the art equipment over things like a plunger, hanger or chemical drain cleaner.  In this case call a Salt Lake City drain cleaning company that knows what their doing and has a good online reputation.  It just so happens that we know someone who fits that bill!