A backed-up drain
Prevent and Clear Blocked Drains
If you have running water in your home, here are a few important things you need to know about your drains!
Signs of Blocked Drains
When your sewer is plugged or your septic tank needs pumping, here’s what could happen:
- Water backs up out of your tub drain when you flush your toilet.
- When you empty your bathtub, the water stops flowing and bubbles back at you or bubbles into the toilet.
- When you empty your kitchen sink, the sink water backs up into the toilet.
- When you flush your toilet, sewer water backs up through an outside downspout, patio drain, driveway drain, or the lowest floor drain in your house.
- When you run a load of laundry, soapy water comes up into a toilet, shower, or floor drain.
How to Unclog a Drain and Prevent Clogs
- Let plenty of water run down the drain by keeping the faucet open for up to a half a minute each day.
- Sink lines commonly plug because not enough water is flushed through them, especially after the garbage disposal is used. Run the faucet for about five seconds after you turn off the disposal. This helps flush the line.
- Never pour hot oil or grease down the sink—whether or not you have a disposal.
- About once a month, fill the sink to the top with very hot water. Using a fork or other kitchen utensil so you don’t scald your hand, remove the sink’s plug. As the clean hot water swirls down through the sink line, it takes much of the grease buildup with it.
- Drain-cleaning chemicals, if used improperly, can solidify in a drain line and aggravate the blockage. If the chemical doesn’t eat through the blockage, therefore not flushing down the drain, the chemical sits in your sink line. It crystallizes, and then there is no way you can easily clean a sink line after chemicals harden in it. Always be sure to follow the instructions
- It’s a good idea to keep a simple plumbing snake in your home. The snake can help you unclog your sink, bathtub, or shower drain if hair and other gunk happens to block them. A simple plumbing snake can be bought at your local hardware store or online for only a few dollars.
To Keep a Toilet from Clogging
- Don’t put anything foreign down the toilet except toilet paper.
- Items such as dental floss, Q-Tips, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, or any other paper product cling to the roots in the sewer and cause an immediate blockage.
- Always have a plunger on hand, and don’t wait until you need one to buy one—by then, it’s too late!
More Helpful Household Hints:
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If your toilet clogs; fill a bucket or warm water and put in the toilet; it usually breaks up the clog and flushes the toilet; (I learned this in rural Mexico)~
I received two boxes of Persimmons from my family in Texas and let them sit too long. NOW I have a couple rooms full of gnats/fruit flies. Horrible little creatures!! Do those buzzing little machines work to get rid of them. I put some vinegar in the bottom of a plastic container, then poured some dish soap into it, and then added water and to make suds. Took a saranwrap and covered it & Held it in place with a wide rubber band and lastly poked holes in the top of the wrap. I caught quite a few but millions more were born. No pets, no children, no houseguests, just wondering what to do. I don't even want to fix food in the kitchen!! :(( Are their eggs all over the place and it needs to be washed down good? If I had only known! Ultrasonic Gnat Repeller - Get Rid Of Gnats In 48 Hours Or It's FREE. nasty little buggers!!
Disappointed in your info. Looking for natural ways to keep the drains running smoothly.
My house has 2 bathrooms and a kitchen sink and a washing machine. The front bathroom has a tub, toilet and a sink. How do I get the tub and toilet to drain? The sink has no problems.
Thank you for reminding that blocked septic tank lines would need to be pumped immediately if you see water backing up the patio, driveway, or kitchen drain when you flush your toilet. This is really terrible and very inconvenient especially with visitors around during a fine windy day. In this case, since the Sacramento household is populated by more than a dozen individuals, it would be good if Mom gets the local septic tank pumping service to clean the sewer pipes as often as necessary to avoid such tragedy.
After using the toilet or taking shower or using the sink I have water leaking into my garage. I have a three level home and two bathrooms upstairs and one in downstairs. I need help and advice on what may be the problem. The leak drains around a pipe in my garage. Should I call a professional plumbers? Thanks!
Hi, Hilton: Absolutely!
So I live in the mountains. It has snowed a lot! My septic alarm is normal. Every time I wash dishes, laundry, or flush the toilet water comes back up my shower. I'm not sure what the problems is please help.
I run water in my kitchen sink and my toliet fills up in the bowl. I run water in bathroom sink same thing and every time I run water in kitchen and bathroom sink or flush toilet everything comes up in tub. My landlord says it's my problem, how it's just me??? Further more I need the wiring fixed, I haven't used my stove in over a year. He said I paid to fix it before and it on you, well he didn't pay the man so he came and got breaker switch and apparently it's on me. Another thing the roof leaks and needs repair, I told him if I fix it, it comes off rent. What really pissed me off he said I don't pay enough for him to do maintenance on house. I pay 385$ and he sweats me for rent but won't fix nothing and when I do he says he take it off rent well that's BS!!! I have been here 3 years, have 4 dogs, and no where to go if I call city, health Dept,or whomever. No signed lease offered multiple times to purchase house he talking 45gs man you got to be out of your mind. It ain't worth 20gs, and he says I can't sell it to you like this, bullshit you can as is just like a freaking car. Any suggestions I love this house and it has so much potential. Help me please!!!
We are renting a house for 650.00 a month here that's high. Our plumbing went crazy and everything backed up into the bathtub. We tried everything liquid fire, draino, snaked it. We told the landlord he refuses to fix it. Children's service was called and they made my 6 children leave. We have no one here that can keep the kids while we battle the landlord. The air has since gone out and we have been served an eviction notice because we with held the rent. I am on disability and can't afford to just up and move. Any advice
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