If you use your drains at all, a clog now and then is inevitable. Culprits include hair from a shower, soap scum, grease, bits of food, any sort of paper, and other types of waste. Even inorganic things such as wedding rings and small tools can get stuck down there. There are many ways to clear a clogged drain. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Boiling Water

Sometimes all that’s necessary to clear your clogged drain is a pot of boiling water. Just fill up a pot, let it come to the boil, then slowly pour it down the drain. Let it work for a few minutes, then repeat if necessary.

The plus side of this method is that it’s simple and easy. On the other hand, boiling water might not do the trick of completely and permanently clearing the clog. This might merely be a step toward using stronger methods.

A Plumber’s Snake

The snake is a tool made up of a long, flexible cable with a coil at the end, often housed in a container when it’s not in use. You ease the cable down the affected drain and turn the handle on the container until you find the clog. You then turn the handle the other way to break the clog up or bring it up. Some people find the job easier if they remove a sink’s P-trap and insert the snake through that opening instead of the opening in the sink.

Using a snake the right way is more effective than boiling water, but the trick is to use the snake the right way. An incorrectly used snake can damage the pipe, and the coil can be difficult to pull out. Using a snake can also be messy, so you’ll need to wear old clothes and lay down old rags or newspaper around the area.

Another thing to note is that a plumber’s snake shouldn’t be used to clear a toilet bowl. That requires another tool called a closet auger.

Hot Water Used With a Plunger

Another way to clear drains is to turn on the hot water tap. The heat and pressure of the tap turned on full may be enough to power away a clog. After the hot water has run for some time, follow up with a plunger.

Like using boiling water, this method is easy to do. However, some plumbers recommend that the hot water be run for as long as an hour. This can strain your hot water heater and raise your water and energy bills.

Just Turn to a Professional Plumber

If all else fails, a call to a professional plumber will take care of any clog. The only drawback here is that you’ll have to pay the plumber.

Professionals for Even the Toughest Clogs

Clogged drains are a major inconvenience, to say the least. If you need professional drain cleaning in Fountain Valley, CA, call our experts at Carlson Plumbing.