How to clear a blockage in a bathroom when the water won't drain

Ways to solve the problem

Troubleshooting tools and materials:

• chemical agents;
• plunger;
• special cable.

Use of chemicals

When using household chemicals to eliminate toilet blockage, you must strictly follow the instructions and do not exceed the specified dosage

A substance specially designed for cleaning pipes is taken, for example, "Mole". Usually, such products are made on the basis of alkalis. The substance is poured into the toilet and begins to corrode the cork formed inside the pipe from debris and sewage. After the substance has fallen asleep, for the procedure to be effective, it is necessary not to use the toilet for its intended purpose for several hours.

Ventuz

This is the simplest tool, the principle of which is to create the movement of a mass of water inside pipes and a toilet bowl. Like a pump, a plunger pulls out some of the water and debris that has accumulated inside. The lump of cork collapses, a small gap is formed inside the fan pipe, the liquid rushes down the sewer, taking all the debris with it.

Cable

The hydraulic method of removing blockages is extremely effective if the blockage is formed by fatty deposits.

Most plumbers use a cable to solve this problem. It is pushed inside the toilet bowl drain hole, pushed further down the pipe. During the process, the cable is twisted around its axis. When its end rests against the plug inside the pipe, when rotating, it begins to screw into the ball of debris, like a corkscrew. When the end of the cable has slightly entered the inside of the plug, when moving back and forth, the plug moves from its place and partially collapses. This is enough to clear the blockage inside the pipe. After that, the plug is either washed down the pipe with a mass of water, or pulled out along with the cable.

If the problem is not in the blockage of the sewage system, but in the improper design of the toilet bowl or the laying of pipes, here you cannot do without a full-fledged repair.

With the help of simple manipulations, you can independently solve the problem of water obstruction in the toilet. However, if the blockage cannot be cleared using the listed methods, the help of a plumber may be needed.

Sealing of sewerage joints

Often at the junctions, pipes begin to leak. Work needs to be done to fix the problems. The use of fum tape will help eliminate leaks for a while. Therefore, it is best to apply a sealant.

Silicone

One of the best types of sealant will help hold the pipes together. They will last a long time if the connections are smeared with silicone. Compositions do not shrink, retain their properties during sudden temperature changes.

Acrylic

Although these sealants have low elasticity, they will last a long time. Their advantage is their ability to repel water. They stick to the joints at any temperature.

Silicone-acrylic

Sealants are used not only at pipe joints. They "treat" cracks, chips, seal the seams in the areas of the plumbing system.

Polyurethane

Apply sealant to the damaged area with a spatula. When it dries, the system is started. The polyurethane sealant is well paintable.

Folk ways

A blockage in pipes is a fairly common everyday problem that citizens usually try to solve on their own, without the help of professionals. Indeed, often a blockage does not require serious intervention or the use of household chemicals, there are enough improvised means available in every home. Below are the most popular folk ways to eliminate blockages.

Lemon

To fix the problem, you will need 4-5 lemons. It is necessary to squeeze out the juice and pour it into the drain hole.After 1.5-2 hours, the system must be flushed with a high pressure of hot water. This method is perfect for preventing contamination (the procedure can be carried out every 3-4 months).

Vacuum cleaner

The vacuum cleaner is used in a set with a plunger, from which the wooden handle is removed. After that, it is necessary to make a hole in the rubber bowl and insert the vacuum cleaner hose into it. You can fix the junction with electrical tape or clamps. The dust collector is previously removed from the vacuum cleaner. The resulting blockage tool is brought to the drain hole. The bowl must be pressed firmly against the hole.

When using this method, do not forget about precautions when working with electrical appliances in a humid environment.

Soda

If the blockage isn't old, regular baking soda will do just fine. The hole is filled with 200 g of soda, poured with vinegar, and tightly closed for 15 minutes. The reaction that occurs will remove fatty deposits, eliminate stagnation. It is necessary to wash off the solution with a large pressure of hot water for several minutes.

Ruff

A brush used for household purposes can also be used to clear a blockage. If the blockage is deep, you will need a plumbing or metal cable so that the ruff can penetrate the drain as deep as possible. With progressive movements, it is turned in the drain hole to eliminate contamination.

Wire

Ordinary stiff wire will work to clear the blockage. A hook is made at the end so that you can grab the debris that caused the blockage. Clean the pipes by lowering the wire into the drain hole and slowly rotating up and down. As the causes of contamination are reached, more effort will be required as the debris will either be pushed forward or pulled out.

Reasons for clogged pipes and sewers

Why does the bathroom water drain badly? To be honest, this question is more rhetorical, since every person understands that water does not leave due to a blockage. Yes, initially it may be frivolous, but every day hair, threads, soap residues, fat and other components help to collect such plaque on the walls of the siphon and pipes that you are horrified when you see it.

Mechanical blockages of pipes

Sand and pebbles from dirty shoes, human hair and animal hair, earth and clay from vegetables, coins and paper clips after washing, rags and thread - all this clogs the pipes, the siphon and its bowl, and it becomes quite natural that the water does not leave and lingers.

Operational blockages of pipes

This reason speaks for itself - we are using the bathroom incorrectly. This has already been described above, when our sewage system is heavily clogged with the garbage that can remain on a special mesh (and we often neglect it). But, in addition to this, one should take into account the fact that there are more natural reasons that help the pipes to clog. It is fat and constantly cold water. For example, hot water is turned off for the summer, or you simply do not turn it on, as it is very hot. A cold shower saves, gives you the opportunity to put yourself in order and freshen up, but the soap or gel that we use in cold water is not enough to wash off the fat from the sewer pipes. It builds up, does not dissolve, becomes enveloped in hair and threads, and forms a blockage. Accordingly, the reason is the non-use of hot water, but, of course, the lack of timely preventive measures.

Man-made blockages of pipes

Water does not leave the bathroom well, and due to the fact that the would-be craftsmen who made repairs in the bathroom or simply installed plumbing and changed pipes did something wrong. For example, they chose the wrong level of plumbing installation, made the wrong drain slope, chose the wrong pipes, and so on.

What to do if the kitchen sink is clogged

So, the procedure is as follows:

• determining the cause;
• choice of a way to solve the problem;
• normalization of the drain, cleaning;
• preventing future blockages - prevention.

Possible causes of blockage:

1. The sink has not been cleaned for a long time; small food debris has accumulated in the chimney.
2. A large solid object (a piece of raw vegetable, for example) fell into the drain.
3. The pipes are damaged, deformed.

If the pipe is broken, you need to call a specialist. You can deal with plaque and cork on your own, the main thing is to know how to remove the blockage.

Typical situations

Over the course of several days, the water left the sink worse and worse, and finally, its drainage completely stopped. This is the most common blockage - plaque. If it does not take long to form, the congestion can be removed with a solution of baking soda or citric acid. To remove old plaque, use a hydraulic pump, plunger, cable.

The drain suddenly stopped working, before that the outflow of water was normal. Most likely, a large amount of food debris or a piece of a tuber, a button, a ring got into the pipe - a cork has formed. To eliminate it, use a hydraulic pump or cable.

Remove the plug. It cannot be pushed into the pipe, otherwise the blockage will appear elsewhere.

There was a sharp impact sound and / or strong vibration that appeared and disappeared suddenly. The pipes are apparently damaged. You need to call the repair department (ZhEK) or the emergency workshop.

Causes

Even modern sewage systems sometimes fail: the water in the bathroom does not go well, an unpleasant smell appears, or worse, a clogged toilet bowl drain. Why does the system fail to cope with its functions?

Why there is a blockage

Improper operation will interfere with stable performance. Directly the problem is caused by:

• Household pollution. Especially harmful are the fatty fractions that settle on the pipe walls. Hair, tissue fibers stick to such layers, accumulate in siphons, bends of knees, joints of pipes, forming a kind of mesh.

• The high salinity of water causes the deposition of salts in areas of variable cross-section, where the direction and speed of the flow change.

• Water-based rust is trapped by fat-hair plugs, forming an insurmountable barrier.

• Accidental or deliberate discharge of large food debris, household waste, rags, household items into the sewer system.

• Back pressure. A clogged house sewer well is the cause of trouble for the residents of the lower floors: the water does not go away, but what is drained from above ends up in your bath.

Factors that have an indirect impact:

• Lack of nets on the drain necks of the sink, bathroom; installation of siphons without safety catchers.

• Installation errors of the route: non-observance of the recommended slopes, angles; narrowed inner passage.

The smaller the internal diameter of the pipeline, the greater the downstream slope: from 0.02 (2 cm per 1 m) to 0.03 for diameters of 100 and 50 mm, respectively.

Lack of a coarse filter on the water supply, malfunction of the drain filter of the washing machine, dismantling of the mixer aerator.

Special cases

A cast-iron pipe loses its throughput faster than a plastic pipe due to corrosion, greater internal roughness, and the formation of drops in the element mates. Often they cannot be cleaned due to complete overgrowth, fragility of the walls, which collapse from weak blows.

The likelihood of clogging the combined sewer riser of the kitchen, toilet is higher than that of a separate one, since kitchen drains are saturated with fatty compounds. The network of the old building is not designed for the simultaneous operation of a dishwasher, a washing machine, if the consumption exceeds the design one, the water will go out slowly.

Individual sewerage of private housing is often equipped with a concrete pit. Due to poor waterproofing, when the groundwater rises, the reservoir overflows, the sanitary drains have nowhere to go.

Modern septic tanks are equipped with insulated plastic tanks, which exclude the infiltration of the upper water. Timely emptying of containers prevents stagnation in the bathroom.

There is no blockage, and the water does not leave

It happens that dirty water in the toilet bowl or bathroom does not go well when there is no blockage in the pipes. There are several options:

• The riser was hammered below the apartment insert. After filling the free volume of the pipe, the liquid stops passing through.
• An air lock has formed. With intensive use of the toilet and kitchen plumbing, the liquid, acting like a piston, captures air from the pipe, a vacuum occurs, the level of the toilet water seal drops, and hums from the neck of the bath. With the restoration of air pressure, the liquid that did not have time to leave is displaced back. If the discharge of effluents continues, the pressure does not have time to equalize the atmospheric pressure. The process becomes oscillatory, air locks are formed. Overlapping in an attic or roof has the same effect.
• Wedges the membrane, the pendulum gate of the dry shutter: the locking mechanism partially blocks the passage, disassembly, repair is necessary.

Traffic jam zones

Contamination predominantly settles when the flow slows down. Stagnant pockets are especially susceptible to overgrowth: siphon knees, eccentric transition cavities, corrugated sleeves, sagging pipe strings.

Poorly made connections: misaligned, with burrs, extruded seals - potential obstacles for small particles, fibers. Rectangular fittings work like inertial dirt traps: the flow hits an obstacle, turns 90˚, and the suspension loses its speed and precipitates.

A clogged sewer riser is a big inconvenience. Coupling joints, connection to a basement collector, a viewing well are likely places of deposits.

There is no alternative to replacement

What harm to health can cause

Usually people believe that the smell from the bathroom in the house, except for discomfort, carries nothing. But this is not so, because households inhale vapors of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide. The air contains methane impurities. Inhaling poisonous vapors every day, tenants suffer from nervousness, they have a feeling of anxiety, anxiety, irritability for no reason.

> Dampness develops mold on the walls. Fungi enter the human body, from which it begins to hurt. He develops pathologies of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract. Long stay in the room will lead to serious poisoning. Long-term exposure to methane has a negative effect on the vegetative system of residents, which gives off a nervous tic in the eye area. And oxygen starvation of brain cells causes weakness, nausea, dizziness, and a drop in blood pressure.

The water is not leaving the bathroom well.

Comments (1)

we have the same trouble in a new building, which we just didn’t do, as a result, we spent a year and a half washing knee-deep in beeee water.

decided that it was necessary to raise the bathtub and put it higher - to remove the tiles, etc.

the apartment was sold, so I can't tell you about the results of this idea

I’m just writing about what we didn’t do, and some magical plums with motor-hoods, etc., etc., the fig doesn’t save

We, according to the plumber, all the wiring is done incorrectly and there are also blockages, the stinking water starts to rise from the bathtub. He taught how to clean it herself quickly. Unscrew the watering can from the shower hose, insert it into the hole, plug it with a rag in a circle and turn on the hot water. We have all struck at once. I haven't tried it myself yet.

We also have it with a minimum slope, literally a centimeter, but the water leaves perfectly, maybe there is a problem in the drain?

the same we had in the old apartment

This is a drain-overflow problem. There is a big bend, everything is corrugated, that smells, and dirt and hair are quickly clogged everywhere. Therefore, either constantly clean, or buy a good drain-overflow, with the smoothest pipe possible. without corrugation. They are more expensive than usual, but they will not stink.

We have the same problem (((((also terribly annoying. Just bearable. The apartment is rented.

We also have a new apartment.If not a blockage, then this is just a drain, the pipe itself, through which the water leaves, is either too narrow, or immediately with a bend, i.e. No straight part. In our country, if the water pours for a long time, it starts to merge faster .. I don't know why.

Here is my story about how bad my husband is and what a defenseless mother of two children I am.

I'm a bad mother. During the first year of Yegor's life, I spoke, sobbed, howled, screamed, whispered to myself, this is a million times. After a while, she calmed down, found articles, listened to encouragement / condemnation from other people, etc. and ceased to be a bad mother for that.

I don't know which community to include, but I think that this information will be useful to parents from the very birth of a child in order to avoid mistakes in the future. I found it on the Internet and copied it, I did not save the link, so I post it.

There is very little left to tell. All previous parts are here 1, 2, 3, 4 So, our renovation continues. Since we did everything for the first time, of course, the order of repairing the rooms was as convenient for us. Many bathrooms are made in.

How long can an item hang on sale? Daria Yadernayafation-expert, Managing Director of Esper Group “Up to two and a half months. Let's say this year sales should begin on December 15, March 1 is the deadline for when more items hang.

I found this beauty. Grab an idea! So. For work we need a 5-liter. layer. a square bottle, an iron rod 0.6 mm., a bandage, a starting putty, a small spatula, a brush and a small container with water, a container for mixing the solution.

Traditional methods

If you are looking for methods on how to clean a blockage in a bathroom sink or in the bathroom itself and at the same time do not want to use chemistry, and mechanical methods cannot be used for some reason, folk methods will come to the rescue.

There are many dubious methods that not only will not be able to get rid of the blockage in the pipe, but will also lead to additional expenses. Among them:

• Using a vacuum cleaner. The tube of the household appliance is brought to the drain hole and turned on at full power. The results are deplorable, and the most minimal of them is the purchase of a new vacuum cleaner.
• Citric acid is simply not effective.

Convenient manual device - auto-feed drum made of elastic stainless wire

In practice, the effectiveness of soda has been confirmed, and it can be combined with salt or vinegar.

Soda + vinegar

To implement this method, you need the following ingredients:

• soda;
• vinegar (it is best to use white distilled);
• boiling water;
• rag or terry cloth.

An economical and effective folk remedy for cleaning pipes from blockages

Cleaning sequence:

Pour half of the soda bag into the drain hole. It is important that the baking soda is dry.
Pour vinegar in a volume - 0.5 tbsp. well, if you warm it up a little. Cover the hole immediately with a rag. This will keep the volcano that forms from the baking soda and vinegar inside the pipe.
Leave everything as it is for 30 minutes. During this time, the debris that blocked the outflow of water will dissolve.
Boil the kettle afterwards.
As soon as the allotted time is up, pour boiling water into the hole.

The resulting caustic foam effectively corrodes all kinds of blockages, eliminating them

If it was not possible to completely get rid of the blockage immediately, then the manipulations should be repeated.

Soda + salt

Another option, how to clear the blockage in the bathroom with soda, is even easier to implement. You need to take 0.5 cups of salt and soda, hot water. Cleaning sequence:

Pour baking soda and salt into the drain hole.
Add 1.5-2 liters of boiling water there.
Leave on for 8 hours. It is important that the drain is not used during this period.

Salt + baking soda helps when cleaning pipes if the cause is frozen fat

Cleaning the pipes is a simple task and there are tons of options that are suitable for different types of pipes.When using them, you must follow the instructions and safety measures. But prevention is still the easiest option, and it is completely uncomplicated. You just need to get used to the fact that the pipes should be regularly flushed.

What to do if the water in the bathroom does not go well?

No matter how carefully we treat the bath, anyway, during its operation, bits of soap, foam from detergents, hair when washing the head and other contaminants that can eventually cause clogging of pipes in the bathroom get into the drain pipe.

We will find out how and how to clean the pipes without calling a plumber.

Why does the water drain badly from the bathroom?

The main reasons why water may not drain well are:

Mechanical blockage occurs when small dirt accumulates in the pipes in the form of debris, hair, pieces of paper, and soap.

If you have a dog and you regularly wash it in the bathroom, then be prepared for the fact that its fur will accumulate in the exhaust pipe or siphon, which sooner or later will lead to a blockage.

Improper piping can also cause water to leak out of the bathroom very poorly. If mistakes were made during the construction phase and the sewer pipes were laid with a reverse slope, then very soon contamination will accumulate in them, which will cause blockage of the pipe.

Before you start cleaning the pipes, you need to find out what is the reason for the poor leakage of water.

How to clean pipes with a special cleaner?

Today on sale you can find many proposals for the chemical removal of blockages inside pipes. These are such well-known means as Tiret, Mole and others, which advertisements regularly appear on TV screens.

How to clean the pipe with a plunger?

If a chemical cleaner fails the task, you can try mechanical cleaning.

Most often, such a simple object as a plunger is used to clean pipes from blockages.

To clear the blockage with a plunger, you need to perform the following sequence of actions:

• collect a certain amount of water so that the rubber part of the plunger is hidden by water;
• place the plunger over the drain hole so that its lower rubber part fits snugly against the base around the outlet without distortion;
• overflow hole (a hole on the wall of a bathtub or sink, which serves to drain water when there is too much of it), close tightly with a damp cloth and press down with your hand so that the water pushed by the plunger goes into the pipe and does not splash out through the overflow;
• press the plunger sharply with force so that the water from under the rubber valve goes into the pipe and destroys the blockage with its blow.

It is not always possible to clean the pipe with a plunger the first time. In this case, repeat the above steps. The main thing is not to forget to plug the overflow and ensure that the rubber valve is filled with water, not air, before pressing it.

How to clean the drain with a cable?

If the plunger does not help, you need to try to clear the blockage in the pipe with a cable. To do this, you need a small diameter cable equipped with a handle at one end.

It is not always possible to pierce the blockage the first time. Sometimes you have to push the cable with force until the place where dirt has accumulated is cleaned.

As you can see, you can clean the sewer system, if the water began to leave the bathroom poorly, you can do it on your own, without resorting to calling specialists.

Correct elimination of pipe blockages

We have already learned how to solve problems in the bathroom with the help of professional advice, who told us in detail how the sewer pipes are cleaned and how to properly remove the blockage of pipes in the bathroom and sink. But today we have another method that we want to describe to you - this is an integrated approach to the problem, which will help to solve such a problem for a long time, and, perhaps, will eliminate similar problems in the future.

So, roll up our sleeves, put on a respirator and glasses, choose tighter gloves, and go into battle.

We believe, and dozens of professional plumbers support us, that a blockage will not be able to form for a long time only in a clean pipe. Based on this, we begin to clean the drains and pipes so that the water from the bathroom leaves quickly, and the sewer does not smell unpleasant.

Cleaning the drain and siphon

We need to thoroughly clean the drain and siphon - the main places where debris collects and builds up in layers, gradually turning into rotting sludge and mold. To do this, we remove the siphon, by the already familiar method, and unscrew the mesh that holds its tube on itself. We do this with a bathtub and a sink. Now we thoroughly shake all the contents of the siphons into the toilet and flush them several times. Sometimes, such a siphon falls out that you want to wash off such contents even more times.

We thoroughly wash the siphons, bowls and inner tubes, gaskets and a mesh, wash them with brushes with a good degreasing agent, preferably washing from the kitchen (it breaks down fats well and removes dirt). We do the same with the mesh on the sewer openings, where most often the binding material for blockages (threads and hair) is retained, and the corrugations that lead to the sewer.

Mechanical sewerage cleaning

Further, while the plastic parts of the external drains are drying, we use mechanical means to clean the drains, which can be seriously clogged. For this we need a cable with a handle, which we have already discussed. It is with this simple device that we twist deep into the sewer, trying to lower several meters of the cable as deep as possible. Then, we take out the cable, and again we repeat the process. It is advisable to repeat the work several times so that you are completely confident in the cleanliness of your sewer pipes.

Chemical cleaning of sewerage

Now we put a bag of a chemical agent into the sewer system, which is aimed at breaking down fats, killing bacteria and softening plaque. There are quite a few such means, and many of them are already known to us. This is a chemical agent for cleaning sewerage "Mole", a special chemical for cleaning sewer drains and pipes "Tiret", as well as many others, for example, "Flup", "Pothan", "Mister Muskul" and others.

It is recommended to leave these funds for 15-20 minutes, some for 30-40, strong, but "long-playing" - for several hours. We suggest you choose any and act strictly according to the instructions, since we no longer remove the blockage, but simply perform additional cleaning, which means that this will be quite enough.

Just while you are installing sewer pipes, siphons and fittings on the sink and bath, the tool works. After the required period, turn on the water for 10-15 minutes to wash off all harsh chemicals away from your bathroom and make sure that the water goes well into the drain.

So, this kind of work, at best, takes an hour, and filling a bag of "chemistry" into the sewer - a couple of minutes and a mere penny. Therefore, in addition to installing a special filter for each sewer in the bathroom, we recommend using only one inexpensive chemical agent for cleaning the sewage system every 3-5 weeks, just for prevention. Believe me, if you do this constantly, as well as just keep the bathroom clean, you will never get blockages in the sewer, mold and an unpleasant odor will not appear in the bathroom.