How to Clear a Blocked Drain - 5 DIY Tips to Unclog Blocked Drains & Remove Common Blockages

Foreign Objects In The Drainage System

Toilets often get treated like a bathroom bin, with items like nappies, sanitary products, cotton buds, cat litter, toys, and even ‘flushable’ wipes ending up in the plumbing system. These items don’t dissolve quickly, if at all, causing solid blockages. Even gradual build-ups, such as hair in shower drains, can worsen over time, requiring professional intervention.

Grease, Fats & Food Scraps

Blocked kitchen sinks often result from cooking oil and food scraps washing down the drain. Grease builds up on pipe walls, gradually narrowing the drain until wastewater can’t pass through. When this happens, more drastic measures are needed.

An Aged Drainage System 

If your plumbing system is aging, older pipes, like metal or ceramic, face particular weaknesses. Metal pipes attract mineral deposits such as magnesium and calcium, which obstruct flow, especially in corners. Ceramic pipes can misalign over time due to ground movement, allowing dirt and debris to enter and create a blockage.

Tree Roots

One of the most common causes of blocked outdoor drains is tree roots. Roots can infiltrate plumbing systems, causing severe blockages. No store-bought drain cleaner will effectively remove tree roots; this problem requires professional clearing solutions like high-pressure water jetting.

How Water Jetting Can Help

For severe blockages caused by tree roots, grease build-up, or foreign objects, a high-pressure water jetting service is often the most effective solution. Unlike traditional drain cleaning tools, water jetting can cut through and clear stubborn blockages without damaging your pipes. Its versatility allows it to tackle various blockages while thoroughly cleaning the inside of the pipes, providing a more permanent resolution.

DYI Methods -  How To Unblock Drain Pipe Suffering From Blockage

All 5 methods listed below are suitable for small blockages and maintaining your affected drain. These methods are environmentally friendly without being reliant on a chemical drain cleaner, like caustic soda.

However, more severe blockages will require intervention from a blocked drain specialist to assist in the diagnosis and treatment to clear a blocked drain.

1. Hot Water

Boiling water works well for minor build-ups of fats and grease inside pipes, particularly in kitchen drains. Pouring hot water regularly can forestall blockages. However, if your plumbing system uses PVC pipes, be cautious—boiling water can potentially damage them.

2. Baking Soda And Vinegar

A mixture of baking soda and vinegar is a simple and effective drain cleaner. Combine:

• 1/2 cup salt, 
• 1/2 cup bi-carb,
• 1 cup of vinegar 
• 1 cup hot water 

Pour them down the drain sequentially, or mix them together and dump into the troublesome sink. These readily available ingredients require minimal effort.

3. Cleaning the U-turn Of Your Clogged Drains

The U-shaped pipe should be the first place to check for a blockage, especially in a kitchen sink. Food particles are often trapped in the U-bend. A U-turn bend is relatively easy to undo. It comes with screw-on ends which you can easily unscrew using your hands alone. Place a bucket underneath the plumbing fixtures before you begin, this will help to catch any cold water or particles hidden inside. Unscrew the ends, and shake the U-turn bend to remove clogged particles. 

4. Commercial Drain Cleaners 

Most hardware stores in Australia stock commercial drain cleaners like caustic cleaners, Drain-O and Hydrochloric acid. These are highly corrosive liquids that can potentially burn away whatever is causing the blockage. They are readily available but highly dangerous.

You pour the cleaner down the drains and wait 20-30 minutes, then pour water. You may have to repeat a few times. It is essential to read the instructions on the label carefully before you use the caustic cleaner. It is also advisable to wear gloves and protective goggles while working with such chemicals to loosen blockages. One common mistake that leads to burns is pouring hot water after the cleaner. This can cause a violent chemical reaction with the cleaner. 

While this drain cleaning method is widely available, we recommend enlisting the services of a trained plumbing professional to assist with your blocked drain instead of using toxic chemicals.

5. The Plunger 

The good old-fashioned plunger is surprisingly effective at clearing blocked drains. It works by the simple physics of forcing air down the drain, which pushes the blockage out. You can create more pressure by covering the airflow with a damp cloth before placing the plunger. Ensure all other openings like a second tap, are closed before working the plunger. 

How to Prevent Blocked Drains at Home with Simple Tips

To keep your kitchen sink free from blockages, use a drain strainer to catch food particles before they enter the drain. Make it a habit to empty the strainer regularly into the trash. Additionally, avoid pouring oils or grease down the sink, as these can solidify and cause clogs.

In the bathroom, regularly clear away hair from the sink, bathtub, or shower drains. Removing hair buildup early prevents it from moving deeper into the pipes, where it becomes harder to remove.

For blockages that happen frequently, it’s best to call a professional Sydney plumber to inspect and address the affected drains.

Jetting nozzles have small precision machined orifices or jets to restrict water flow from the jetting pump thus causing high pressure to build within the hose. As the pressurised water is expelled from the nozzle jets it reverts from pressure to velocity (speed) creating thrust that allows the nozzle to pull the jetting hose.

With the system pressurised, the high-pressure jetting hose coiled on a hydraulic powered hose reel (up to 150m) is released by the operator who controls the travel speed and distance of the nozzle up the drain. Pressurised water expelled from the nozzle jets cleans the debris and removes drain blockage from the inside of the pipe whilst traveling through it.

Optimum cleaning is achieved when the hose is being rewound onto the hydraulic reel. During this action, water from the nozzle jets effectively forms a curtain or wall of high-pressure water that forces (or rakes) the debris downstream. Sewer jetting technology can be applied to clean all size pipe diameters with the appropriate size of high pressure jetting unit. Pipe and drain maintenance can improve the quality of your pipes, not only is jetting a fast service we strongly believe it's delivering an excellent service that's second to none.

Do You Need Drain Cleaning Services For Your Sewer Drain?

Are you experiencing the telltale signs of a blocked drain? From your kitchen sink, shower drain, or toilet, a blocked drain can happen anywhere on your property. Each drain in your home will face different challenges. From your drains being used as bins to external structural damage caused to your underground pipes. Most pipes that are experiencing blockages will speak, quietly at first... then loudly. The key is to know the signs.

Blocked Drain Signs

• Slow to drain
• Gurgling sounds
• Wet patches in your yard
• Cracked driveways and pavers
• Usual smells or odours coming from your drains
• Changes in your toilet's flush
• Foreign objects in your toilet bowl 

Do any of these signs sound familiar? Are your plumbing services under pressure? Is there a blocked drain lurking?

If you can tick a yes to any of the above, enlisting the help of professional drain cleaners will minimise any damage that might be caused to your plumbing system and in turn, reduce the chance of an emergency blocked drain situation. Blocked Drains should never be ignored. They will not clear themselves and only increase in damage.

Yay, we've cleared and cleaned your blocked sewers with our water jetting plumbing team. Your kitchen sink is draining, your toilet is flushing and your stormwater pipes are flowing again. Once the drain cleaning has finished, this is not the end of the line.

Now is the time to assess your pipes or drains. Check for any structural damage that might have occurred or find the initial reason behind the blocked drain. Our professional service won't just clear your drains and leave you to face the same scenario again further down the line. We innately believe great service is delivering all the information, empowering our clients to make an informed decision.

• Whether it's your sewer drain or your stormwater pipes, blocked drains will be caused by something.
• Are there tree roots that have caused the damage?
  
• Is your plumbing system aging?
• Has it seen better days and could not withstand the pressure caused by blocked drains?

Our plumbers will use a CCTV drain camera to check the structural integrity of the services. CCTV drain cameras will give a clear factual indication if there is any structural damage.

If there is damage and your pipes require repair, never fear. Network Plumbing is highly trained in pipe relining. We're Sydney's leading experts in pipe relining solutions. There are many benefits to pipe relining solutions, one major benefit is you won't have to dig trenches throughout your garden to repair the damaged pipe. Pipe relining will as the name suggests, reline your broken or damaged pipe with a woven liner that is impregnated with a 2-part epoxy resin. Once the epoxy resin is cured it's now structurally stronger than a PVC pipe.

If tree roots are the root cause, a relined pipe will be impervious to further root invasion, a perfect solution. To find out more about pipe relining as a solution for your damaged pipes.