How to Clear a Clogged Drain

Following are the steps to take when trying to solve various types of drain problems. You’ll find more about each in the other Repair & Care articles.

1) If a drain is simply moving slowly, a clog may be starting to form or the vent system may be blocked. You can use a chemical drain cleaner to open a slow-moving drain, but beware—the caustic nature of most drain cleaners can damage certain kinds of pipes and upset the delicate chemical balance of a septic system. And if the drain becomes fully clogged, the caustic solution can back up into a fixture, making it hazardous to plunge the drain.

2) Plunge the drain at the fixture.

3) Try to clear out a hair blockage in a sink or tub drain with the help of a straightened coat hanger with a small hook at one end). Remove and clean the pop-up as hair and debris often collect around this assembly.

4) Connect a hydraulic bladder to a garden hose and try blasting out the clog.

5) Try to clear the blockage with a snake, working from the fixture.

6) Try to clear the blockage with a snake, working from a branch clean out.

7) If all else fails, call in a plumber.
It’s much easier, of course, to prevent a drain blockage in the first place than to clear a clogged drain. Scalding water can clear drains of grease. Install a strainer in kitchen and bathroom sinks to prevent hair and soap, small utensils, and other objects from slipping down the drains.