How to Clear a Blocked Sewer Pipe (Without a Plumber)

Drain blockage is one of the most commonly found plumbing issues. You dread it, we dread it, and every homeowner dreads it to the core. However, blockages can occur even when you take utmost care of them, and small articles can flush down accidentally and block the water flow. With time, grease and some other material can also cause a build-up that further causes a drain to block. Fat and grease accumulate within the drainpipe leading to stubborn packages. There may be an overflow in the damaged plumbing fixture.

The minute you ignore it, you will get a smelly and nasty odour stench. Faulty plumbing could also result in blocked drains. The installation of plumbing fixtures often causes mistakes, pipes may collapse, and cracks may appear. Slow draining of water, a loud gurgling noise, and nasty smells can be tell-tale signs. Of course, the best means is to prevent it, but often, bathing, brushing teeth, and doing dishes can block the drainpipe. Your feet will pool in the shower when your main sewer line is clogged. You will require a professional plumber to fix the main sewer line, and plumbing professionals have access to tools that can safely clear sewer clogs. But what if you do not want to call one? Below given are some of the tips which you can follow to clear the clogged drain without hassles. 

Sewer Line Blockages: Signs

Frequently Occurring Clogs 

A main sewer line clog can cause bathroom sinks, kitchen, toilets, showers, and bathtubs to stop draining without using a plunger or chemical drain cleaners. Avoid using a plunger or chemical drain cleaner whenever you flush or use the sink if this is the problem.

Slow Drains

Several drains slowing down at once is one sign of sewer blockage. Verify all low-lying fixtures for a drain clog. They include the bathtub, toilet, and bathroom, and your drains may be slow or not draining at all.

Odd Noises

Do you hear a gurgling sound when you flush the toilet? Do you hear creaking sounds after you turn off the shower or run the water in the sink? There may be a clog in one of the sewer pipes.

Several Fixtures

If you flush, the toilet and your bathtub fill with water, or if you wash your clothes and your toilet overflows, you probably have a clog.

Bad Odours

When your main sewer drain and lines are blocked, your sinks, toilets, and bathtubs will fill with wastewater. If there is a blockage, you will smell it before seeing water, indicating re-circulated or not draining dirty water.

Ways to Clear a Sewer Line

Water Pressure, Baking Soda, and Vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar can unclog bathtub drains. Depending on the clogged state, a plunger and drain snake may also be necessary. In 60 gallons of water, combine baking soda with vinegar in a 2:1 ratio. Pour water into the drain using a drain snake or plunger. Water pressure is the easiest way to unclog main sewer lines.

Detergent For Dishwashers

Before you call a plumber, you need to know what to do to unclog a drain. To unclog the drain, use dish detergent along with mechanical methods. Add some boiling water to the toilet bowl and a quarter cup of dish detergent. Boiling water dissolves dirt while dish soap acts as a lubricant. Using a plunger, unclog with more hot water.

Salt and Baking Soda

Adding baking soda and salt to drains causes a chemical reaction that unblocks them. Mixing salt with baking soda in a 2:1 ratio will create the best drain cleaner. The mixture should sit for a few hours. Use boiling water to rinse the drains.

Using the Drain Snake

Clogs are dislodged from drains with a drain snake, a slender and flexible auger. A plumber’s snake is useful for unblocking clogs that a plunger can’t handle. Turn the handle to unclog a blocked drain. Push it until it becomes resistant. Once you rotate it, the debris will be removed.

Pipe Cleaning

Dirt and grease can clog the flex pipe underneath the sink. You must place a bucket beneath the sink if you plan to loosen the pipe. Take the nuts off by hand with a wrench. Fill the bucket with the contents of the U-shaped pipe. Clean out the pipe with a toothbrush. Run hot water through it and tighten it in place.

Dry and Wet Vacuums

Unblocking sewer lines with a wet and dry vacuum is easy. Then, seal the drain line off to prevent a mess. The vacuum setting should be changed to Liquids to pull the contents up the pipe and into the bag. You can unclog it with a hanger if it doesn’t work.

Bended Wire Hanger

Make a hook at one end of a conventional wire hanger. Pull out anything that could be clogging the drain with that end. Take care not to push anything further down. Clean the clogged sewer line with hot water after you get everything out.

You can try conventional methods to unblock your main line. Regardless of the source, home remedies will not clear up a municipal sewer blockage, and a professional plumber must snake or hydro-jet the main sewer line to prevent clogging. Therefore, if you suspect that your home or business has a clogged sewer line, contact a professional plumber right away!