Unclogging a drain can be as simple as boiling water

Seems like every time I visit my brother in California I end up doing a DIY project. This holiday was no different. While I love helping out with projects, especially since they’re great teaching moments for the kids, I didn’t plan on spending hours on the guest bathroom floor unclogging drains.

It all started late one night when I noticed the shower-stall floor covered in brownish-black gook. There was also a distinct odor I knew all too well from back in my plumbing days—a waste-line backup. Ick. I realized the backup happened while bro ran wash-loads earlier that night. When the washer drained, the waste-water backed up through the shower drain. We tested my theory the next morning by running a load, and indeed, that was the problem.

Separately, earlier in the week I noticed a slow drain in that same bathroom’s sink. I knew the sink stopper and P-trap (the curved pipe under the sink) were undoubtedly clogged with my nieces’ butt-long length hair. Sure enough, I snaked the drain and out came 2 wads of slimy hair that looked uncomfortably similar to small rodents. The gross factor sent my nieces running out of the bathroom squealing “eww,” but there were lessons learned, first being, don’t put hair down the drain.

As for the shower backup, I first snaked out debris with a drill-powered drain auger. Then the rest was quickly resolved using Pequa®, a powerful base (non-acid) drain opener of liquid potassium chloride.

Slow and clogged drains are such common household problems. We should be ready to handle them before they become standing clogs. Obviously, the first step is prevention, with hair and grease being big no-no’s down drains. Using an all-natural product like Drainbo® every 30-60 days is great maintenance to keep drains clog-free. It contains microbes that digest buildup and it’s completely safe for humans, pets, plants, and pipes.

Basically, there are two ways to get rid of a clog—either physically remove it or chemically dissolve it. I always tackle a clog using the least aggressive method first. Sometime all it needs is a couple of pots of boiling water poured down the drain to break up debris like grease and soap scum. Chemical drain openers should be used strictly following manufacturer’s direction and extreme caution taken when plunging or snaking in standing water after using these chemicals.

There are several mechanical ways to remove a clog, from plungers to hydro-jetting. Sticking to my least aggressive method first, I’ll take a good old wire hanger, bend a small hook on one end, and fish it down the train to pull up hair clogs in the shower or sink. In bathroom sink clogs, a fixed drain stopper (pop-up) can get in the way of inserting a snake.

Knowing how to remove a pop-up is a simple DIY project. First, pull up a diagram online to see the mechanics of it. Removing your pop-up is easy, but a delicate dance of making sure the pivot rod and lift rod are properly secured. Know that when the stopper rod is pulled up, the stopper itself moves down (which is the opposite of what you’d think).

Removing a Pop-Up

■ Reach under the sink and by hand or with pliers unscrew the retaining nut, which will loosen the pivot rod. Pull the rod back, releasing the stopper.

■ Pull out the stopper and clean off all the hair and yucky stuff. If the stopper is corroded, take it to the hardware store for a replacement.

Now you’re set to insert your snake. Oh, and be prepared for the glob you’ll pull out—wear gloves and have a plastic bag ready to dispose of it.

When reinstalling the stopper, know that if the retaining nut is too tight, the pivot rod won’t move at all. However, if too loose, it will leak from that opening when water goes down the drain. As I said, a delicate dance….