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If you own a home, then you must have experienced a clogged drain in your life, even if it happened only the once. There is simply no denying it that a clogged drain is an inevitable and unavoidable turn of events that often occurs and takes us by surprise. Got up in the morning to a sound of gurgling water? Returned home late at night to find your bathroom flooding? Woke up in the middle of the night from that gross stench coming from your kitchen? Yeah, it happens and at times like these, plumbers are not always reachable. The moment you realize that you don’t even know what is the best drain opener to be used in a situation like this, you’ll understand how helpless you really are. Good thing that the world is full of chemical openers, homemade openers and air-openers and the next time you get caught in such a situation, just roll you sleeves up, take out what you think is the best drain opener in your personal opinion and get to work.
Only a small confusion remains. How do you really know what is the best drain opener to use, how many are there and how do they even work? So before you go hopping on the streets in search of the best drain opener, you might want to go through this guide and learn about every option there is out there.
You should remember that not all drain blockages are the same. Some might be just a little something stuck in the drain pipe and some might have resulted from a large problem.
Where Are The Most Common Clog Spots?
There are 3 places in particular that are most prone to getting blocked up occasionally. In order to deal with the clogs on these hotspots, homeowners will have to discover which one is the best drain opener for their house. Here are the hotspots to look out for:
- Traps:
The trap is that bent portion found beneath the sink, shower or bathtubs. They often get clogged and blocked.
- Internal Passage:
Internal passage is present within a toilet and often gets jammed by something stuck in there.
- Drain Pipe:
This blockage is more serious and often requires the assistance of a professional plumber to deal with it.
Make sure to check where the problem really lies before applying all the best drain openers to unclog it.
Reasons Behind Clogged Drains:
The frequency with which the blockages occur differs in each house. Maybe the real issue is not being dealt with or maybe the things that are clogging the drain time and again are just not being recognized. To help you figure out the cause behind your clogged drain, here is a list of things that give you sleepless nights. This information, combined with the knowledge about the best drain opener, won’t be too hard to get rid of this dilemma for good. Let’s see some of the most common reasons behind blocked drains:
1. Plants:
Houses where people who are fond of planting, gardening or just doing all the things involved with leaves and plants might get a little more blockage issues than the others. Some houses are located near the trees and forests and often a leaf or two finds its way to the inside of the house and goes down the drain. Plant roots look for the source of water and often, pipelines and drains in the streets or beneath the ground and attacked by plant growth. Either way, they are often the reason behind major blockages. If you are wondering what is the best drain opener for this kind of blockage or if one even exists, then don’t worry as there are many.
2. Hair:
If a survey would be conducted for finding the most common source of blockage, then hair will be the one to get the most votes. Preventing hair form falling in the drain is a bit tricky because one, it doesn’t create a problem until a huge ball is accumulated in the drain and second, because it is impossible to stop hair form falling. Hair is the reason that most people enquire about what is the best drain opener available in the market? Well lucky for them because there are different sorts of devices made for getting rid of this crisis.
3. Foreign Objects:
People living in a house full of kids will be well aware of these foreign objects that we talk about. Kids wouldn’t hesitate to throw just about anything into the toilet. Hard stuff which are unable to be dissolved and things that are just too large eventually end up clogging the toilet. Most of the times, it is a soap or a shampoo bottle that accidentally gets stuck. In kitchen drains, spoons are often the reason behind a clogged drain pipe.
4. Leftovers:
One of the main reasons behind clogged kitchen drains are the leftover food items that are thrown into the sink without clearing them up first. When rice grains get into water, they expand. Similarly, oil, grease and other food particles gather up to form a large gunk and eventually block the kitchen drain. Kitchen drains are decidedly one of the most frequently clogged ones. If you wish to survive your kitchen tales, better find out what is the best drain opener that will help you remove this gunk.
Homemade Drain Openers:
If you are not a fan of enzymes, chemicals or tools that are readily available in the market to help you open the drains, then you can always use the things that are already present at home. A large number of house owners use homemade mixtures and for them, these are the best drain openers:
1. Hot Water:
If you are feeling lazy but your kitchen sink is severely clogged, then this is the best drain opener you could ask for. Just heat up a large pot of water and pour it into the sink. It is best to use this technique right after a greasy meal. The grease might look non-existent in the dishes but when they accumulate together and harden up, they create problems, one which a hot bowl of water can easily solve. This technique is one of the most useful preventive measures.
2. Soda Drinks:
What is the best drain opener? Pop, soda, soft drink or any other name you have for Pepsi and Coca Cola is the answer to your question. Just get a can of a warm fizzy drink and pour it down the drain. Aside from getting your teeth enamel, these drinks also get the clogs on your drain pipes and clear it up in a jiffy. Just let it sit for an hour or two and then rinse with hot water. The Phosphoric acid present in the drink is stronger than lemon and clears up the dirt quickly and easily.
3. The Duo of Vinegar and Baking Soda:
This technique has been in the use of DIY queens for ages and they are still going strong. Add equal amounts of vinegar and baking soda together and you’ll get lots of fizz and spray. Quickly pour it down the drain as they take all the clog and gunk with it. If you want it to be more effective, use a better technique by spraying the baking soda separately and then pouring white vinegar all over it. Leave it overnight and get a clear and open drain in the morning.
4. Washing Soda Drain Cleaner:
Another quick and easy-to-adopt homemade remedy for clogged drains is your washing soda. They are readily available and very easy to use. Because of its high alkaline level, it works quickly and effectively. However, washing soda is strong and likely to have a strong reaction with chemically made drain openers. To use it, just pour a cup full in the clog as it will help to loosen it up instantly. Then rinse the drain pipe with hot water or baking soda and vinegar mixture. This is one of the best drain openers when it comes to homemade remedies.
5. Trio of Baking Soda, Salt, and Hot water:
At the off-chance that you happen to run out of white vinegar, you still have hope left. The next best drain opener is a trio of baking soda, salt and hot water; the 3 things that are almost always at home. Prepare the mixture by adding an equal amount of salt and baking soda along with four parts of boiling water. Mix it up together, pour the mixture down the drain and wake up to a clear and clog-free drain.
Chemical Drain Openers:
With so many options available, it is difficult to claim which one is the best drain opener. To be honest, the opinion may change from person to person depending on the technique that worked for them. We have learned about homemade drain openers but now, let’s have a look at some of the chemicals used for opening drains and making it clog-free. Let’s have a look:
1. Oatey Glug Drain Opener:
This is one strong and powerful chemical that will solve your drain problems within minutes. However, as effective as it is, it is also quite expensive. However, if your clogs are making your life difficult, then it is definitely worth each penny. That being said, this chemical-based drain opener is very powerful and has to be treated with utmost care. Make sure to get the children and pets out of the way and covering yourself completely. If you happen to be the clumsy type, this chemical is not for you.
2. Pure Lye Drainpipe Opener:
You want to find out which drain opener is the best? Here it is. A cheap, effective and awesome solution to drain problems, this chemical is fit to be dubbed as the best. All you have to do is to flood your drain pipes with hot water prior to usage. Then, pour Pure Lye in the blocked drain along with the hot water. Give the chemical some time and you’ll find a clear and gunk-free drain. However, Lye works a lot slower and has the tendency to damage old pipelines. Again, remember that this is a chemical and no matter how important cleaning your drain is, it is not more important than your own safety. Use only if you are sure you can handle it with full protective gear on the hands, eyes, mouth and body. Lye is a very corrosive chemical and might as well be treated like a lethal weapon. Children or not, do not keep it in the house under any circumstances.
3. Enzyme:
This is not exactly a chemical-based drain opener but an all natural source of unclogging drains. A living enzyme culture helps break down all the particles and organic matter in the drain pipe. These enzymes also help in maintaining a clean and gunk-free drain. They also help in minimizing bad odor in the garbage disposals. They are also super safe to use compared to the other chemical drain openers. These natural living enzymes are it if safety is your no.1 priority.
Other Sources of Opening Drains:
1. Venting:
Venting is important to keep the drains open. A packed drain pipe creates a vacuum and makes it difficult for the water to drain away. Air also prevents bad odor and allows sewer gases to escape, which otherwise could be dangerous for health.
2. Plunger:
The plunger is one of the oldest and tested methods of opening drains. A plunger is a go-to tool for many homeowners when their blocked drains give them trouble. What is the best drain opener? According to many housekeepers, it is the plunger. In a kitchen sink, it is best to use small plungers. Just fill the sink with water, plunge it and the water will begin to drain. The cost of a plunger is minimal, takes the least space and possesses no safety hazards whatsoever. Also, they require the least effort by the users. No mixing, no preparing and no safeguarding; just grab the plunger and clear up the drain.
3. Take It Apart:
For those people who are not fans of chemicals, home remedies and plunging, they can take out their tool box and clear out the blockage with their own hands. All they need to do is pick the drain pipe apart, clean it using bent coat wire hanger or a plumber’s snake in the case of a main-line blockage. This method is literally the best drain opener as it clears out a large part of gunk once and for all, leaving no doubt in place.
4. Air Cleaner:
Another one that goes on the list of best drain openers is the air cleaner. When all else fails and the water refuses to be drained, the air from the air cleaner will help you out. The air cleaner basically blows pressurized air into the drain pipe and removes any blockage with the sheer force of it.
5. Zip-It:
Zip it is another preferable tool of many house owners when it comes to choosing favorites. This one is very cheap and solves the dilemma of all the hair that gets stuck in the drain.
What Are The Things That We Shouldn’t Do With Our Plumbing System?
While there are some of the best drain openers available in case of sudden flooding, bad smell, overflow or any sort of plumbing emergency; people still tend to get panicky and end up making the matter worse. After every effort fails and they call the plumbers, they have made things difficult even for them. So, here’s a list of things we shouldn’t do when faced with the calamity like an overflowing bathroom.
- The First and the most important thing not to do is to use chemical drain openers unprotected. This is a grave mistake and one that we might end up regretting for the rest of our lives.
- Do not think that your toilet or kitchen sink also doubles as a garbage can. Tissues, cotton and papers might seem dissolvable but they still have the tendency to get stuck somewhere in the drain pipe and create problems later.
- We should not forget about the main valve. In fact, one of the first things to do when moving into a new house is to find a water valve and telling other family members about it. A water valve is the first thing to hit when water flooding gets out of hands.
- When a block happens, figure out where the clogging is actually happening. Many times, we begin to torture our house’s plumbing system when the problem is in the main sewerage line. In case you can’t point out the blockage, ask your neighbors if they are also experiencing problems like slow drains or water backing up. If yes, then the problem is definitely in the main sewerage line.
- We shouldn’t ignore the low pressure of water. If the water pressure is less than expected, contact your water company at once.
It is important to maintain your house’s plumbing system for a number of reasons. If everything is set and checked at the very beginning and all the preventive measures are taken, then chances are that you won’t have to face any drain blockages at all and in case you do, you already know what is the best drain opener for you.