Do-It Yourself Plumbing Tips
By: Dwight Nga

It is common knowledge that hiring a plumber is going to place a strain on your check book. Sometimes you can't avoid the assistance of the plumber as the plumbing job is just too difficult. However, most of the time you can fix the plumbing yourself if you know how. Follow these do-it yourself tips when your drain is clogged and you don't want to call the plumber.

Plumbing deals with water and water can suddenly fill your house if you aren't careful with the plumbing. Make sure that you know where the main shut off valve is located in case you spring a leak. Also figure out where the shut off valve is on the pipes you are currently fixing.

For a stopped up kitchen drain, it is always possible that a grease build up is the cause of the problem. A simple way to fix this clog is to pour scalding hot grease down the drain. This will help dissolve the grease and flush the grease down. If this does not work, you are most likely dealing with a blockage of some kind.

Before you get out the really crazy tools like snakes and plungers, it is best to first check the drain itself for the simple stuff. You are going to want to remove and then clean the sink stopper or strainer. If this does not work, you are going to need to resort to more drastic measures.

In all honesty, a snake is generally the best way to deal with a blocked drain. A snake is little more than a long piece of thin corrugated pipe that is wound up inside of a hand-held device that extends and retracts the pipe.

You stick the end of the snake into the drain for a few inches and then start turning the handle. This moves the head of the snake around so that it can grab hold of anything that is blocking the drain. If you find nothing, then you extend the snake further into the drain and turn the handle some more. You repeat until you find the source of your clogged drain.

But, there are times when a snake may not be able to do the job and you need to resort to the snake or perhaps some chemical drain cleaner. It is recommended that you start with the plunger as you cannot use a plunger after putting chemical drain opener in the drain because it may splash up and get you in the eyes when plunging.

If you need to plunge the drain, you need to make sure that there is water covering the drain. This helps ensure you that you have a good seal because that really is the power of plunging. You are also going to need to cover up any drain vents or the other drain opening if you have another sink. Try plunging 15-20 times without stopping before pulling the plunger away. If the sink is still not draining, repeat 2 or 3 times before quitting. Then, it is time to use some chemical drain opener and think about calling a plumber because the source of your blockage may be too far into the pipes for you to deal with.

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