CLOGGED
TOILET DRAINS:
The problem here is too much tissue at time of flush. Or, if you
have children, you might trace the clog to a flushed washcloth or
towel or toy.
First,
try a plumber's friend to break up tissue clogs. If no luck, use
an auger with a corkscrew point on the end to open the toilet. This
tool is very flexible and turns easily into the trap in the bowl
to snag the object.
But
first, with tincan dipper and waste bucket, remove as much debris
from the bowl as possible. You can protect your hand and arm by
sticking both into a heavy plastic garbage can liner. The extra
plastic material gives your hand room to work.
Move
the auger under and down the bowl to the blockage and then pull
out the blockage. Avoid pushing it down through the trap. If it
goes into the main drain, the drain will be clogged; the object
probably won't dissolve itself through flushing.
If
you can reach the clog with the auger and if there's a clean-out
plug under the toilet, remove the plug and auger the pipe. Be prepared
with a large bucket for trickled-down of lots of water and debris.
CLOGGED
APPLIANCE TRAPS:
A dishwasher, clothes washer, and garbage disposer also have traps
that sometimes clog.
For
a dishwasher, you may be able to remove the drain port cover and
thread a slim rod or auger down the drain pipe to clean the trap.
Or, if you can get under the machine, you may be able to drop the
trap and clean it. However, a clogged trap/pipe may not be the problem.
A malfunctioning drain valve solenoid can be the trouble-maker.
Call a pro for this.
Another
dishwasher clogging problem may be the strainer at the bottom of
the dishwasher inside the "housing" or "tank." The strainer, usually
metal but sometimes plastic, can easily be removed for cleaning.
Just lift out the strainer, which is in two parts or halves.
Then
clean out the ports under a tap and rinse. You can avoid clogged
strainer problems by properly cleaning dishes, glasses, pots, pans,
etc., before you put them into the dishwasher for washing. A dishwasher
is not a garbage disposer.
Washing
machine drainage problems are traced to two things: an improperly
set control on the panel of the machine (make sure the machine and
the timer have gone through a complete cycle), or a block in the
discharge hose or trap. Inspect the hose for any blockage within
the hose or kinks or severe bends in the hose.
A
good way to check the hose for blockage is to remove it from the
machine. You may need pliers to disconnect the hose; it is similar
to a garden hose. Once off, connect the hose to an outside faucet
and turn on the faucet. The force of the water should clear any
debris from the hose.
If
the washer problem is a clogged trap, remove the drain hose, insert
an auger in the pipe and run the auger down through the trap and
pipe.
Garbage
disposers have traps similar to sinks. If the disposer is clogged
it probably will be in the trap. You also may be able to get to
a clean-out plug below the floor (usually) in a basement or crawl
space and auger this pipe.
You
can avoid disposer clogging problems by using plenty of water during
the disposer's food grinding cycle. Don't skimp on water. The water
flushes away the ground-up debris in the hopper of the disposer.
If
the disposer is connected to the sink drain, you will have to remove
the connection and pipe and clean out the pipe or the sink trap/pipe.
Because
a slurry of garbage tends to stick, to the inside of the disposer
drain line and hold moisture, the drain from the disposer to the
main drain tends to rust or corrode much more quickly than, for
example, the drain from a sink. It's a good idea to remove the drain
line of a disposal unit every 2-3 years and clean it out. It is
a messy job, but it will assure a longer life for the drain line
and save you clogging problems. You will have to replace the gaskets
in the slip joints when you disassemble the drain, and some of the
slip couplings may have deteriorated and also require replacement.
FOR
YOUR BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The drain pipes in your home drain via gravity; the pipes are not
under any water pressure so you don't have to turn off the water
while working on the drain system.
All
fixtures (sinks, bathtubs, lavatories) that drain into a vent stack
(main drain) are fitted with traps. Traps usually are the problem
when the system won't drain.
Traps
have curved configurations (J, S, P) so they will hold water. This
water forms a seal to keep out sewer gases, which can be unhealthy
as well as causing awful odors. The water seal also deters crawling
creatures from entering a fixture from the sewer line.
The
main drain line will not only have a trap in it just before it leaves
the building, it will also have a vent stack, which goes up through
the roof of the house.
