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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.

Kitchen drains tend to clog up due to a buildup of grease from cooking and cleaning. Fix the issue by dumping hot grease down the drain. The hardened grease will try to liquify and move down the pipes. If pouring grease does not solve your problem then you might have something blocking the drain besides grease.

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.

First try using a snake tool. It generally works well when trying to unblock a drain. A snake consists of a long thin piece of corrugate pipe. It is inside of a device you hold in your hands. The snake extends and retracts the pipe so you remove any blockage.

Using the snake is as easy as sticking the end into the drain a few inches. Turn the handle to manipulate the direction of the snake head. This will allow you to clamp onto whatever is blocking the drain. Keep proceeding down the drain until you find a blockage. Repeat this process by turning the handle until you find the blockage.

Once in awhile a snake will not unclog your drain. When this happens you need to try a chemical drain cleaner. Make sure to first use a plunger before you use any chemical drain cleaner. You don't want to use a plunger after using chemical drain cleaner because the chemical drain cleaner might splash onto your face and eyes causing harmful irritation.

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.

Article Source: Main Articles

Dwight Nga runs a very interesting website at For Plumbing, it's one of the webs most up to date Plumbing sites, while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. Read many more interesting articles on Plumbing at: www.forplumbing.com/articles
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