The thought of calling out a plumber to the property actually scares many people due to the costs that might be involved. Even if there is nothing to be done, the call-out charge has to be paid anyway. The ideal situation would be not to find yourself in a situation where your pipes are blocked, and you don’t know what to do. If you live in a very busy household, there are lots of things that could be going on behind your back that you are not aware of, especially if you have young children.
You may not know it, but it’s likely that your children have been putting stuff down the toilet and flushing for a long time now. Sanitary products that are supposed to go into the trash tend to find their way into your toilet system as well. All of this irresponsible behaviour can lead to your pipes getting blocked, and you need blocked drain repair provided by a professional. Before you pick up your smartphone and dial in the number, the following are some top home maintenance tips that might allow you to clear the pipes yourself.
- Pour some hot water – This can be surprisingly effective, and the hotter the water, the better the results. Obviously, you need to be careful when handling water at this temperature, but pour it down the offending drain, and it should be able to move things along nicely. Let the water find its way down into the drainage system, and if things don’t improve immediately, put some more hot water down there. For many people here in Australia, this fixes the problem every single time.
- Invest in a plunger – This is such an affordable item, and you would be amazed at the number of properties all across Australia that don’t have at least one. A common issue with bathrooms is that the toilet gets blocked for one reason or another. It’s terrifying flushing the toilet and then watching the contents coming up towards you. If you have your trusty plunger at hand, it can actually shift the blockage and get things back to normal.
- Check the water trap – You are not a plumber, so you might not know what is being referred to here. If your kitchen sink appears to be blocked and you have tried the above two methods, it may be that the P-trap under the sink is blocked. This is actually something that you can address by yourself, and just make sure that you place a suitable receptacle under the bend to catch the water and anything else that might come out. This is a 10 to 15-minute job, and it may solve your current problems with a blocked drain.
You just need to get yourself into the habit of maintaining your pipes throughout the year. Vinegar and baking soda are incredibly affordable, and mixed together, they prove to be a very effective cleaner. Put plans in place today for a better tomorrow.