6 ways to clean the sewage blockage in an apartment and a private house

All who do not use special devices in the form of household waste shredders, from time to time, face such a problem as clogged sewer. This can happen both in an apartment and in a private house. Many fix this problem with the help of specialists. But what to do if this happened, for example, on a holiday. Of course, there is very little chance that the master will still respond to the challenge. That is why it is necessary to be able to cope with this situation yourself. In this article, we list several valid and proven ways as clear the blockage sewers in an apartment and a private house without the help of professionals.

Causes of sewage blockage

Typically, sewers clog up at the most inopportune moment. More often this happens with residents of apartments with old communications. Especially when it comes to old cast iron pipes. This nuisance is associated with both the structural features of the sewer system itself and the human factor. First harbinger the future problem will be slow drainage of water and, possibly, the appearance of an unpleasant smell from the drain hole. There are five main factors contributing to pipe clogging:

• Fat blockage - make up 70-80% of all unpleasant cases. The largest number of fat blockages is delivered to the sewage system by washing and dishwashers, as well as kitchen sink. This case is relevant for residents of high-rise buildings, as well as for owners of private cottages. Fat deposits accumulate little by little over many years before leading to serious consequences. The accumulation period depends on the quality of the pipe material and on the correct installation. Fat deposits are heterogeneous in thickness. Their inner diameter is softer and has a jelly-like consistency, while the outer, which is adjacent directly to the inner wall of the pipe, is very hard. This is due to the fact that gradually it is reinforced with various fibers that enter the drains. It can be small threads after washing clothes, hair, particles of insoluble powder and much more. In addition, these stable formations attract and absorb mineral salts from wastewater, which makes them even denser. If your sewer system is also leaking or is arranged in such a way that there is a draft in it that walks through the pipes, the fat layer will dry out and thicken even more. The presence of draft is not the main cause of hardening. This can also occur due to the small amount of passing water. In other words, saving water doesn't do anything goodand the internal cavity of the pipes becomes impassable faster. Sealed or not, your system is very easy to understand. In the negative case, a characteristic unpleasant odor will be present. Fatty blockages are the most persistent and the most difficult to eliminate.
• Mechanical blockage make up only 10-20% of all cases.Mechanical blockages mean various objects that, in principle, should not fall into the sewer. For example, in the process home repair, where does the water with the remnants of various mortars merge? Of course in toilet. Personal hygiene items and items related to personal care. For example, cotton pads, adhesive plasters, ear sticks and even toilet paper are unwanted items in the sewer system. For all this, the apartment has a bin. But what about the remains of various solutions, because you will not take them out to the street and pour them directly into the sewer manhole, right? In this case, it is necessary to thoroughly flush the system and make sure that the dirty water is gone without a trace. In a word - pour more water. Be sure to ensure that children do not throw small objects from toys or a designer into the toilet, as well as rags and puzzles. For some reason, they are very fond of doing this. By the way, it is very detrimental to the condition of the pipes and contributes to the formation of blockages thick from natural coffee, onion peel and peel of vegetables and fruits. This is especially true in the warm season, when they are in abundance.
• Mechanical damage The sewer system may arise due to the ingress of foreign solid objects into the system. In private homes, outdoor sewer pipes can damage tree roots. They can wrap around the pipe and just crush it. A cleavage forms in this place, and its edges, according to the laws of physics, will protrude inward. It is this that will serve as a barrier to the passage of water and will stop various debris, which will lead to the rapid formation of a cork.
• Incorrect installation made by inexperienced specialists, will certainly make itself felt after some time. A problem may arise if the pipes are located at an too acute angle or, on the contrary, have a minimum slope, and also if the wrong, too small section is selected, or if the ends were not cleaned at the joints or soldering of the two pipes and there were burrs on them. Such small omissions must be carefully controlled. Sewer drain may not work at all if fan pipes and valves are not installed. Blockages will become very frequent if the pipe turns are made at right angles, if the pipes are too bent in a small area and have many turns.
• Excess operational resource sewers. Even if the pipe routing in your system is done correctly, but it is already many years old, you will still be at risk. Only their PVC pipes are practically not subject to the formation and retention of fat deposits on the walls. If you still use cast-iron pipes, you should be aware that their internal cavity is susceptible to corrosion, on the surface of which dirt and grease will with pleasure be delayed.

Understanding the causes of blockages in the future, you can protect yourself from undesirable consequences and operate your sewer system correctly.

Sewer clogging spots

To effectively eliminate the blockage without the help of specialists, it is necessary navigate in problem areas. To do this, you need to understand the structure of the sewer system. Let's analyze in more detail:

• If clogged kitchen sink or washbasin. Panic is not worth it, but the first thing is to look under the sink. There you will see a siphon, which has a bowl in the form of a bowl, from which the pipe goes further directly to the riser. In most cases, it is clogged siphon. In connection with the features of its design, it performs several functions at once: it collects most of the garbage and heavy particles at the bottom of the bowl and prevents the penetration of unpleasant odors from the sewer into the apartment or house. Water, which is constantly present in the sump, and traps these “aromas”.You will understand that the system needs to be cleaned when there is so much debris in it that there simply will not be room for water, and smells begin to leak out. The first step is to unscrew the siphon. You should start from its bottom. Be prepared for the stench to fall on you and dirty, dark water to flow. Sometimes the siphon is twisted very tightly. To avoid tearing the thread and not damaging it, wrap it with a cloth and try again. Be sure to place a basin or bucket under the siphon to prevent dirt from entering the floor. And don't forget to wear rubber gloves. Remove debris from the sump. In the case of a kitchen sink, these will be large pieces of food, onion husks and other food particles. In the case of a washbasin in the bathroom - in 90% of cases it will be hair. They can be wound around the threaded part, and removing them can be difficult. After complete removal of accumulations in the sump, it must be washed well with hot running water and only then screwed into place. Unscrew the water and see if the water leaves well. If the result is, but it is not sufficient, it is necessary to unscrew the siphon completely. Sometimes it happens that the hair is wound on a long screw, which acts as a fastener. It should be unscrewed from above, and from below hold a siphon so that it does not scroll.
• If clogged drain bath. The main cause of this type of blockage is the large amount of hair that gets into the system during shampooing. You must perform the same actions as in the previous case. It is necessary to check first the siphon.
• Less often, but it happens that The toilet drain is clogged. This can happen in the event of improper use or if a third-party item enters the system. We have already said that with frequent and regular flushing of residues of mortar into the toilet, blockage is inevitable. The same thing happens if you throw plastic bags, personal care products and used baby diapers into the toilet. In case of water passage during flushing, it is necessary to unscrew the wide flexible corrugation, which is located behind the toilet and connected to the riser. And with their own hands to get out a foreign object from there, interfering with the normal functioning of the system. Cement or plaster should also be removed as far as possible. Again, do not forget to substitute a basin under the corrugation. Drain may not work if the corrugation has no slope and is installed almost perpendicular to the drain. note and at this point. You can fix this problem yourself only by raising the level of the toilet bowl and arranging an impromptu podium. After all, the corrugation is inserted into an already prepared hole in the riser, which is almost impossible to redo.

Ways to clean the sewage blockage in the apartment

Before embarking on an independent elimination of the blockage, it is necessary to assess the full extent of the tragedy. Namely, to understand whether it’s local or global. By the way, the latter cannot be cleared without appropriate services. Make check very simple. Open all the taps in the apartment or private house at the same time and see if the water goes everywhere at the same speed. If, for example, everything is in order in the bathtub and in the washbasin, and if the water in the kitchen sink is barely absorbed or completely standing, then you are in luck. This is a local blockage. If in all nodes there is a slow outflow of water, then the entire system is clogged. First, consider ways that can eliminate a small blockage, and then move on to a more radical method.

No. 1. Flushing pipes with boiling water

The first and most primitive way is flushing pipes boiling water. This method is most often used in the kitchen, since boiling water can dissolve a certain amount of fat. It is necessary to pour 3-5 liters of boiling water into the sink and wait 10-15 minutes. Here you should be careful owners of sinks made of polymer materials.As you know, some of their species respond poorly to high temperatures. Therefore, before resorting to this method, carefully read the recommendations for use of the product. Boiling water can eliminate a small blockage caused by a small amount of fat. He just takes it with him and the problem resolves itself.

No. 2. Pipe cleaning with soda and vinegar

If you need a more aggressive method, try using the tools that are definitely in every home - soda and dining room vinegar. Thanks to the neutralization reaction that occurs during the interaction of these two components, it is possible to get rid of blockages of an average degree. But using an overly concentrated solution is not recommended, otherwise you can damage the inner walls of the pipes. Cleaning should be done as follows - a glass of baking soda is poured into the drain hole. After that, a glass of table vinegar is poured there. The reaction will occur for about 30 minutes. During this time, it is forbidden to open water and generally use the subject of plumbing. When the reaction is complete, rinse the drain with hot running water. Do not spare the water. Sand grains of soda should be completely washed off the pipe walls along with contaminants.

No. 3. Special blockage

If none of the above methods worked, you can seek help from chemical compounds. In any store you will be advised of many household cleaning solutions designed for these purposes. note that plastic sewer pipes cannot be cleaned by any means you like. The label must have a special recommendation. The selected fluid must be used strictly according to the instructions and with the use of personal protective equipment. Users of polymer washes should be careful not to allow the solution to reach the bottom of the sink. It is better to use a watering can to ensure that household chemicals get into the drain hole accurately. Usually, the product needs to be allowed to stand for a while to act on the blockage, and then rinse it with hot or cold water, depending on the recommendations in the instructions.

there is two kinds liquids - alkaline and acid. The former are more suitable for use in the kitchen, because the main element of blockage is fat. Acid recommended for use in bathrooms. They are able to dissolve the remnants of soap and hair. You must understand that strong blockages with a lot of fat can not be completely eliminated so easily. In the first paragraph, we wrote that the consistency of fat is different. Now imagine that a standard water pipe, which has a cross-sectional diameter of 50 mm, has fat deposits 10 mm thick around the perimeter. On them, in turn, larger particles can settle, which can form deaf plugs. The length of the pipes, on average, is about 1 meter. Filling household chemicals, you can not get a guarantee that the liquid can leak through the remaining space unhindered and evenly distributed along the entire length. Often fat dissolves in a small area and then, only its soft layer. Therefore, soon a blockage may form again. To process the entire pipe with a solution, you will need a very large amount of it, which will be very expensive.

Number 4. Mechanical way

When household chemicals are powerless, it is necessary to find a way to mechanically affect the blockage. To do this, use a special plumbing cable. With its help, you can easily break through the formed cork or even get a foreign object that, when it gets into the pipe, blocked the lumen. A long cable will help eliminate clogging of pipes in a private house, if it is concentrated in the outer part of the sewer system. The work is more efficient and more convenient to do together. It is necessary to provide free access to the internal cavity of the clogged pipe.To do this, unscrew the bottom of the siphon and push it to the side. A cable is a wire of a certain thickness at the end of which a handle is located. One person should hold the cable and leisurely scroll the handle, while the second should move it along the pipe. Rotations are recommended in one direction.

The cable, moving along the pipe, will bend under the action of torque, and remove the fat layer from the walls. Sometimes, special nozzles in the form of a brush with hard fibers are put on the tip of the cable. With this device, your chances will increase. The cable can cope only with a soft layer. Sewage, of course, will immediately become easier to flow, but it is necessary to constantly maintain this state.

No. 5. Plunger in the fight against sewage blockage

Another simple device that our grandmothers still continue to use is plunger. Eliminating the blockage with it will be effective provided that the plug is not far from the beginning of the drain hole. Working as a plunger is very simple. It is necessary to position the plunger in the sink so that its bowl completely overlaps the drain. After this, it is necessary to draw a little water into the sink. Now move the plunger handle up and down. It is necessary to perform 15-20 such reciprocating movements. The collected water will serve as an indicator of how efficiently the cleaning has been. If after you removed the plunger cup from the hole, the water quickly disappeared, then you have achieved the desired result. If water leaks slowly, repeat the procedure.

No. 6. Hydrodynamic method: when other methods do not work

Now consider one of the most effective ways to eliminate blockage, both in an apartment and in a private house, with the help of specialists. You should choose this method if none of the above could help you. Special services that professionally provide these services use a machine that solves problems in a hydrodynamic way. For pipes of small diameters, there are mobile installations. Hydrodynamic method involves the fight against blockages with the help of water, which is supplied under high pressure through various sizes of nozzles. The work is carried out in two stages in order to achieve complete cleansing of the internal cavity of the pipes:

• On the first stage a hose is used, at the end of which large nozzles are located. They are also called punch. The larger their size, the faster the speed of the hose in the pipe. At the first stage, it is necessary to break through the cork and perform a preliminary cleaning of deposits.
• The field of this nozzle is changed into smaller ones. Fluid that is sprayed under high pressure will have a stronger effect on the internal walls. On the second stage use small nozzles with a nozzle in the form of a ruff. Cleaning is done very carefully.

This method is used not only to remove large amounts of dense body fat, but also to eliminate frozen liquid from pipes. Only in this case is it called thermohydrodynamic and instead of cold water, very hot water is used, which almost reaches the boiling point. Work at all stages is performed in a similar way. In the case of PVC pipes, the use of high temperature exposure is prohibited, because this material remains stable only to a temperature of 110 ° C. In other cases, there are no restrictions.

Prevention of sewage blockages

To prevent regular blockages in your home or apartment, you must adhere to preventative measures. Although they are not 100% complete, they will save you from unpleasant consequences:

• Do not save on water with sheer fanaticism. If the amount of liquid necessary for their natural cleansing does not enter the sewer pipes, then wait for trouble.The sewage system is especially in need of hot water, which at the initial stage can still cope with a slight fat deposits and prevent its accumulation. When pouring the remaining broth and other similar compounds into the sink or toilet bowl, be sure to rinse it several times or unscrew it water tap for a few minutes.
• Carefully monitor the liquid level in the sewer wells. This rule primarily applies to owners of private homes. If you are gazed, you can remember this when the contents of the well begin to come out through the drain holes in the plumbing units. This is especially dangerous if the system is not equipped with a check valve on the exhaust pipe, and if this also happens on the basement, where the height difference with the liquid level in the well will be minimal, you will certainly flood you understand what. The law of communicating vessels in this case will work instantly.
• Do not use the toilet instead of the bin. Many plumbers do not recommend throwing even toilet paper into it. At the same time, many users wash away the remnants of food, sour jam with bones or cake from compote, cat litter, hair with combs or wool from a pet brush, cotton pads and sticks, personal hygiene products, small household rubbish and other most unexpected items . This is a sure step towards an early blockage.
• Be sure to install special protective nets on the drain hole of the kitchen sink. They will prevent large amounts of food waste from entering the sewers. After the net is clogged, be sure to discard its contents in the bin.
• If the financial situation allows you to purchase a household waste shredder, be sure to do so. The contents of the chopper after work should also be sent straight to the bin.
• It is necessary to install nets on the drain hole of the bathroom. This will prevent hair from getting into the drain, which are the main cause of the cork.
• Be sure to carry out periodic preventative cleaning with boiling water or vinegar with soda.
• Do not trust the work on the layout of sewer pipes and the arrangement of the system as a whole to dubious workers.
• Do not forget that all objects, and sewer pipes are no exception to this, there is a certain resource. Exceeding it, you condemn yourself not only to the risk of failure of the entire system, but also to the use of water containing particles of rust. Replace sewer pipes in time.
• Check regularly that the fluid level in the drain well is not above the permissible level.

Remember that blockages always occur unexpectedly and violate the comfort of the inhabitants of the house. It is much cheaper to purchase nets for each drain hole than to resort to the costly services of specialists.