Translating…
A good maintenance procedure is the best way to prevent your plumbing system from having clogs. For example, making sure that food debris and other waste materials derived from cooking and dishwashing does not go directly into the drain will go a long way towards avoiding clogs in the kitchen sink. On the other hand. picking up hair and properly disposing it before it accumulates in the bathtub will also help in preventing a clog there. However, clogs manage to accumulate over time no matter how good we are in trying to maintain our plumbing system. Discussed below are some basic steps in unclogging your drains short of having to call a professional plumber.
1. The Tools You Will Need
Before undertaking to clear your plumbing system of any clogs, make sure to have the following: Plunger, which clears clogs from most plumbing fixtures including sinks, tubs, and toilets; Cable Auger, which is used for clearing clogs deep down the drainpipe; Plumber’s Snake, which is a long and flexible cable wound around a spool fitted with a hand crank; Closet Auger, which is used for snaking out toilets.
2. Unclogging Your Sink
For minor clogs in your sink, a plunger will work perfectly well. Pour a little water in the sink and start plunging, working the plunger up and down for several minutes before pulling it up the drain opening. Remember that you should do this only for minor clogs.
3. Unclogging a Tub Drain
Just like with your sink, you can use the plunger to clear clogs from the tub drain. Unscrew the screen from the tub drain and remove any hair and soap scum with the use of a bent wire. For tubs with a pop-up drain, put the lever in the open position, and remove the stopper from the drain hole. More often than not, you just have to clear it of all hair and soap and the clog gets cleared.
4. Unclogging Your Toilet
For toilet clogs, you can use either the plunger or the closet auger, depending upon the severity of the clog. Place the end of the auger in the bowl, with its bent tip positioned up. Start cranking and push down on the handle until you feel the cable snaking up its way to the clog. Continue doing this until you have dispensed the whole cable (about 3 ft.). You can retrieve the cable by cranking and pulling up at once. After being done with the clearing procedure, flush the toilet to see if the clog is cleared enough. You may repeat the process if the water flow is still sluggish.
The steps outlined above are meant for dealing with minor clogs. Major plumbing concerns will require the services of a professional plumber, as trying to fix it on your own may result in damaging your system even further.