How to remove a strong blockage in the bathroom. Ways to clear blockages in the bathroom

The causes of blockages are divided into two categories - technical and operational. The first are formed at the stage of construction or reconstruction. This is the wrong laying of communications, when the angles of inclination of the sewer pipes do not provide water flow, or docking - at the points of contact, debris clings to bumps and a plug grows. In such cases, cleaning gives a short-term effect. To solve the problem radically, you will have to rewire.

In the process of using the drain, the cross section of the system gradually narrows due to the growth of fatty and soap deposits on the walls, food particles, hair, and pet hairs stick to them. This happens regardless of the accuracy of the tenant. The only difference is how long it takes for the blockage to occur. An unpleasant event is accompanied by a bad smell, so you should not take the situation to the extreme, but carry out a preventive cleaning if there are problems with the drain.

Ways to restore the patency of the pipes

If the blockage in the bathroom has already occurred, it is necessary to determine the area of ​​​​responsibility: the riser is the responsibility of the management company. Checking this is easy - you need to turn on the drain from the toilet and it will be clear where the plug is. If the apartment pipe is clogged, then at home use the following methods to fix the problem:

  1. 1. Mechanical - with a plunger, a vacuum cleaner, a plumbing cable, improvised means: a rigid hose, hot water pressure. In the same group, cleaning the siphon.
  2. 2. Chemical method using household special anti-blockage products.
  3. 3. Folk methods of eliminating traffic jams.

It will not be difficult to eliminate the trouble that has arisen by reading the description of each of the methods. Which one to use depends on what is at hand, since the proposed choice of funds is quite wide.

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Mechanical methods

The easiest way to clean a blockage in the bathroom is with a plunger, but if for some reason it was not in the apartment, you can make a homemade one from a vacuum cleaner and a ball:

  1. 1. Cut a rubber ball with a diameter larger than the drain hole in half in an unequal proportion and put the parts into one another - when inserting the sides of the halves, they must be combined. In the center, make a hole according to the size of the pipe of the pneumatic apparatus.
  2. 2. Insert a pipe with a hose from a vacuum cleaner into the dome and secure with adhesive tape. It turned out a plunger with a pneumatic drive.
  3. 3. Turn on the product by attaching it to the drain - a powerful air stream is able to break through the heaviest blockage even without a plunger.

Another alternative is to use a hard rubber hose. It is necessary to connect it to hot water and fix it. Insert the free end into the drain hole as far as possible and apply boiling water. The high temperature flow combined with the progressive movement of the sleeve can clear any blockage.

If there is nothing at hand, the bathtub is filled to the brim with hot water, and then the drain point is sharply opened. Due to pressure and heat, the cork will disappear.

The first garbage collector at the entrance of used water to the sewerage system is the siphon - blockages often occur in it. It is not difficult to clean the device: a basin is placed under the device to collect liquid and the bottom cap is unscrewed. They wait until everything drains, and remove the hydraulic lock. Clean the sump and parts from debris and contaminants, install in their original place. If there are no leaks after the water supply, you can remove the container from under the siphon. The procedure is also performed for preventive purposes and in preparation for cleaning the blockage with a plumbing cable.

Procedure for working with a rope


This method is used when the drain is completely clogged and no other methods have helped. The essence of the procedure is to hook the cork, like a fishhook, and pull it out, or push it further along the pipe, where it expands. Drain cleaning is performed as follows:

  • put on protective gloves;
  • disassemble the siphon;
  • straighten the end of the cable and insert it into the drain hole;
  • rotate and push the tool until you feel a hook, then pull it out, free it from dirt;
  • repeat until the blockage is completely eliminated;
  • after making sure that it is clean, remove the cable, put a siphon and turn on hot water.

As a tool, you can use a flexible wire: bend the hook at one end and make it look like a handle for rotation on the other side. The plumbing cable has the same equipment - a device for turning and a hook. Before cleaning, the product is inspected for the integrity and reliability of the handle. The average tool length is 3 meters.

Application of chemical solvents

You can clean the blockage in the bathroom without mechanics, but with the use of modern cleaning products. The range of gels, liquids and powders is great. Among them there are those that will cope with fatty deposits in the pipes: they contain acids or alkalis. The choice of drugs must be approached with caution, chemical reagents can dissolve not only substances from the blockage, but also the pipes themselves, if they are made of plastic. To remove fat from the walls, the following means are often used:

  • Mister Muscle in the form of a gel and foam - cleans all types of pipes, kills bacteria and odor;
  • Potkhan, an Israeli product - it is enough to fill in 100 g to get rid of a strong blockage, but it has a pungent odor, very expensive;
  • Mole is an effective remedy, but eats plastic pipes;
  • Tiret allows you to quickly remove the cork, there is no smell of ammonia.

If the bath is clogged, use chemicals strictly according to the instructions: before starting work, put on rubber gloves, goggles and special clothing, and ensure that the room is ventilated. The order of application is to pour (pour) the product into the drain hole, wait for the time set by the memo, and then rinse with boiling water. When choosing a reagent, it is necessary to pay attention to the ability to dissolve hair.

Removing fat deposits in sewer pipes is not a new problem, it also existed in times of general scarcity, when there was no abundance of special tools. But in every kitchen you can find vinegar and baking soda. And today, if there is nothing at hand, but it is necessary to clear the blockage, they resort to folk remedies:

  1. 1. Boiling water will not help with severe blockage, but at the stage of plug formation, until the duct is completely blocked, it acts effectively, melting fat deposits.
  2. 2. With the help of soda and vinegar - the components react to form foam. One glass of each substance is poured and poured into the drain and closed with a cork. Leave for 3 hours, then washed with boiling water.
  3. 3. Lemon. If the bath is slightly clogged, you can squeeze the juice from one fruit into the receiving hole and wait 2 hours. Clean with hot water.
  4. 4. Soda and salt - mix half a glass each and pour into a pipe that is clogged. In the morning pour boiling water and leave until the evening.

All of the above recipes work well as preventive measures. In order not to bring the situation to the formation of blockages, a fine mesh is installed on the drain hole to separate debris, household chemicals are used once a quarter. This allows you to maintain the patency of the bathroom pipes in good condition.

Blockages are a common problem that anyone living in an apartment or a country house can face. As a rule, they occur suddenly, and there is not always the opportunity or time to call a specialist. In this case, you need to know how to clean the blockage in the bathroom at home.

It should be remembered that even the slightest stagnation of water should get rid of the problem. If you start this moment, it will take much more time and effort to eliminate the consequences. To understand how best to clean the clog in the bathroom, you need to know its size, location and composition.

The occurrence of blockages is caused by violations of the rules for using sewerage. Clogged pipes can be due to the following factors:

  • Incorrectly set slope angle of the sewer pipe during its installation.
  • Settling in the pipe of debris and hair.
  • General deterioration of the sewer system.
  • The appearance of fatty deposits.

Depending on the sewer point, blockages will differ. So, in the case of a kitchen sink, the cause of blockages, as a rule, is food debris and oil flowing along with the water through the drain grate. Food settles in the siphon flask, and fat can accumulate on the pipes, especially intensively if their inner surface for some reason has lost its smooth surface.

The toilet becomes clogged due to solid waste being poured into it - vegetable peels, accidentally washed rags. In apartment buildings, a blockage may occur in the general sewer drain due to the ingress of bulky debris into it. In this case, the malfunction cannot be eliminated on its own due to the lack of the necessary tool and the inspection window of the pipe in the apartment. The bathroom drain is clogged in the process of taking hygiene procedures. Knowing how to clear blockages, you can deal with them yourself, without turning to the masters.

Siphon disassembly

The main cause of traffic jams in the bathroom is hair and animal hair. At first, the debris lingers on the drain grate, but if it is not removed in a timely manner, it will drain into the drain along with water and get stuck in it. In addition, while taking a shower, you can drop various small items such as earrings and rings. Initially, everything falls into the siphon, which performs two functions: it prevents odors from the sewer from entering the apartment and protects the pipes from debris entering them.

If the water in the bathroom starts to drain badly, and when visually inspecting the drain in the siphon, dirt and hair are visible, then you can disassemble this device to remove debris from it. This does not require special plumbing knowledge and equipment.

Before starting to dismantle the siphon, you should lay a fabric that absorbs moisture well under it, and when disassembling the sink siphon, you can put a bucket or basin under it. This is necessary so that the water flowing out during disassembly, often dirty, does not fall on the floor. The order of disassembly will be as follows:

  • The plastic nut, which is located near the drain on the inside, is unscrewed.
  • Disconnect the flask and drain the water from it.
  • Next, unscrew the bottom of the siphon and clean it of debris, after which the flask is washed with water.
  • Assembly is carried out in the reverse order, after which water must be supplied to detect possible leaks and check for clogging.

Application of chemistry

There are many chemicals available to clear blockages. The components included in their composition allow you to effectively destroy blockages of organic origin, such as fat deposits. These products are available in both powder and liquid form.

When using them, it is important to withstand the time specified by the manufacturer. It is not recommended to overexpose the funds, since not all sewer pipe materials are resistant to aggressive chemical components.

Liquid formulations are simply poured into the drain hole and wait for the specified time. Powders are poured into the drain and poured with a small portion of water. At the end of the required time pause, the system is flushed with hot water.

The most common chemicals with a good reputation are:

  • Mister Muscle. In addition to floor cleaning products, the manufacturer produces drugs to eliminate blockages. It is a gel-like agent, in addition to punching blockages, it has antibacterial properties.
  • Mole. Liquid concentrate of a mixture of hydroxosodium and acetic acid. Available in the form of a gel. Due to the presence of aggressive chemical components in the composition, its use is highly undesirable in pipes that are susceptible to the composition of the product.
  • Tiret. This tool is suitable for any materials of sewer pipes, because it does not contain aggressive chemicals.
  • Flup. Powdered agent for removing plaque and fat congestion.

In addition to specialized products, substances that can be found in almost every apartment do a good job of eliminating organic blockages: acetic acid and soda ash. Reacting with each other, they form a large amount of carbon dioxide, which pushes the congestion. In addition, the acid further corrodes body fat. In order to clear the blockage in the bath in this way, you must do the following:

  1. Half a pack of soda is poured into the drain hole.
  2. After 15 minutes, half a glass of vinegar is poured and the drain is closed with a cork.
  3. It waits about an hour and a half, after which the cork is removed and 5-7 liters of hot water are poured.

The effectiveness of the method with soda and vinegar decreases the more the farther from the drain is the blockage. You can do without soda by pouring vinegar essence and adding small portions of hot water, but the result will be weaker.

Since almost all chemicals contain acids and alkalis, it is highly discouraged to work with them without personal protective equipment. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and goggles to protect your eyes. In addition, you should carefully read the manufacturer's recommendations. Some pipes do not withstand exposure to caustic chemicals and begin to collapse. The irregularities formed during this process will cause the pipe to lose the smooth surface of the walls, which guarantees the occurrence of new blockages in this place.

Mechanical methods

Chemicals do a good job of removing organic deposits, but they are practically useless in congestion caused by the accumulation of debris. The simplest mechanical method is the use of a plunger. It consists of a cup-shaped or cone-shaped rubber nozzle, which is mounted on a comfortable handle made of wood or plastic. The principle of its operation is based on the crushing of dirt stuck in the sewer.

Clearing a blockage in the bathroom using a plunger is less effective than using it in the kitchen sink or toilet. This is due to the fact that a vacuum is needed to work with it. The bathroom drain is equipped with an additional overflow. If a blockage occurs, there will be air inside, which will reduce the effectiveness of the plunger.

However, it can help in the initial stages of sewer clogging. The sequence of actions will be as follows:

  1. Tightly closes the overflow hole in the bathroom. For this, a rubber stopper is used, which should be included with the drain-overflow. If it is not there, you can get by with a fabric folded in several layers or close it with a second plunger.
  2. The plunger bowl is pressed tightly against the drain hole so that it completely blocks it.
  3. Several (10−20) vigorous reciprocating shocks are made. The nozzle should not move away from the walls of the bath.
  4. Then, with a sharp movement, the plunger is torn off from the drain. Fill with water and check the result.
  5. If the blockage persists, repeat the same steps, but with the addition of water. To do this, so much liquid is drawn into the bath so that the rubber cup of the plunger is almost completely covered. The plunger plunges to the hole, capturing water with its bowl, after which the actions are repeated.

To achieve the desired result, you can repeat the procedure several times, but if there is no improvement, then further work with the plunger will not bring results - the debris is too deep or has a strong structure.

Using a plumbing cable

A plunger helps with light blockages, but drains can get so clogged that it's useless, just like chemicals. If a similar situation arises, you should know how to clear the blockage in the bathroom with a cable. It is presented in the form of a thick wire, at one end of which there is a brush or a hook, and at the other a handle for rotation.

With this brush, you need to pull the garbage out or punch it to a wider part of the sewer pipe. Blockage is cleared as follows:

  • The working tip is placed in the drain hole.
  • The cable is pushed through the pipe by the rotational movements of the handle.
  • When bringing the cable to the blockage, several sharp jerks back and forth are made, gradually increasing the pressure.
  • Remove the cable in reverse circular motions, removing debris.
  • Hot water is supplied to flush the pipe with the removal of crushed deposits.

The plumbing cable allows you to get rid of blockages that are even caused by solid debris such as rags and plastic films getting into the pipe. Its flexibility is enough to overcome all the bumps and turns of the sewer pipe, even joints at an angle of 90 degrees. But to work with it, you need to be careful: too vigorous movements can damage the inner walls of the sewer pipe and drain hole. If desired, the cable can be made independently, having several meters of flexible steel rope available. It is enough to fluff its end, giving the shape of a petal.

Further prevention

Understanding the problem of clogs gives you an idea of ​​why the bath is clogged and how to clean it. But it is better to avoid such troubles. Protective grilles help to protect sewer pipes. Their main task is to prevent hair, animal hair and various debris from entering the sewer.

In addition, several times a month, you can pour a small amount of hot water into the drain hole, preferably with salt. It will melt fat deposits and flush them further down the drain.

For prevention, various chemical compositions help well. Most manufacturers of blockage removers have products that are used to prevent this trouble. They differ in less aggressive components in the composition and, as a rule, can be used for pipes made of any material. You also need to periodically disassemble the siphon in order to clean it and get rid of the deposits that form. This is the most effective prevention for the bath, during the operation of which hair and pet hair are constantly washed off.

Clogging is a problem that sooner or later all owners of both apartment buildings and country cottages face. But to solve a sudden misfortune, it is not always possible to attract a professional master.

Let us consider in more detail how to eliminate the blockage in the bathroom on our own and what further measures to take to prevent the problem,

Any blockage is formed due to violation of the established rules for the operation of the sewer. In multi-storey buildings, blockage can be local - within the same apartment, or general, when the common sewer line is clogged.

The cause of clogging the pipes in the bathroom can be:

  • settling on the walls of mud lumps formed from particles of small debris and hair;
  • layering of fatty deposits on the pipes;
  • insufficiently sustained pipe slope at the installation stage;
  • deterioration of the sewer system as a whole.

Households cannot always keep track of what settles on the drain grate. Animal hair, fabric fibers and long hair, along with waste water, flow into the drain and get stuck in it.

If the fibers are not removed in time, then with the next portion of the drained water they descend into the sewer pipe, where they gradually layer, forming a lump that delays the passage of water

The choice of the optimal way to eliminate the local within the apartment depends on the size of the mud "plug". General clogging, most likely, will have to be eliminated with the use of professional equipment.

Mechanical elimination methods

The fight against clogging of the pipe passage should be started as soon as even a slight stagnation of water is detected. You can solve the problem by using one of the following methods. To achieve the maximum effect, it is worth trying to apply two approaches at once, by carrying out mechanical and then chemical cleaning.

Often, to deal with a blockage, it is enough to perform simple manipulations, as in the example of removing a plug from a siphon with a semi-automatic overflow:

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In any even the cleanest bathroom, a blockage can form. Of course, tidy owners face this problem much less often, but it is impossible to exclude the appearance of a blockage. In order to be fully prepared and not to get confused in case of a problem, you need to have several important tools on the farm and carefully study how to clear a blockage in the bathroom.

Causes of mud plugs

Sooner or later, lumps of hair, wool, pieces of rags and other substances collect in the pipes, which form a mud plug and prevent the passage of sewage. Also, one of the causes of blockage can be a fatty coating, which contributes to the sticking of household contaminants. In order to understand what to do when the pipe is already clogged, it is important to determine the nature and extent of the blockage.

Clogged drainpipe

If this happened in an apartment building, then first you need to find out whether it is a local blockage (in the apartment sewer wiring) or a common house (in the sewer riser). When the blockage is local, you can handle it on your own, but with a common house, you can’t do without a specialist.

It is very simple to determine: it is enough to open the water at two points (bathroom and kitchen) and observe: the water does not go away only at one of the points, which means that the blockage is local; stands at both points - the pipe riser is clogged and you can safely call a plumber. And you can deal with local blockage on your own. You just need to follow a number of rules and listen to the advice of experienced people.

Removing clogs mechanically

There are several methods for cleaning pipes from blockage:

  • thermal - using hot water, boiling water;
  • chemical - with the help of corrosive drugs;
  • mechanical - with the help of a plumbing cable, opening the siphon cup;
  • pressure cleaning - using a plunger.

Attention! Do not use the thermal method on pipes that may not withstand elevated temperatures.

Sometimes filling out an application to call the master and waiting for him can take several hours. A blockage in the sewer makes it impossible to use both the water supply and the sanitary unit as a whole.

Vantuz is always at hand

In the arsenal of a good housewife at hand is all the necessary tools for any situation. Plunger is one of the most important household items. Without his help, you can not do with blockages in the bathroom or in the sink in the kitchen. Cleaning a blockage in the bathroom with a plunger is a little more difficult than in the sink. When removing such a blockage, it is necessary to close the overflow hole with a plug or a second plunger in order to create a vacuum at the cleaning point.

Removing clogs with a plunger

How to clean the pipe in the bathroom with a plunger:

  1. Lubricate the bottom of the rubber cup of the plunger with petroleum jelly.
  2. Align the plunger with the hole in the tub.
  3. Close the bathtub overflow hole with a plug or a second plunger.
  4. Pour in enough water to cover ¼ of the plunger cup.
  5. Make several progressive movements.
  6. Remove blockage.

Please note that the tub and sinks are connected and the pushes created by the plunger reach them as well. Be sure to cover the drain holes to prevent the contents from splashing out.

Plunger allows you to clear the blockage in the pipes without the help of specialists

Tip: Sometimes the problem is solved by unscrewing and cleaning the siphon cup.

If the blockage was not cleared the first time, repeat the procedure again. Please note that only those blockages that are located close to the drain can be removed with a plunger, if the pipe is clogged behind the siphon, then you should choose another method.

Rope - an effective way

If the plunger turns out to be useless, then the problem is much more serious. We'll have to resort to heavier artillery - a plumbing cable. The length of the plumbing cable is usually no more than 3.5 m. In order to clear the blockage in the pipe, it is necessary to insert it into the drain hole.

Slowly rotating the handle located at one end of the cable, it is necessary to insert the device until it rests on the blockage with the other end. With a sharp rotational movement, you need to pick up the blockage in the pipe and perform a back and forth movement, thus clearing the clogged pipe.

Plumbing cable with nozzles for clearing blockages in pipes

On the opposite side of the handle, the cable has the shape of a drill, due to which the mud plug is loosened and its small fractions immediately pass further along the sewer, and the main part of the blockage clings to the cable and is removed. When removing the cable from the drain hole, you should immediately wipe it from dirt so as not to stain all the contents of the pipe.

Attention! Take precautions when working with sewer blockages. Work in thick rubber gloves, wear goggles and a mask so as not to pick up an infection.

Do not work with the cable alone. It is difficult for one person to cope with both the direction of the cable and its rotation in the pipe. In addition, the cable is made of elastic steel, and can spring and injure you.

Chemistry will cope with any blockage

What to do if the pipe that is clogged cannot be cleaned either by the plunger or the cable, and even cleaning the siphon does not give the expected results? In this case, you have to resort to chemicals. With the help of chemistry, you can clean any blockage without applying the slightest effort.

Chemical preparations for cleaning blockages require careful observance of the instructions for use

When choosing a pipe cleaner, you should take into account all the active components of the selected drug. Some of them are so aggressive that their use is only possible in cast iron pipes. And some can be used exclusively for plastic piping.

Very important!!! When working with any chemical preparation, maximum care and protective equipment is required.

To achieve the desired result, it is necessary to pour the amount indicated on the label into the drain hole and wait until it does its job. Then open the warm water and clean the sewer pipe with water from the blockage and the flooded product.

Observe safety precautions when working with chemicals. Avoid contact with skin or mucous membranes. You should also be careful not to get such products on chrome surfaces, otherwise it can not only clean the pipe, but also clean the mixer from the chrome coating.

Chemicals easily deal with almost any blockage in pipes

Chemical preparations are also used for prophylactic purposes, small doses of a substance diluted with water are poured into the drain hole and wait a few minutes for the drug to take effect. Then washed with running warm water. This procedure is carried out at least 1 time per month.

Tip: afraid to harm the environment - use folk remedies to clear the blockage in the bathroom. They are not as effective, but they are safe.

Folk remedies

What people just didn’t come up with to clear blockages in pipes with the help of improvised means. I poured citric acid, sucked up the blockage from the pipe with a vacuum cleaner (this method is highly not recommended - it leads to the purchase of a new vacuum cleaner), but not all of these manipulations were effective enough. In practice, it turned out that it is best to eliminate blockages in the bathroom with soda and vinegar.

If you do not want to use mechanical means for cleaning pipes, folk methods are suitable for you.

  1. Cleaning with soda. ½ pack of soda is poured into the drain hole, after 5-10 minutes it is poured with hot water.
  2. Vinegar cleaning. 4 tbsp is poured into the drain hole. l. soda and pour a glass of vinegar. The hole is closed. In 10 minutes. washed with a liter of boiling water, and then with a large stream of hot water.

There are a lot of all kinds of methods invented by the common people, each housewife is trying to invent her own unique way to clear a clogged pipe in the bathroom, but often these are all vain gestures. Most folk remedies are suitable for kitchen sinks, because they cope better with grease blockages, but cleaning with vinegar is also suitable for the bathroom.

Blockage Prevention

To avoid having to clean blockages - do not allow them to appear

In old worn-out pipelines, the likelihood of a mud plug increases due to crevices and roughness on the inner surface of the pipe. The best prevention of blockages is the timely replacement of sewer wiring and risers. Also, in order to avoid blockages, it is necessary to install a removable grate on the drain hole, which will trap unwanted contaminants and small things that accidentally fall into the drain.

It is always better to remove pollution from the outside than to get it out of the pipe, while pouring the contents of the sewer pipe into your bathroom and flooding the neighbors.

Get a plunger and a plumbing cable so that they are at hand at the right time

Do not hide the plunger and cable far away; they must be in an accessible place. In a panic, in the event of an accident and the eruption of the contents of a sewer pipe, there is not always time to remember where you threw the plunger you bought several years ago. You need to act quickly.

How to fix a clog in the bathroom with the help of available tools: video

Cleaning pipes from blockages: photo





A clogged drain entails a lot of inconvenience: a decrease in the efficiency of the sewer, the danger of flooding, and much more. We will tell you what to do if the bath is clogged, what to do when dense blockages form from hair and scale, and also how to clean pipes with home remedies.

Folk ways to clean the bath

The easiest option that can be done if the bath is clogged is to spill the drain with vinegar and soda. At best, this method will help dissolve part of the blockage, at worst, nothing will change. To prepare the solution, you need to take an equal amount of vinegar and soda (for example, a glass) and boil water. Then proceed according to the instructions:

  1. It is necessary to turn off the water and remove the siphon. Clean it with a cloth or detergent;
  2. Soda is poured into the pipe, after which vinegar is poured into the same place. For maximum reaction efficiency, pour the vinegar in a thin stream. As soon as you hear a hiss, set a timer for 30 minutes. On average, the reaction takes exactly half an hour;
  3. After the complete cessation of seething in the pipe, it must be spilled with boiling water. It is also important to fill it with a thin stream, without much pressure. After completing all the steps, install the siphon and turn on the water. If the flow normally leaves through the drain, then the blockage is eliminated.

There is a more efficient way, albeit a longer one. It is necessary to turn off the water for the night and fill the pipe with salt and soda, taken in equal proportions. Immediately after that, pour at least 2 liters of boiling water into the drain. After 8 hours, it will be possible to check whether the blockage has been removed or not. If you do not want to wait a long time and measure the proportions of kitchen products, then you can simply buy a chemical pipe cleaner. They are able to dissolve not only soap suds and scale, but also hair and even polyethylene.

This option is good if the outlets are clogged due to soap residue or grease. If a small blockage of a different kind has formed in the bathroom, then you can easily get rid of it with a simple plunger.


This is a special device with a handle and a rubber cap. If you place a plunger over the drain hole, then a vacuum is formed inside the rubber cap. Due to a change in pressure inside the pipe, the blockage changes its position. In this case, there is a high probability that the debris will pass into the large pipe.


How to clean the pipe in the bathroom with a plunger:

  1. It is necessary to close the overflow hole, otherwise the pressure drop will be insufficient;
  2. The handle should be perpendicular to the bottom of the bath, and the rubber cap should be located over the drain hole;
  3. It is important that the center of the plunger is above the center of the drain - this will allow better pumping of drains;
  4. It is necessary to slowly press the handle several times, as a result of which the rubber tip will “fall” into the drain. These movements will help move the blockage.

But the plunger copes only with minor blockages. If the bath is clogged with hair or other problematic waste, then it will not help. In this case, it is more appropriate to use a plumbing cable. With it, you can clean the pipes with your own hands from almost any blockage.

There are different types of cables:

  1. Rope. Manufactured from steel alloyed with zinc. It perfectly resists corrosion and is able to carefully clean pipes of small diameter (the cross section of such a “rope” is only 6 mm). The tip is flat, without branches and hooks. Due to the fact that it is thin and does not have any fasteners at the end, it cannot be used to clear difficult blockages;

  2. Spring-wound ones are more rigid than rope ones. As a result, they have a wider range of uses. They are a metal device with a rigid base along which a thinner wire is wound in a spiral. The diameter of such a cable is rarely less than 9 mm, so they are considered semi-professional. At the end of such a cord there is a small tip, which helps not only to push the litter further into the sewer riser, but also to pull it out of the pipe;

  3. Spring. Of course, every owner can have it at home, but such cables are professional. They are used to clear difficult blockages in sewer pipes. In apartment or house conditions, they are rarely used because of the large diameter (up to 15 mm).

To clean the blockage in the bathroom with a cable, you will need to prepare. First of all, the siphon is removed. Firstly, when cleaning it, it can be damaged (especially plastic models), and secondly, it will not be possible to completely clean the pipe without removing it.

Step-by-step instructions on how to clean a blockage in the bathroom with a cable:

  1. The rope has two ends. One of them is clamped in the hand, and the second (with a blunt end or a hook - depending on the type) is inserted into the pipe. In order not to damage the walls of the sewer outlets, the cable must be scrolled with a handle;
  2. As soon as the cable hits a blockage, scrolling will become more difficult, more effort must be applied here. But you can’t put pressure on the cable, otherwise there is a chance to pierce the walls. In addition, it is advisable to make sure that you hit the rubbish, and not the bend of the pipeline;
  3. If the cable has a hook at the end, then you need to turn it several times in one direction, then in the other, and remove it from the pipe with slow rotational movements. With the right actions, there should be debris on the hook that is hooked by the device. This action is recommended to be repeated several times;
  4. After rotational-translational movements, the remnants of litter are pushed into the sewer.

To fix the result, the pipes are additionally washed with hot water. First you need to put a small jet into the outlet, then increase the pressure. This will help remove debris from the side walls.

professional ways

Sometimes it happens that none of the home methods is suitable or there is simply no desire to eliminate the blockage in the bathroom yourself. Then you can resort to the services of professionals. The most common plumbing service is hydrodynamic flushing. It is performed by a special device that removes almost any blockages with a large pressure of water.


Advantages of hydrodynamic cleaning:

  1. Speed. You can use the bathroom immediately after the end of the procedure. For example, after dry cleaning, it is necessary to withstand from 2 hours to 8 (remember the method with salt);
  2. Security. Even the largest flow of water will not damage the internal parts of the pipes. Moreover, the liquid will gently fill all the knees and transitions. The cable, if rotated incorrectly or excessively, can damage even brass bends;
  3. Versatility. In this way, you can get rid of hairballs, soap and fat growths, scale. Simply, depending on the type of blockage, different methods are used.

You can spill pipes with hot and cold water. Hot is most often used for metal bends (removal of build-up of soap, minerals, etc.). Cold is used in most cases for plastic outlets and pushing hair and other solid waste into a wider sewer opening.


Of course, mechanical cleaning with cables is also widely used by professional companies. It can be both mechanical and automatic devices. In them, the pressure force is adjustable (unlike non-professional hand ropes). This allows you to play it safe from cracks in the pipes and ensure work efficiency.

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