Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
How can I unclog my pipes? We have 2 bathrooms on one side of the house and the washing machine and kitchen on the other. We have a cat and use pine litter. I think the pine litter causes the clog. Both bathrooms are clogged, but the kitchen seems to be fine. We have a snake, but I have a hard time getting it past the bend in the pipes.
We had 2 different clogs in the last few months removed by a plumber. The first was hair, the second a paper towel. Is that normal? I have been flushing some pine litter before with no problems. Thanks for any advice.You most likely have a bad 'bend' (too sharp) in your line that is causing your problems and that is why the snake will not work on the bend.
Once you get this problem solved, I would recommend not flushing anything but regular toilet paper or you will probably have the same trouble again.
Also, if you notice the flush seems to be slowing down you should try to unclog it at that time - before it stops up completely.
Sometimes for a slow toilet you can double flush it and the extra force of water will move the glob out of the way. You do this by flushing one time and as soon as the tank fills flush again.
There are some things you can try before you call a plumber but take your time and give each method time to work.
A plunger will sometimes work if used properly.
There are several instructional videos on YouTube so check those out unless you have already given this a good work out.
Give the following method a lot of thought before trying and be sure to be very careful with boiling water (have a clear path) and pour slowly.
There are other methods but this link has full instructions on each method so please check it out and decide if any will work for you.
The only true solution may be too expensive to change as plumbers charge a lot of money to find sewerage pipes and make any changes so you may have to live with being very careful with what you flush and flush more often.
Remove u trap empty any foreign matter reattach and run water to see how its draining if still not draining right use plunger then run water to see, if still not draining then buy some cheap drain declogger pour entire contents and allow to sit 45 minutes,boil big pot of water while waiting after 45 minutes run water to check draining process if still not clear pour pot of hot water directly down drain and plunge a few times when you pull up the plunger it should clear the drain. Always wipe out any cat litter stuck in litter box before rinsing out and use a screen over drain for catching hair and anything that could clog drain, never flush anything other than t.p. down toilet. Paper towels and napkins are not made to be flushed they will clog up your drain system!
One of my sons recently cleaned a litter box in the bathtub and we got a clog at the p-trap. My husband finally went into the crawlspace and cut the PVC pipe before and after the trap to remove the clog. He used another piece of PVC pipe and a connector to repair it again. It worked perfectly. The kitty litter was hardened together like cement, with a fair amount of hair in the clog. I don't think any chemicals would have removed it without damaging the pipes. This might be what you need to do to fix it.
Good luck!
This is a page about clearing a clogged bathroom drain. When the drains in the bathroom are backed up it can be quite a mess to deal with. Clearing the drain helps keep things stay clean in your bathroom.
Certain food items such as potato and carrot peelings can cause a clog in the plumbing attached to your disposal. This is a page about clearing potato peelings from a garbage disposal.
If your bathtub isn't draining well it can be a problem for taking baths and being able to use your bathroom properly. Getting the drain clear will make your bathtub, and bathroom in general, easier to use.
Some plumbing clogs result in one fixture or drain backing up into another one. This is usually indicative of a main line clog. This is a page about bathroom sink backs up into the tub.
This is a page about clearing a clogged washer drain. Washer drains can become clogged, sometimes even with small articles of clothing.
This is a page about clearing a slow wash tub drain (utility sink). Just like any other house plumbing, the drain from your wash tub or utility sink can become slow or stopped up.
This page is about plunging clogged toilet backs up into sink. When your waste water plumbing is not working properly, you may need a snake or a plumber's help.
One or two paper towels might easily flush down the toilet, however if someone puts a larger number down it will probably clog the plumbing. This is a page about fixing a toilet clogged by paper towels.
This is a page about fixing a toilet clogged by feminine pads. A feminine pad that is flushed down a toilet will quickly clog the plumbing.
This is a page about clearing a clogged kitchen sink drain. A clogged sink drain is a common plumbing problem. Before you call a plumber, try cleaning it yourself.
