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May 6, 2011

How to fix a clogged drain.....

{Bathroom grim at it's best!}

Warning:  GRAPHIC photos of moldy bathroom, grimy, drain-clogged goo to follow.......


I'm growing my hair long.....my husband has been asking me to do this for 14 years and I've always found an excuse not to.....I'm now out of excuses......

What that means in real-life is a constant supply of CLOGGED DRAINS!!  (It's not just me....my daughter has long hair, too! )

So I am making this post for myself so that I have picture instructions for next month when I need to do this again!

Now I realize....not all drains are alike.....if you happen to have one like mine, you are in luck, if not....go ask your husband for help! LOL

So.......crawl under you sink and look at the pipes.....your drain-plugger thinger is attached to stuff underneath...(Sorry....I have no idea what this stuff is called!

I needed to squeeze the clip that was attached to the skinny metal rod to remove it.


After I squeezed it together I was able to slide it off that skinny metal rod.....that made that skinny metal rod loose....do you see the big screw in the top center of the picture....



You want to remove it.....remember "lefty loosy, righty tighty!"  (See Dad....I learned something! )



Once you have loosened that screw the whole piece will slide out of your pipe......

*Now here's an important little note......you've now made a HOLE in your pipe...any water you run will pour OUT OF THAT HOLE!! 
(Yes...the first time I did this, I didn't know about that wee-little hole and had to use about 5 towels to soak up all the water...grr!)


Once that piece slide out of your pipe, your drain-stopper-thingy will come right out of the drain......and this is where it's about to get GROSS!


There was just no way to crop this photo.....every time I did, it made the drain-stopper bigger and the mold come closer to the viewer!

The first thing I do is stick a paper towel down the drain to get the first round of gunk.....


And then I spray lots of this......like mist hanging in the air a lot!



Truly...it's like a science experiment down there.....hair + toothpaste = a substance that could be used as a weapon of mass destruction!  The smell alone made me want to vomit! (.....but I take comfort in that fact that we ALL have drain innards that look like this! )



If you drain is really bad (like mine!), you may need to dive down there with the needle-nose pliers.....

And for anyone still reading this post.....just work the directions in reverse and put everything back together.....always making sure to CHECK FOR LEAKS before you walk away and call the job done!

Happy plumbing!!

13 comments:

  1. my husband just cleaned out our drain the other day.....and asked me later how it was possible that i am not bald.....guess i shed a lot!

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  2. Note to self - clean out the drain instead of dumping down more drano. Thanks for the step by step for us clueless people.

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  3. You are hilarious! I can't wait to see the after pics of your daughter's room!

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  4. I have long hair too and felt so guilty about how many times my husband has had to clean out the bathtub drain. I now use a rubber strainer over the drain and he hasn't had to clean it out since! :) - Karen

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  5. Thanks for sharing your step-by-step process in unclogging your drainage. I can see that mold and gunk filled your drainage. These problems are common in a lot of sinks, and one good way to avoid this is by regularly pouring hot water with vinegar and liquid soap. If in the process, problems still persist, getting professional help is a good choice.

    Daryl Iorio @Milani.ca

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  6. The stuff that lies in them pipes is really too harrowing to think about. Potential bio hazards multiplying unabated. I wouldn't dare pick those with pliers if I tried haha! Couldn't even begin to think where I'll dump them. They'd usually call up professional plumbing here, to deal with this drain business, and put in replacements if need be. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.

    TotalPLBG.com

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  7. I'm one of those who don't own a sink like yours. Instead of pliers, I sometimes use tweezers to take out the hair and whatever stuff that's clogged down the drain. And in times that my DIY plumbing skills don't work, I call in the pros. Leeanne @ MasterMyList.com

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    Clogged Drains Toowoomba

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  11. Good job! Clearing clogged drains is what I consider one of the easiest plumbing problems in the household to solve. With the help of a DIY guide, anyone can unclog a drain. It’s not the most fun thing in the world, but it’s a handy thing to know. Anyway, thanks..
    Kirkland Plumbing

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