How to clean sewer pipes in a private house: varieties of blockages and methods of cleaning

Sewerage is an integral and very important part of any modern house, both multi-unit and private. Due to continuous operation, there is always a risk of clogging.

Of course, the occurrence of an unpleasant situation can be prevented, but there are no absolute methods and guarantees. Therefore, it is always important to know how to clean the sewer pipes in a private house and what tools will be required for this.

Determining Clog Location

To prevent a problem is always easier, and often cheaper than to fix it, it is clear to many. And sewer problems in a private house are no exception. Prevention measures will minimize the likelihood of clogging of pipes when they are regularly and systematically carried out.

The search for the place where the trouble happened can often create a significant problem. This can be a daunting task for a layman.

Typically, pipes are not clogged immediately, and garbage accumulates gradually. It accumulates in the pipe, interfering with the free passage of water. Respectively the main sign of clogging is poor water flow.

In the presence of water shutter, the unpleasant smell from the pipes due to dirt collected inside and solid inclusions can appear only in a very neglected case. Otherwise, the source is something else, not a garbage jam.

A water lock or a water lock protects against unpleasant odors from the sewer, but is itself one of the most vulnerable elements in the drainage system

With a dense blockage, the water, in the end, just stops leaving and stands in the sink or toilet. Often this can happen due to the irresponsible washing off of small household garbage, even plain paper.Before things get worse, the problem needs to be fixed as quickly as possible.

Water shutter provide:

1. On sinks, sinks, bathrooms and shower trays - siphons.
2. In bathrooms, washing, laundry rooms, in garages - ladders are installed in the floor.
3. The toilet has a built-in elbow.
4. In dishwashers and washing machines, a water lock is arranged by placing a drain hose with a lift, or using a special device.

In addition, hydraulic locks are the most common place for garbage jams to occur.

They are present in any sewage system, with the exception of very primitive drainage systems, which are found in some cottages. This is also the simplest situation, which is most often managed to cope on their own.

If a garbage jam occurs, it must be eliminated before it can bring serious problems. The most harmless of which is the appearance of an unpleasant odor

The main culprits of pipe clogging

For guaranteed and safe for the pipes themselves removal of the garbage stopper, it is important to first determine the cause of its formation. Having found out the reason, it will be possible to say exactly how to clean the sewer pipes in a private house with your own hands.

The culprits of the formation of these same blood clots in the communication system may be various objects and even ordinary soap. Let's take a closer look at the types of blockages.

View No. 1 - foreign object

The clogging of the pipe can occur due to the ingress of some rather large object, which, being stuck inside, becomes the place of accumulation of other debris.

Hair trapped in a bath or sink may also be a problem. In large quantities, they form such a serious knot that simply cannot be dealt with simply with hot water.

It is possible to get rid of such a cork from the hair if you remove it mechanically or with a cleaning agent.

In most cases, it is possible to remove the hair stuck in the pipe manually, especially if the blockage is located somewhere in the siphon area. In other cases, you may need to use a cable

Plain paper, even plain toilet paper thrown into the toilet, can be a serious reason for blocking sewer pipes.

Type No. 2 - salt and fat deposits

The narrowing of the walls of the pipes can occur due to the accumulation of solid deposits on them. They are often formed from various wastes. Waste can be of both organic and inorganic origin.

The occurrence of thick fat deposits inside the pipes can contribute to the sticking and subsidence in the sewer of numerous particles of fat.

The use of hard water is one of the common causes of plugs in pipes. Water with high hardness forms salt deposits much faster. Metal pipes are especially affected by hard water.

To prevent such a problem, experts recommend installing grease traps to the sewer. They effectively filter used water and do not take up much space.

View No. 3 - soap cork

Soap blockage is formed with frequent use of soapy water in the sink and in the bathroom. It is difficult to get rid of it, because soapy water, once in the sewer, usually mixes well with other garbage and freezes in the form of a dense cork.

The soap plug can easily be removed with hot water, unless it has completely blocked the pipe. If it doesn’t work out with boiling water, you’ll have to use more radical methods

Errors made during the design and / or installation of communications can also become a cause of a clogged sewer. They create areas that are problematic for the passage of water, in which there is always a high risk of garbage congestion.

In such cases, substantial repairs are necessary, if notreinstallation the whole system again, of course, if you do not want to regularly deal with the consequences of these errors.

Effective Ways to Remove Clogs

If preventive measures have failed to prevent the occurrence of cork, you will have to proceed to its elimination.

The very methods of dealing with sewage blockages can be divided into several types:

• thermal;
• chemical;
• mechanical;
• hydrodynamic.

All of them have their own nuances, features and approaches to eliminate not only the causes of blockage, but also himself. You can also combine some of them, cleaning the sewer in the country or in a private house, especially in case of serious problems.

Method number 1 - hot water

Soap deposits can accumulate in the bathrooms in the pipes, which can be very effectively controlled by washing with hot water, preferably with the addition of soda, for greater efficiency.

In this case, the blockage, most likely, will not cause much trouble. It is only necessary to take into account that for washing hot water it will take quite a lot - several buckets. In a similar way, it is quite possible to deal with fatty deposits in kitchen plumbing.

It should be understood that, passing through the pipes, the boiling water cools quickly, and if it is far from the place of clogging, then the water becomes useless

If there is no possibility or desire to disassemble the pipes, in order to get closer to the problem area, you can use a hose to let hot water deep into the pipe.

Method No. 2 - mechanical removal

If it was not possible to rinse with boiling water, then you will have to use a plunger, only you must first make sure that any other holes in the sewer are tightly closed.

When this procedure did not bring the desired result, you will have to resort to the help of a plumbing cable.

Not everyone can handle the cable alone, so you may have to call a specialist or call at least a partner for help. Of the methods for cleaning the sewer that can be carried out independently, this is the most complex, and will require a broader description.

The larger the diameter of the pipe, the thicker it is recommended to use a cable. Now there are many varieties of this device, so that there will be no problems with the search

Cables are different. They may differ in various parameters:

• in size - length, diameter;
• in appearance - made as a cable or as a twisted spring;
• additional devices - with tips in the form of a ball, in the form of a spiral or without it at all.

Spiral cables well screwed into the blockage and often allow you to simply pull it out of the pipe. Rope with ball basically try to push the blockage further, breaking it into pieces.

Specialists also have a nozzle for ropes in the form of a frieze or crownthat allow you to cut the blockage.

You must be very careful when performing rotational movements, especially if you have sewer pipes made of plastic. It should be borne in mind that through turns of 90 degrees, as well as siphons, the cable does not pass.

Therefore, it is introduced through the place where the plumbing is connected to the sewer or special revisions (a tee with a screw plug) installed on the sewer pipes.

There are many attachments for plumbing cables. The most common is the spiral nozzle, but there are more specific tips for unusual situations.

If the cable is small in diameter compared to the pipe, then it can go through 90-degree turns in the pipeline, but it will feel that the cable has rested on something solid, and after passing the turn, it will again go freely.

It is necessary to act in stages:

1. Unwind the cable and insert it into a suitable hole in the sewer pipe.
2. It must be pushed with a slight scrolling until it reaches a blockage. It is important not to confuse the problem area with the pipe junction.
3. To understand that you have reached the goal, but did not fall into the joint of pipes or a 90-degree turn, you should perform reciprocating movements with a cable with a scroll. If it was a joint or a turn of the pipe, then soon the cable will go soft enough further along the pipe. If this is a clogging place, then the cable will begin to resist rotational movements.
4. If you are using a device with or without a ball, try to push the cork further, crushing it. Check that the blockage is broken only by carefully filling the pipe with water.
5. If you use a cable with a spiral tip, try to catch it with a blockage and pull it out of the pipe.
6. When it was possible to overcome the problem, the cable is carefully removed, and the pipe is treated with boiling water and / or a chemical agent to finally eliminate the traces of contamination.

When using the device, made in the form of a spring, you can not allow it to twist, as this will trybreak up or arranged in a spiral inside the pipe, which will not help in cleaning it, but will only provide additional problems.

We also recommend that you read the article where we described in detail the types of cables for cleaning sewer pipes and gave instructions for their use. More details - go to the link.

If you do not have a plumbing cable, then you can successfully use a wire, an electric wire or a thin hose instead

Method number 3 - chemicals

The chemical cleaning method is rather preventive or final after cleaning in another way to consolidate the result.

However, for the safety of health and the prevention of any damage, a number of rules and precautions must be observed:

1. Due to the specificity of the composition, different means can harm the communications themselves. This must be considered when choosing a tool for a particular type of pipe.
2. Be sure to follow the necessary precautions when working, they are usually written directly on the packaging of chemicals, because many of them can have toxic fumes.
3. Eliminate blockages in a well-ventilated area.

When you buy plumbing chemicals at a store, be sure to carefully read the instructions: the dosage amount put in the dosage is poured into the drain.

Then, after the time specified in the instructions, the drain is washed with a strong stream of water. It can be either cold or warm - depending on the manufacturer's recommendations.

In no case should you mix with each other chemicals, since the consequences of this can be completely unpredictable.

In addition, expensive and advertised funds are far from always effective.

Method No. 4 - hydrodynamic cleaning

If it is not possible to cope with the blockage of the sewer pipe by any method, it remains to resort to the latter, more radical - hydrodynamic. It involves removing the blockage with a jet of water under high pressure.

Of course, there are artisanal ways to do it yourself at home (with unpredictable consequences), but it is advisable to do this with equipment that is available to specialists in this field.

If all the means have been tried, but there is no result, then it remains to resort to a hydrodynamic cleaning of clogged pipes. Just keep in mind that this is not a cheap procedure, and only specialists can perform it

Prevention and prevention of blockages

Currently, there are many different methods for effectively dealing with garbage jams. But it is more important not to start the situation and not to bring the sewage system to a state of clogging.

Any technical equipment and any communications need care and timely prevention, sewer pipes are no exception.

It is enough to follow the usual and affordable, but effective rules:

1. Do not dispose of substances that are poorly soluble into the sewer. They have a place in the garbage can, but not in the pipes.
2. When installing sewer pipes, it is necessary to make them under a small bias, and you should also avoid large angles, as they may collect blockages.
3. At least once a week, and preferably more often, it is necessary to rinse the sewer drain with boiling water for several minutes.
4. In drains, special grates must be installed to prevent debris from entering the pipeline and clogging it. It’s easier to clean the grate itself than to pull the waste out of the pipe.
5. Never leave small objects in the immediate vicinity of the drain, as well as bags or rags - they can easily end up in the pipe and cause you serious problems.

When carrying out repair or construction work in the house, pay double attention to water disposal issues.

It is necessary to regularly clean the walls of the pipes from the accumulated layer of fat and other dirt in them. It is important to carefully monitor that no foreign objects or household rubbish get into them. For example, peeling vegetables, plastic bags, cloth

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

You can find out how to use the plumbing cable correctly from the following video:

Observance of simple rules and precautions will minimize the risk of clogging in your sewer system, its wear, damage by chemicals, and in general will extend its service life.

By preventing blockages and avoiding labor-intensive operations to eliminate them, you can save not only a lot of time, but also money.

And what sewer cleaning method do you use Please tell us about him in the comments section. There you have the opportunity to ask questions of interest on the topic of the article, and we will try to respond to them promptly.