Drain Cleaning

oldog/newtrick · 01-05-2010, 08:46 PM

Whats the best DIY way of cleaning and maintaining a main drain that I can do myself? The drains not blocked shut, just sometimes runs slow.

**Chris** · 01-05-2010, 09:44 PM

I would start with making sure the P-traps are clean.

wej76 · 01-05-2010, 10:33 PM

What about shower drains? My upstairs shower takes forever to drain and I have run plenty of drain-o through it and its still slow. What should I look at?

**Chris** · 01-05-2010, 10:39 PM

You will probably have to snake that one. From my experiences Draino and products like that only work if they can sit there on the clog and in your case it may just slowly move on past it and do no good. I own a small hand held snake that usually takes care of that problem. Showers it is usually hair that gets trapped in there. Have you tried taking the grate off and reaching in to see if it is by the opening?

wej76 · 01-05-2010, 10:53 PM

No but I will look into that. But I dont recall there being screws on the grate and I am at work now so I cant go look. Will it just pop off if there are no screws?

**Chris** · 01-05-2010, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wej76

No but I will look into that. But I dont recall there being screws on the grate and I am at work now so I cant go look. Will it just pop off if there are no screws?

If there is no screws try unscrewing it by twisting the whole thing. I don't have alot of experience in shower drains but I have installed a few that the whole grate screws on.

'Cause · 01-05-2010, 11:34 PM

Typically shower drain covers just snap in and out of place. They usually are a 'chromed' perforated sheet metal with a couple two to three 'tabs' turned down.

Showers are notorious for hair.

Or... if it is accessable below there could be a drum trap with a screw off bottom that could be cleaned.

**majakdragon** · 01-08-2010, 03:17 PM

If you are determiined to use chemical drain cleaners, use an enzyme cleaner such as Draincare. Caustic cleaners eat a hole in a clog and then run down the pipe, leaving the rest of the clog there to start all over again. Enzyme cleaners cling to and eat organic clogs (not tree roots). Snaking is always the best way to rid drains of clogs. I have seen some of the cheaper drain covers that cannot be removed without removing the entire drain flange. Usually, these need to be unscrewed.

TrackRat500 · 02-06-2010, 01:13 AM

do not ever use chemicals for your drains, you are litterally dumping money down the drain. When it comes to drain cleaning, you are better off calling someone like myself(Roto Rooter), yeah it cost some money, but you get what you pay for. Lets say you wanna cable a drain yourself, ok, so you go and rent a machine for $50 from the rental store, then you have to try and clean the line. Cable a drain is a skilled trade, its not just shoving a cable in there. You have to know how to feel for turns, offsets, roots and so on. This takes years of practice to know this stuff. If you dont know it, you are going to hurt yourself with the cable wrapping itself around your wrist or hand and breaking it. Then to make it even harder the machines you get from the rental place usually are not big enough to even clean the line correctly, or the cables are so old, rusty, kinked that even someone like me could not get it open with those machines. I recommend calling a professional, we do the work, we do it rght, and it is headache free for you. I am telling it is not worth it to try and do it yourself. By the way, lets say you do have a bigger problem than just a clog, people like me can discover the "real" casue of the problem and offer a solution for you.

01-08-2010, 03:17 PM	#8
majakdragon Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Lafe Arkansas, Arkansas Posts: 198	If you are determiined to use chemical drain cleaners, use an enzyme cleaner such as Draincare. Caustic cleaners eat a hole in a clog and then run down the pipe, leaving the rest of the clog there to start all over again. Enzyme cleaners cling to and eat organic clogs (not tree roots). Snaking is always the best way to rid drains of clogs. I have seen some of the cheaper drain covers that cannot be removed without removing the entire drain flange. Usually, these need to be unscrewed. __________________ If you have never made a mistake, you probably haven't done much.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

01-05-2010, 09:44 PM	#2
Chris Moderator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Wildomar, California Posts: 1,142	I would start with making sure the P-traps are clean.

01-05-2010, 10:33 PM	#3
wej76 Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 20	What about shower drains? My upstairs shower takes forever to drain and I have run plenty of drain-o through it and its still slow. What should I look at?

01-05-2010, 10:39 PM	#4
Chris Moderator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Wildomar, California Posts: 1,142	You will probably have to snake that one. From my experiences Draino and products like that only work if they can sit there on the clog and in your case it may just slowly move on past it and do no good. I own a small hand held snake that usually takes care of that problem. Showers it is usually hair that gets trapped in there. Have you tried taking the grate off and reaching in to see if it is by the opening?

01-05-2010, 10:53 PM	#5
wej76 Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 20	No but I will look into that. But I dont recall there being screws on the grate and I am at work now so I cant go look. Will it just pop off if there are no screws?

01-05-2010, 11:34 PM	#7
'Cause My drains are stopped up Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 36	Typically shower drain covers just snap in and out of place. They usually are a 'chromed' perforated sheet metal with a couple two to three 'tabs' turned down. Showers are notorious for hair. Or... if it is accessable below there could be a drum trap with a screw off bottom that could be cleaned.

02-06-2010, 01:13 AM	#9
TrackRat500 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 1	do not ever use chemicals for your drains, you are litterally dumping money down the drain. When it comes to drain cleaning, you are better off calling someone like myself(Roto Rooter), yeah it cost some money, but you get what you pay for. Lets say you wanna cable a drain yourself, ok, so you go and rent a machine for $50 from the rental store, then you have to try and clean the line. Cable a drain is a skilled trade, its not just shoving a cable in there. You have to know how to feel for turns, offsets, roots and so on. This takes years of practice to know this stuff. If you dont know it, you are going to hurt yourself with the cable wrapping itself around your wrist or hand and breaking it. Then to make it even harder the machines you get from the rental place usually are not big enough to even clean the line correctly, or the cables are so old, rusty, kinked that even someone like me could not get it open with those machines. I recommend calling a professional, we do the work, we do it rght, and it is headache free for you. I am telling it is not worth it to try and do it yourself. By the way, lets say you do have a bigger problem than just a clog, people like me can discover the "real" casue of the problem and offer a solution for you.