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Here are 3 Ways to Unclog a Drain with Standing Water

How to unclog a drain with standing water? It’s unsightly and a huge nuisance for everyone at home. Here we’ll discuss how to unblock that drain (whether it’s in the kitchen sink or shower) and end the problem once and for all.

1. Use the handy plunger

It’s the easiest way to unblock the sink or shower drain. In addition, it’s minimal mess because you don’t have to put your hands into the water. You just put the plunger at the hole and do the pumping to dislodge the clog.

In many cases this will work because the clogs are still pretty soft. But when the clog is pretty solid, the power of the plunger might not be enough to dislodge the clog. Later, we’ll discuss how to address this kind of issue.

2. Reach out and manually remove the clog

Perhaps the clog is just on the surface (or just near the drain). You may reach out to the clog and manually remove it. You might need to remove the strainer and hook the debris out if it’s just near the surface.

It’s easy and effective. However, it’s messy because well, there’s standing water. The water might have soap residue, food debris and dirt. It’s even more unsightly if the water’s already there since last night.

But if you have gloves that can protect you and you’re willing to do it, this method might work. As with the previous method (using a plunger), some clogs are just pretty solid and the basic methods won’t be enough. Let’s discuss that next.

3. Disassemble the U-pipe and drain snake

This is also messy. However, it’s a way of dealing with the clog directly. Here’s how it works. You disassemble the U-shaped pipe found under the sink. This portion of the pipe is prone to clogging because this is where debris accumulates. Then, you remove, break apart or dislodge the debris using a drain snake.

You can buy a drain snake for less than $10 from the store. You can also find more expensive ones which are more powerful (costs around $60 to $300). Whichever is the case, drain snaking can remove even the solid and persistent clogs.

Unclog a drain with standing water

Drain snaking and removing solid clogs require care and expertise. It’s the case especially with the use of powerful snakes. You need to wear protection because the operation and rotation could be dangerous. In addition, disassembly of the U-pipe and putting it back together can be messy and laborious.

If you don’t want all of that, you can call us here at Ontime Local Plumber. We’ll take care of the mess before, during and after the job. We use powerful tools to remove solid clogs in kitchen sinks and shower drains.

Call us now at 02 9199 2598 and we’ll provide you with affordable and upfront pricing.