Avoiding Plumber's Crack

If you thought this post was going to be about high-waisted pants or jumpsuits, you're going to be disappointed. That's the next style blog over. It's time to get down to business and talk about plumbing. And a few tricks for fixing slow drains without calling a plumber.

Every few weeks, our shower drain would slowly clog up. I have long hair, so we know I'm the culprit. Therefore, I figured it was my responsibility to remedy the situation. My usual approach included bending a wire hanger and shoving it down the drain to fish out the clog. Not the most glamorous thing, but it got the job done. Kind of.

Unfortunately, there came a time when we ran out of wire hangers, so I knew it was time to try something new. I didn't want to buy chemicals because they're dangerous, can be bad for the environment, and would be a repeat purchase. I needed something like the wire hanger, but better.

Off to our neighborhood Ace Hardware! After consulting with one of the guys there, I picked up a Drain Claw for about $6.50 including tax.

This thing is pretty much the bomb-diggity. And super easy to use!

The Drain Claw is a long, firm, yet bend-y wire with "velcro" teeth on the end. That's the gross-out hair ball catcher.

Simply straighten out the Drain Claw, push it down the drain, wiggle it around, pull it out, and get ready to gasp!

This guy can pull out chunks of hair like you can't believe! And since John wouldn't let me post the actual picture of the hair chunk I dislodged, I drew you one.

Seriously. Yuck!

Unfortunately, I was feeling a little smug in my new found plumbing skills and decided to try them out on the bathroom sink. It seemed to be draining slowly, so I decided to fish around for more yuckiness.

I don't know if it was user error, a faulty product, or a faulty sink drain, but I managed to bust the pop-up in the sink. After hours of searching YouTube, multiple trips to Ace Hardware, and about $30 later, we had a newly installed pop-up and drain for the sink.

But I'm going to show you a quick way to save the hassle and $30. It only takes your two hands (at least for my set-up) and something to catch the water. I used a flower vase from our wedding. I know, really romantic! You can turn off the water to the sink, but I live on the wild side and left the water on. But not running, silly.

After you've placed your bucket (or whatever) below the drain, we're going to unscrew the J bend from P-trap (the rest of the pipes). It's the curvy part of the drain where most of the gunk is probably sitting. And there will be water in there to create a seal that prevents sewer gas from entering your house or apartment.

Unscrew one side and let some of the water drain out.

Unscrew the other end and slowly slide the J bend down.

Once you've dumped the excess water, inspect your J bend and remove any clogs. Hook your J bend back up, making sure all of the pipes line back up. Run some water down the drain to test for any leaks. If something's leaking, the pipes might not be lined up properly or fully tightened.

If you still have a clog, it might be time to bring out the big guns and call a plumber.

Time to share! Have you had any recent home improvement victories or flubs?

PS - This is my own review of the Drain Claw. I wasn't compensated to write this.

Pin It