A clogged toilet is a real problem that needs to be addressed immediately. Unfortunately, utilities in such cases are in no hurry to promptly come to the rescue, and therefore the residents of the house are forced to resolve the situation on their own. So, if the toilet is clogged, what to do in this case, what methods and means can help?

plunger

Most simple method, allowing you to clean the toilet, is to use a plunger. A plunger is a plumbing tool with a rubber cap and a wooden handle. How to clear a blockage in the toilet with this device? Very simple. It is only necessary to place the plunger tool in the toilet drain and move it up and down with sharp movements to release the blockage. However, it is important to remember that before working with the plunger, after installing it in the toilet drain hole, you must press the drain button, since otherwise the actions performed are unlikely to be successful. You should also make sure that the plunger fits snugly against the walls of the toilet bowl - for this, the existing gaps must be filled with rags. But it should be noted that a plunger can only be effective for eliminating the simplest blockages, while to eliminate denser plugs, you should use radical methods. So the toilet is clogged. What to do if the use of a plunger does not give any results?

Hot water

Hot water is a good helper in the fight against blockages in the toilet. It is necessary to heat a bucket of water almost to a boil and pour it into the toilet bowl, while creating a strong pressure. It is important to pour water at a right angle and as quickly as possible. If, after such a cleaning, the water gradually began to leave, it is recommended to pour another bucket of hot water into the toilet. Following these simple steps will help to effectively eliminate small blockages.

Baking soda

Surprisingly, ordinary baking soda, well known to every housewife, is also a wonderful tool for flushing sewers. If the toilet is clogged, then it is necessary to pour half a pack of this product into the drain. Active alkali, formed during the interaction of soda and water, will help to quickly correct the situation. You can enhance the effect if, in addition to soda, pour half a glass of vinegar into the toilet bowl, wait 10 minutes, and then rinse the drain hole with boiling water.

Chemicals

The creators of household chemicals have developed many tools to help eliminate plugs in the toilet. The toilet is clogged - what to do, what chemical agent to choose and how to use it correctly? It should be noted that, unlike domestic, imported "chemistry" for cleaning sewers has a less destructive effect on pipes, and therefore it is advisable to use it for plastic pipes wires. Domestic funds are quite suitable for metal pipes. Well-established drugs such as Tiret, Domestos, "Tofix", "Mr. Muscle", which not only effectively eliminate blockages in the toilet, but also eliminate bad smell. The most popular of domestic funds are "Mole", "Chimney sweep", "Ruff".

Features of the use of chemicals

What to do if the toilet is clogged, how to use household chemicals correctly? First of all, you must strictly follow the instructions and follow the safety rules.

1. Pour (pour) the product into the toilet in the amount required for cleaning.
2. Wait 10-20 minutes for it to complete its mission.
3. Flush the water (for greater efficiency, it is recommended to pour a bucket of boiling water into the toilet).

Cable

It will help to eliminate the blockage formed in the toilet bowl and a special plumbing cable, which is a twisted steel wire, at one end of which there is a handle, and at the other - a tip. The toilet is clogged - what to do if the house does not have a similar design? In this case, you can try to make your own the simplest option cable. To do this, you can take a piece of steel cord and on one side make a loop that will serve as a handle, and on the other - a knob (for this you can, for example, attach a nut).

Features of using a plumbing cable

The toilet is clogged, how to clean it with a cable? It is more convenient to work with this tool together. So, one person should push the cable deep into the pipe with reciprocating energetic movements, and his partner at this time should turn the wire. If a plug has formed in the toilet pipe, then after a while the cable will rest against the existing obstacle.

In this case, you need to use reciprocating movements to try to push the blockage or take it out. In this case, if it was not possible to achieve the desired result the first time, it is necessary to repeat the procedure. When performing such manipulations, it is important to ensure that the cable is in a taut state, since if it begins to twist inside the pipe, it will be impossible to continue cleaning. Moreover, in this case, there is a high probability of damage to the inner walls of the pipes.

Mandrel

Dorn is a steel springy tape with a tip. It, unlike the cable, cannot be rotated, but must be slowly pushed into the drain. Such work should be carried out carefully, in the absence of sudden movements. Otherwise, there is a chance that the mandrel will burst and part of the steel tape will get stuck in the drain, which will only aggravate the situation.

Manual cleaning method

Often, clogged toilets occur due to the ingress of household items (paper, towels) into it. If it is for this reason that the toilet is clogged, what to do in this case? If possible, it is necessary to remove all excess liquid from the plumbing unit, and then manually pull out the element that prevents the passage of water. Despite the fact that this procedure seems to be very simple, with such cleaning you need to be extremely careful, since it is possible that a hand may get stuck in the neck of the toilet.

call plumber

The toilet is clogged: what to do if none of these methods gave the expected result? In this case, you need to seek help from a specialist and call a plumber. It is possible that the blockage is not localized in the toilet, but in the riser. Such a situation can become a real disaster, since everything that the neighbors from above will flush down the toilet may soon end up on your floor.

Blockage Prevention

In order to prevent clogging of the toilet, you must follow certain recommendations.

If the toilet is clogged, what to do in this case, we now know well. The presented methods in the vast majority of cases will effectively help to solve this such an unpleasant problem. on their own. But still, it is better to follow preventive measures so as not to encounter blockages in the toilet.

What to do if the toilet is clogged? Call a plumber? But not everyone can afford to spend half a day waiting for him. In this article, I want to talk about how you can solve the blockage problem yourself with a minimum set of skills and tools.

The twist has a reason

Comrades, let's start by separating the flies from the cutlets. The causes of blockage can be very, very different, and depending on the diagnosis, we have to choose the treatment.

So, what can clog the toilet?

It's funny, but its intended use is in my memory never caused problems. Their cause is always a violation of the rules for the operation of sewage. More specifically?

Please:

• toilet paper and paper towels. Yes, they soak in water, but the paper increases noticeably in volume. If the toilet below the water mirror is completely clogged with pipifax, an attempt to flush will predictably aggravate the situation;

An even more unpleasant scenario is when newspapers or, even worse, glossy pages of magazines are used instead of toilet paper. They are much denser and clog the outlet of the plumbing fixture tightly.

• Cat litter. Of all the types of filler, only one can be flushed into the toilet - made from pressed sawdust, and then in small portions. Pour lumpy filler, lumps of silica gel or sand into the sewer and hope for the best - unforgivable naivety: clogging will be inevitable, like the collapse of capitalism;
• Food waste. Your white friend is able to absorb a couple of liters of sour borscht, but utilizing pickled tomatoes or spoiled porridge spent with mold in it is a guaranteed way to get clogged;
• Floor cloths. They have a nasty habit of floating off into the fragrant distance when you pour out the water after mopping. A rag can clog the toilet outlet or, much worse, catch on a burr down the riser: then drains from all the upper floors will begin to flow into your toilet and bath;

• Construction garbage. If you pour pieces of plaster and small fragments of concrete or brick into the sewer, the result will be quite predictable;
• Finally, the disposal of unused building mixtures by pouring them into the sewer is completely beyond good and evil. Concrete hardened in the plumbing fixture or masonry mortar usually means the end of his career.

To find out what caused the blockage, conduct a survey of family members about their recent actions before the problem occurs. If the guilty person does not want to sign a confession, he will have to scoop out the water standing in it from the toilet to inspect and localize the problem.

Tools

As you know, who is warned - he is armed. However, knowledge about the causes of blockages is not the only weapon that we will have to use. For effective fight with blockages, a small set of tools is needed.

What tool is useful to have at home in case of blockages?

• Plunger. There is not the slightest need to spend money on a professional tool with a piston and pressure gauge: an ordinary rubber cap on a plastic or wooden handle for home use nothing worse. Reasonable price of a plunger - no more than 200 rubles;

• Plumbing. Its simplest version is a piece of steel sling with a handle made of a curved steel tube in the shape of the letter "Z". Factory-made products with a plastic shell rotating relative to the handle and a cable made of a spring wound around a steel core are no different from it in practical terms.

Cables with a drum are convenient in that they can be used alone, without an assistant. However, such a product costs several times more than a conventional plumbing cable. As a rule, they are bought by professionals: the device can significantly save your time only when cleaning a large number of blockages during the day.

If the nearest hardware stores do not have the tools I have listed, it does not matter. As you will see below, you can often get by with improvised items instead.

Cleaning methods

I will analyze the ways to clean the blockage for each type separately. The fact is that organic and inorganic substances, as well as blockages of different densities and with different fractions, require a different approach.

Paper

How to clear a clogged toilet if it's clogged toilet paper Or paper towels?

There is a relatively soft plug in it, and it got stuck in the narrowest place of the device - in the water seal. The cause of the blockage can simply be pushed towards the riser; at the same time, in 95% of cases it is destroyed and continues its path to sewer well and so on without creating any new problems.

To push a paper plug into the riser, you need to create a water hammer - briefly increase the pressure on the side of the blockage closest to you. The easiest way to do this is with a plunger: cover it with a mirror of water and press down sharply. If necessary, repeat the operation several times. Beware of splashes: they fly in an unpredictable direction and do not ozonize the air at all.

Is it possible to clear the blockage without a plunger?

Its full functional counterpart is plastic bottle from soulful drinks with a volume of 2 - 2.5 liters. It is enough to cut off the bottom of the bottle and screw the cork. The cleaning instructions look the same as when using a plunger: you need to sharply press the bottle one or more times.

Finally, at home, you can use a simple cleaning method that I often used when I was a plumber:

1. Fold several times wet rag and put it on a mirror of water in the toilet;
2. Press firmly on the rag with the handle of a mop, brush, or any stick. From the first or second time, the resulting water hammer squeezes the cause of the blockage into the riser.

Fillers

What to do if the toilet is clogged with cat litter?

You can try to clean the blockage with sand in the same way as a water hammer. It works about half the time. Remains of sand are washed off with repeated draining.

You need to understand that you are not clearing the blockage, but moving it to horizontal section sewerage - lezhnevka in the basement of the house. Re-blockage due to sand accumulation in horizontal pipes often results in basement or first floor flooding.

If the bed is clogged, the basement will be flooded, and if revisions are closed in it, the first floor will be flooded.

Another way to clear a blockage with sand is to pierce it with a cable, allowing the water standing in the toilet to drain, and flush the device with plenty of water through a hose connected to the water supply.

With clumping clay fillers and silica gel, the situation is much more bleak: you will have to arm yourself with long rubber gloves and manually remove lumps of filler from the toilet.

Food waste

How to clear a blockage in the toilet caused by food waste?

Water hammer can help when it comes to crumbly porridge or finely chopped lettuce. Unfortunately, sometimes the faith of tenants in apartment buildings in the omnipotence of sewers reaches the point of absurdity: I had to extract raw and boiled potatoes, pickled cucumbers and even large fish from it. These blockages are cleared only by hand, using rubber gloves.

In some cases, with a small amount of food waste in the toilet, help chemicals for clearing blockages (Mole, Tiret and others like them). As a rule, the agent is a liquid with 5 to 15 percent sodium hypochlorite, caustic soda NaOH, hydrochloric or oxalic acid; chemically aggressive substances with prolonged contact dissolve organic matter.

In the photo, Tiret is a chemical agent for clearing blockages.

How to clean the clogged toilet bowl with food waste yourself using such a tool?

1. Bail out all the water above the level of the blockage and drain it into a sink or tub. The lower the concentration active substance(alkalis or acids), the less effective chemical cleaning will be;
2. Pour the product in a volume of at least half a liter;
3. After a pause of 2 - 4 - 6 hours (depending on the volume of blockage), wash off the remains of the partially dissolved cork. If it didn’t go away the first time, try using the water hammer method: there are high chances that after dissolving some of the waste, the blockage will succumb to your efforts.

Instead of specialized chemicals for cleaning blockages, you can use any solutions of acids and alkalis: battery electrolyte, oxalic acid for cleaning ceramics, "Toilet Duck" with its 15 percent of hydrochloric acid in the composition, etc.

Rags

How to remove a rag stuck in the toilet with your own hands?

This can only be done with a sewer cable.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Unroll the cable and feed it into the toilet with continuous rotation of the handle by your assistant. The cable must be constantly taut, otherwise it will begin to loop;
2. Having hooked the catch (this will be felt by the difficult rotation of the handle), continue rotation in the same direction, slowly pulling the tool towards you. It is important not to let the rag fall off the hook.

A special case

The rag is one of the few possible causes blockage of the sewer riser, which can clog it between floors, catching on the bell burr on the connection sewer pipes. In this case, the algorithm for clearing the blockage is the same, but the cable is fed into the riser through an open revision above the blockage along the riser (they are located on the extreme floors and every three floors of an apartment building).

Do not clean the blockage of the riser from the bottom up. At the moment of cleaning, a sewage column several meters high will hit the opened revision. Sprays have a very persistent aroma, they are not afraid profanity and overtake you in any corner of the room.

Construction garbage

It is extracted only and exclusively by hand, in seals. The small debris remaining in the toilet bowl will be washed off after several drains of the tank.

Construction mixtures

Gypsum that has hardened below the water level can sometimes be cracked with light blows of a hammer on a long chisel after scooping out the water. However, most often these attempts lead to the fact that the device splits at the base, near the sole.

If any froze in the toilet cement mortar, it is impossible in principle to eliminate the problem with little bloodshed. The toilet is replaced with a new one.

Conclusion

I sincerely hope that this material will help the reader in solving everyday domestic problems. As usual, the video in this article will offer you additional information. I would appreciate your additions and comments. Good luck, comrades!

In houses and apartments, problems periodically arise with the sewer system. It becomes clogged. There are plenty of reasons for this. But to rule out possible consequences, you need to know how to quickly clear the blockage. There are recommendations and advice from the masters, without which it is impossible to cope with stagnation.

signs

How to clean the toilet? If you do not make manipulations to fix the problem in time, a breakdown may occur. Everyone has the right to call the master, but he does not always arrive promptly, and it is quite possible to cope with his own hands. There are elementary clues that will help you understand that a blockage has formed in the plumbing:

Any sign indicates that there is stagnation and should be urgently removed.

Why is this happening?

It is believed that over time any toilet can become clogged. And in order to prevent serious problems, it is worth periodically paying attention to this. How to clean the toilet at home? Actions will be effective only if you know why the traffic jam occurred. The reasons may be as follows:

• Violations in the process installation work. Not everyone can know how to create a drain system, so at the installation level, this must be remembered. If the angle of inclination is small, then flushing is poor. Waste begins to be fixed in some place, creating a tight plug.
• Unsuitable waste. Often, residents in the toilet wash off the remnants of food. This includes a lot - potatoes, cereals, peelings from fruits and vegetables, etc. As a result, stagnation is formed, which accumulates in the system.
• Trash. This is not uncommon. A lot of things are washed away - glass, paper, bags, etc. The toilet is not a garbage can, and you should not do this.
• When there are animals in the house, the owners do not complicate their lives and flush the used filler for the tray into the toilet. And in the composition - a special clay that can retain moisture inside. When the lumps are in a humid space, they swell and stick together. As a result, a dense plug is formed.

These are common causes of blockage. But how to clean the toilet at home? After finding out the reason, the cleaning process itself begins.

Cork elimination technique

There are plenty of ways to clean the toilet. The method is chosen taking into account the occurrence of the problem. For an apartment or house, you can choose any option - mechanical or chemical. When the cork is too big, the chemistry will be powerless. Small stagnations are removed without the use of mechanical action. Having assessed the current situation, having studied the scale of the traffic jam and the reason that created it, they choose the method of work. Anyone can handle it on their own, if you follow the basic rules.

mechanical way

This option is common, because it is the most effective. It is not necessary to call a plumber to do this. With a margin of time and a tool, you will remove the blockage in short term. You just need to have a device in the apartment. There are several of them:

It's two simple ways that do not require large investments and do not have the complexity of implementation. Even a person without experience can clean drain facility. Sometimes it happens that even such methods do not help to achieve the desired effect. In this case, you will have to call the masters, although they can apply this. What else can help clear the blockage?

Chemical substances

Here's how to clean a toilet bowl. There are many different products on the market. After hitting the pipe, they struggle with the problem. They are issued in different state- liquid and loose. Do not worry - the drain system does not deteriorate even with prolonged contact. Below we will consider which means are effective.

Vinegar and soda

These components are available in the kitchen of any apartment and house. They are great to help solve the problem. If there are no such funds, then you can buy them at any store. You need to buy one pack of soda and a bottle of vinegar (70%). How to clean a clogged toilet at home with these products? You need to remove the water if there is too much of it. After that, soda is poured in and pushed with a stick as deep as possible. Then 200 grams of vinegar essence is poured. Hot water is used to speed up the reaction. According to people, such a tool helps after 20 minutes. But be careful not to burn the skin.

Pipe cleaning chemicals

The basis are chemical elements capable of destroying fat, salt and other components. On the shelves of stores there are both domestic and foreign manufacturers. But first you need to read the instructions and understand for which pipes this or that product can be used. In addition to blockage, an unpleasant odor is also removed. How does such a method work? According to the instructions, the agent is selected and the required amount is poured into the pipe. Next - hot water in the right proportion. After such manipulations, you can not use the toilet for at least one hour. When time will pass the toilet is flushed hot water or from a waste barrel.

The process of fixing the problem itself will not be difficult. Everyone knows that it is easier to prevent a clog than to clean it up. In a house or apartment, it is worth monitoring the drain system, otherwise a serious emergency may occur one day.

Preventive actions

How is the toilet? In order not to look for an answer to this question, it is worth observing the elementary rules for using the drain system. There will be no difficulty in this:

• The toilet should not become a trash can. After all, any waste - food or household - sooner or later will create a solid cork.
• Sometimes (once a week) it is worth applying chemicals to avoid serious blockage.
• In order not to arise similar problems, you need to periodically flush the system with a bucket hot water.
• It happens that there is a presence in the room. His work will be effective with constant serviceability. If the riser does not work, a blockage may form.

Elementary manipulations help to remove the blockage in the sewer pipe quickly, without involving the master. But there is no need to make mistakes - you should fully control the work.

There are several ways to clear a blockage in the toilet. One of them is the use of special chemicals. There are a lot of them, and they all act differently, and their effectiveness varies from “zero” to one hundred percent. You can identify the best among them by acquiring and testing each, but this will result in serious costs. It is easier to get acquainted with our analytical material, on the basis of which you can buy the right product at the best price.

All chemicals used to eliminate blockages are divided into alkaline and chemical.

In different situations, a specific type should be used, but it should be remembered that mixing funds from different groups it is forbidden.

The basis of all alkaline products is caustic soda, while acidic household chemicals contain acids.

Regardless of the type, such products can be produced in liquid form, in the form of sprays, and even in granules. In fact, the form of release has very little effect on efficiency, and in this case it's just a matter of personal preference.

The only thing to consider is liquid products much more dangerous to humans than granules, therefore, when using sprays and liquids for elimination, care must be taken to take precautions. Wear rubber gloves, goggles and wear long sleeves - contact with some products can cause chemical burns.

Popular remedies

If the toilet is clogged, but for some reason you cannot resort to, and you don’t want to call a plumber for a fee, you can use one of the tools described below.

Many mistakenly believe that in this situation, the more expensive the remedy, the better it is., but judging by consumer feedback and test results, it turns out that this is not always true.

"Bio Favorite"

In fact, the main purpose of this drug is not to eliminate blockages. When it is used, the decomposition of waste occurs under the action of the active bacteria contained in the preparation.

The main task of "Bio Favorite" is to clean cesspools, country and village toilets and septic tanks, but as practice has shown, this tool helps in most cases with sewer blockages.

The tool, for all its effectiveness, is safe for the pipes themselves, so you can safely use it in any quantity if the blockage is serious enough and requires it. The average cost of one package of "Bio Favorita" is 150 rubles.

"Biocomposition Vantuz"

More expensive than the previous tool - one package costs about four hundred rubles, but customer reviews indicate that the tool is worth that kind of money. This drug has several important advantages:

• safe for humans, even if it gets on open areas skin;
• copes with any blockages of organic origin;
• does not have a specific smell;
• copes with blockages faster than many other analogues;
• can be used as a prophylactic against blockages.

"Mole"

What to do if the toilet is clogged, and your budget does not allow you to purchase an expensive cleaning agent, let alone call a plumber? In this case, a reliable and proven tool "Mole" is suitable.

The cost of a liter capacity of this product costs no more than fifty rubles, but it can also be sold in the form of a powder or gel, the cost of which may be higher or lower.

Due to the fact that there are many varieties of this remedy, it is impossible to give any advice on its use: use it in such proportions and in such a way as indicated on the package.

When using "Mole", you can not neglect the precautions: be sure to wear gloves and avoid contact with the skin, and like any other similar tool, "Mole" should be stored out of the reach of children.

"Mister Muscle"

The main feature of this tool is that it starts to act instantly, and if the blockage is not too strong, “Mr. Muscle” will cope with it in a few minutes, although it is better to fill it in for several hours or even overnight.

It is produced in the form of a gel and powder, the cost of one package, which should be enough to eliminate the blockage, is about one hundred rubles.

Before you remove the blockage in the toilet with this tool, carefully read the instructions on the package: some varieties of "Mole" can not be used for plastic pipes, which will corrode the alkali present in the composition.

Chirton "Clean gutters"

One of the cheapest products, which, at a price of forty rubles per pack, eliminates severe blockages within 15 minutes.

Probably for this reason, it is difficult to find such a tool in household chemical stores - it is rarely available. A bag of granules is designed for one use.

Deboucher

A special gel that, in addition to alkali, also contains chlorine.

Many people remember how public toilets used bleach for cleaning, which was always accompanied by an unbearable smell.

This remedy, despite the presence of chlorine in it, does not have sharp aromas, and although a specific smell will still be present, it does not cause any particular discomfort.

According to the instructions for blockages, the agent must be poured into the toilet for one hour, but in fact this time is even a lot, and if the blockage is not the most difficult, then 15-20 minutes is enough.

Such a remedy costs about 150 rubles, which is relatively inexpensive for such a double-acting remedy: in addition to eliminating blockages, the gel can also be used to prevent them.

But many complain about the following disadvantages of this tool:

• the gel is uneconomical - for a tangible effect, it is required to fill in at least 0.5 liters at a time;
• the container does not have child protection;
• cannot be used for aluminum pipes due to high chlorine content.

"Bagi Pothan"

One of the most expensive remedies found on Russian market household chemicals to eliminate blockages. But if finances allow, we recommend buying exactly this.

A six-hundred-gram bottle of Pothana costs about five hundred rubles, but it will last for several cleanings.

The liquid acts very quickly, eliminating even strong blockages in just five minutes, but this efficiency also has negative sides.

For example, it is not recommended to use Potkhan to clean worn pipes, and you should not use it too often as a prophylactic. Moreover, to eliminate “light” blockages, it is better to use more “delicate” options, using “Pothan” only in serious cases.

Do not forget about the maximum protection of hands, face and, if possible, wear a respirator. Cheap respirators-“petals” cost around 50 rubles, and when using “Pothan” you should not save on this, since in a small toilet room the sharp pungent smell of this product, which has reacted with water, will be quite strong.

"Sanox Clean Stock"

This remedy for clogging the toilet can be classified as “soft”, since it does not spoil the pipes, does not have a strong pungent odor and is inexpensive - only about 50 rubles for a half-liter container.

Suitable for all types of pipes - from plastic to aluminum and can even be used to clean old worn out sewers.

One container is enough for two uses, however, for all its advantages, Sanox has two drawbacks.

Firstly, it acts slowly - it needs to be filled in for several hours. Secondly, this liquid will not cope with strong organic blockages, so if the problem is not resolved after the first use, you should not buy more, it is better to use one of the potent remedies described above.

"Selena Antizasor"

A unique product of its kind, which is produced in granules. Is the packaging of funds in the region of ten rubles per package, but the effectiveness of "Selena" depending on the nature may vary? If the blockage is small, you can get by with one package, otherwise you will have to buy several pieces.

Unlike many other similar tools, this is based on soda ash which is almost a third of the total. In this regard, the smell of "Selena" is practically absent, which cannot be said about strong alkali-based products.

But before you clean the blockage in the toilet bowl with the help of such granules, you need to make sure that no one will use the toilet in the next hour and a half, since these granules need time to start working.

Instructions for using household chemicals

On the packaging or container of any product, there is always an instruction for use and precautions are described, but not everyone will read the small print, which often prints such information.

For this reason, we will describe the basic safety precautions and recommendations for use that are specific to any tool:

1. Always use gloves when handling household chemicals, even if the manufacturer does not specify it. Even relatively "harmless" chemistry, getting on the skin and mucous membranes, can cause, if not burns, then allergic reactions.
2. Before clearing a blockage, make sure that the product can be used for your type of sewer pipes: some chemical substances contained in such products can corrode plastic, and with regular use even negatively affect metal elements.
3. Do not use the product in dosages and concentrations exceeding those specified by the manufacturer. If the blockage is not eliminated, this does not mean that with an increase in the amount of the product, the problem can be solved.
4. After removing the blockage, the toilet should be thoroughly rinsed with water to avoid subsequent contact of chemical residues on the skin.

"Folk remedies

For work such as sewer cleaning, the price is quite high and often unjustified. Yes, and not everyone wants to buy an expensive tool for a few hundred rubles.

First of all, if you suspect light blockage You can use regular dish detergent. Fairy is best suited, as this product quickly dissolves fatty blockages. On the other hand, this type of blockage is rare in the toilet, so don't be surprised if the method doesn't work.

Unusual way- pour Pepsi-Cola into the toilet. This drink has long been known as an effective corrosive agent that removes even rust, but this raises questions of financial feasibility. To clear the blockage, you will have to pour at least a liter of Pepsi into the toilet, but why do this if there are less expensive products specially designed for this?

It is wiser to use ordinary soda: half a pack of a substance dissolved in a bucket of water can break through organic blockages. Along with soda, concentrated vinegar is also used. The disadvantage of these funds is that you have to wait, and it is guaranteed to get rid of the blockage with the help of soda and vinegar only if you pour them overnight, besides, vinegar vapors are harmful to humans.

Blockages are a common problem that is the scourge of not only cast-iron lines, but also modern plastic pipelines. The most effective and at the same time inexpensive way to combat them is a plumbing cable.

What to take into account when choosing and operating a tool and how to clean the toilet with a cable, we will consider in more detail.

The choice of the type of tool and the method of eliminating the problem depends on what kind of blockage you have to deal with.

Regardless of the cause of the problem, clogging provokes the failure of both plumbing fixtures and the sewer system as a whole.

Blockages are of three types:

1. Operational. Occurs as a result of entering the system of organic and household waste, for example: food residues, fat, sand, wool and hair. Plaques and layers formed on the walls narrow the diameter of the through hole, preventing the normal passage of water.
2. Mechanical. Occurs when the generally accepted rules for the operation of the sewer system are violated. For example, due to negligence or ignorance, large garbage is thrown into the toilet. It is a hindrance to wastewater, forming a dense blockage.
3. Technological. It occurs as a result of a violation of the installation technology of the communication system or due to its wear.

The most simple rope-type cables 5-6 meters long and 6 mm and 9 mm in diameter can easily handle traffic jams. Simple mechanical blockages help eliminate spring-wound cables.

blockages technological type eliminated with a cable will not work. It is possible to correct the defect by solving the problem only by completely replacing the pipes.

Image Gallery

The main types of plumbing cables

The plumbing cable used for cleaning is a flexible shaft that performs the function of transmitting torque. The tool is used not only for “punching” sewer pipes, but also for cleaning water supply lines, as well as processing the pipes of boilers and boilers from the inside.

A rotation handle is attached to one end of the steel plumbing cable, and with opposite side the device is equipped with a rigid sleeve-tip

The tip has two functions:

• fixes interchangeable tools that can be used to facilitate the cleaning process;
• prevents self-dissolving of the cable, thereby prolonging the service life of the product.

The design of the cable is represented by a rod or shaft, the central part of which is equipped with a core. Around the core in several layers in different directions twisted wire strands.

The direction of the strands of each layer alternates: the first layer is laid to the right relative to the axis, the second - to the left. In the manufacture of the core, the number of layers of strands is repeated until a certain shaft diameter, specified by technological standards, is reached.

Although the design of the cable is simple, it has a clear advantage in the form of the ability to control the degree of pressure on the tool during the cleaning process when passing pipe bends and other “vulnerable” areas

In addition to the main function - cleaning blockages in the water supply and sewerage systems, cables are often used to eliminate blockages in boilers and boilers, as well as to clean chimneys from soot residues.

There are three main types of tools on sale: rope, spring-wound and spring.

It should be remembered that during cleaning with a cable, faience plumbing can be seriously damaged. In order not to bring the situation to the point of the need for mechanical destruction of the blockage, the following preventive measures are recommended:

Image Gallery

Rope type device

The rigging cable is used to clean small clogged sections of the pipeline inside the apartment. It is made of durable galvanized steel, which is famous for its high strength and durability parameters. Rope-type products are traditionally made with a diameter of 6 mm, due to which they are flexible and resilient.

Rope-type devices are able to freely pass through all the joints and bends of the sewer, without violating the integrity of the points of connection of residential plumbing equipment

The end of rope-type products is crimped with a tip to prevent unraveling of the wire threads. To simplify the task of pulling hairballs out of the pipeline, manufacturers give the tip the shape of a fluffy brush.

To clean the plumbing inside the apartment, rigging cables from 2.5 to 5 meters long are used. It is not advisable to purchase longer products, since the trunk rarely exceeds a length of 5 meters.

Spring-wound cable

A spring-wound cable is a more rigid product with a diametrical section of at least 9 mm. It is chosen for cleaning toilet bowls, as well as intra-apartment water and house sewer pipes.

The device got its name due to the fact that its main structural element is a wound spiral, the inner part of which is empty.

Such a cable is equipped with a rotating handle, which has a curved shaft design. The fixture ends with a bend or tip, with which it easily moves into the cavity of the pipe. Devices of this type for domestic use are not equipped with special nozzles.

Due to the excellent elasticity of the tool, despite the sufficient rigidity of the structure, the cable easily copes with all the difficult obstacles in its path.

Spring coil with tensioner

The spring cable belongs to the category of professional equipment. It is used by plumbers to punch through serious complex blockages in both horizontal pipes and vertical risers. The diametrical size of the products varies in the range of 13.5-16 mm. The length can reach from the mark of 25-60 meters.

Small diameter products are used to clean toilet bowls, urinals and sewer pipes in public places. spring large section, which has increased rigidity, is used, if necessary, to remove blockages from sewer risers passing through interfloor ceilings

The basis for the manufacture of a spring-type cable is a rod wound with a strong steel non-galvanized wire having a cross section of 2 mm

With an increase in the diameter of the cable, the size of the wire used for its manufacture also increases:

• for products with a thickness of 10-12 mm, a metal cord D 1.4 mm is used;
• for cables of 14 mm - thread D 1.4 mm;
• for rods D 16 mm - wire D 2.1 mm.

Spring-type products, like their simpler counterparts described above, are equipped with a handle. But in models of this type, it performs the function of a tensioner. At the moment of rotation and tension, the spring acquires a special rigidity, due to which it easily destroys even the most difficult blockages.

In professional models used for long pipes, the handles are often made sliding. Due to this, they easily move along the length of the rod and are fixed in the desired position. Such constructive solution allows to avoid folding of a cable during operation.

Depending on the model, the equipment may be equipped with different kind nozzles. They are selected based on three parameters:

• pipe type;
• the material of their manufacture;
• design features (the presence of joints and knees).

To break through the crumbs from stone and sand, a bottom nozzle is used, to remove compressed blockages, a punching tip is chosen, and to extract lumps of dirt and old rags, nozzles in the form of loops and hooks are used.

Tool Selection Criteria

When choosing a product, it is necessary to probe and inspect it for mechanical damage. The cable should not have a memory for bending. Make sure the handle is securely fastened. Pay attention to the pipe. It should be a little springy and plastic.

All elements of the tool, including nozzles intended for impact, must be made only of high quality steel.

The main parameters that should be considered when choosing a plumbing cable:

1. Device diameter. The size of plumbing cables on sale ranges from 6-18 mm. The required size of the rods is selected, focusing on the diameter of the laid pipes and the complexity of clogging.
2. Design. The handle can be L- and Z-shaped. On sale there are handles equipped with a locking system. They are convenient in that they hold the rods and at the same time allow them to be rotated in any direction.
3. Set of interchangeable nozzles. Among the variety of interchangeable nozzles on the market, the most popular are "harpoons", with which it is convenient to extract large elements of dense plugs, and reinforced punches that can break through the hardest blockages.

For sewerage and drain pipes D 100 mm, made of plastic, choose rods with a diameter of 10-12 mm. Models of this size are indispensable even if the pipeline includes a large number of turns over 45°.

If it is necessary to work with sewer pipes D 100-200 mm, which are long, choose tools D 14 mm. For pipes D 200 mm and more, tools with a diametrical size of 16 mm are used.

Included with the cable, you can also purchase a set of nozzles that will make the cleaning process easier and more effective.

Important point! If the first and last layers of the core are wound in the right direction along the axis, then this indicates that the cable is designed for right-hand rotation. In this direction, the tool has 2 more layers of wires than in the left side. And if you rotate the cable to the left, it will simply break.

If possible, you can purchase a cable with an electric drive.

Modifications with a combined electric drive, referred to as "turntables", have a number of auxiliary functions that greatly facilitate the task.

"Turntables" are able to quickly and effectively eliminate simple blockages at short and medium distances of sewer routes.

Rope Application Guide

Cleaning from clogged water and sewer pipes with a cable includes a number of basic steps.

Image Gallery

Carrying out preparatory work

Cleaning manipulations are best done when the first signs of obstruction of communications are detected. Do not wait until a small blockage thickens and turns into an impenetrable plug.

The main signs indicating that a blockage has formed are water slowly flowing into the drain hole, as well as the appearance of an unpleasant odor from the pipe.

Having determined the type of blockage formed and its location, prepare a tool with the appropriate nozzles to eliminate the problem.

The first stage involves preparing the cable for operation. To do this, the tool is inspected for integrity and performance. On the cable itself, it is necessary to check the strength and reliability of fixing the handle.

Before starting work, the floor must be covered with a film. Further manipulations are recommended to be carried out with protective gloves.

Clearing blockages

In order to properly clean the sewer, it is necessary to open free access to the socket of the outlet pipe. To do this, the first step is to remove the siphon. It has the shape of a curved pipe and is attached to the drain hole.

The place of connection of the siphon before launching into the cavity of the pipe of the tip of the steel tool is washed from the remnants of dirt with jets of hot water

The sequence of actions when working with the tool:

1. Holding the rotary handle in the palm of your hand and fixing the main part of the cable in a coiled position in the form of a ring, the working end of the tool is inserted into the pipe hole.
2. By making translational-rotational movements with the handle, they advance the device deep into the pipe and overcome difficult sections. The cable itself needs to be deployed only to the length required to clear the blockage.
3. Having reached the place of blockage, by rotating the handles increase the force and increase the speed of advancement, trying to destroy the seal.

There are two ways to remove a mud plug: by pushing forward, after putting on a punch of a suitable size, or by removing it with a hook-hook. When making translational movements, you should not press the tool with force. This may damage the equipment and damage inner surface smooth plastic pipe.

By performing translational-rotational movements, you will facilitate the smooth overcoming of the bends and knees present in the sewer system with a flexible rod

When guiding the cable and applying torque to it, rotational movements must be performed only in the clockwise direction. If you rotate the handle of the tool in the opposite direction, you can provoke the blooming of the flexible core.

In the process of passing obstacles, it is periodically necessary to pull the cable to the surface and clean it from the remnants of adhering dirt. The work is best done by two people, dividing the duties of rotating and pushing, alternating with cleaning the nozzle of the tool.

System health check

Noticing that the accumulated liquid begins to leave, empty the tank or open a tap with hot water. At first, it is better to supply water with weak pressure. If everything goes smoothly, you can gradually increase the strength of the flow.

If, during a test run of water, an impromptu funnel is formed in the drain, this indicates that the problem has been completely eliminated

There are situations that during rotation the cable gets stuck in the pipe. In this case, the easiest way to solve the problem is to turn the tool to the left or right and at the same time lightly press on it.

General rules for the care of the device

The cable, like any other plumbing fixture, needs proper care. After each use, the tool must be washed under the pressure of water or in a filled container with the addition of a soapy solution. To prevent rust between the wire layers, the spring part of the tool must be regularly treated with machine oil.

In the future, if it is necessary to shorten the cable, the cut point will need to be pre-annealed by 10-12 cm.

The convenience of turning the handle is ensured by the work of special bushings; the task of a zealous owner is not to forget to periodically lubricate them with used engine oil

The oil-treated cable is wiped dry with a piece of cotton fabric and rolled into a bay. In this position, it takes up a minimum of space, making it easy to place it in a corner under the bathroom or in a closet among the tools. With proper care, such equipment can properly serve the owner for more than two decades.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Overview of the main types of plumbing cables:

And finally, advice from the master. When cleaning, to soften the blockage and facilitate the movement of the tool, pour portions of hot water into the pipe, if possible. Otherwise, the procedure for cleaning the sewer with a cable should not cause any special difficulties.