How to UNCOVER a PATIO DRAIN

How can unclog a patio drain It is a question that, although it does not have a single answer, it does present different solutions. One of them is the use of baking soda and vinegar. For these products to be effective, follow these steps:

1. With the help of a measuring container, add half the white vinegar and the other half, or a little less but at least a third of the total volume, of baking soda.
2. This mixture will cause an immediate bubbling, so you will need to quickly pour it down the drain.
3. With the effervescence created, it will facilitate the removal of dry leaves, dirt, hair and other traces of dirt in the pipes.
4. Let the mixture work overnight or, at least, allow about 6 hours.
5. The next morning, pour in a large amount of warm water to wash away all the debris that was clogging the drain.

The same baking soda and vinegar mixture together with factors such as gravity and pressure help to unclog the most clogged pipes following these steps:

1. Mix baking soda and vinegar, as we explained in the previous point, to pour through the blocked pipe.
2. Remove the grate if there is one, pour the mixture and place the cap on the pipe or something that serves to plug it.
3. An hour later, fill a large basin or bucket or several with warm or hot water, remove the cap and pour it out.
4. The water will finish moving the objects and dirt that were clogging the pipe and that had already been softened by the vinegar and baking soda mixture.
5. To make the task easier, or if you see that the clog is serious, use a plunger while another person is pouring the water down the pipe. Thus, you have to alternate pouring water and using the plunger until you see that the drainage works well again and, therefore, there is no more clogging.

Here you can see more tips on How to unclog with baking soda.

Although it seems strange to you, a bent wire hanger it may be enough to fix the problem when you don’t know how to clean the drain pipe with home remedies or products. With these simple steps you can unclog the drain manually:

1. Straighten the hanger as much as possible to get a long wire.
2. From the ends of the hanger, bend one to serve as a hook.
3. Tuck the hanger through the pipe and try to remove any accumulated dirt with the fabricated hook.
4. Go slowly, making sure to remove and pull the wire, and be careful not to push the debris further in with the hook.
5. Once you have removed most of the detected dirt or removed the stuck object, pour a basin or bucket of hot water to completely clear the pipe.

In this other post you can see more tips on How to unclog the drain manually.

If you still wonder how to make a plunger for a patio sump, but you would like to not complicate it too much, you will like to know that one of the simplest methods to unclog the patio drain is with boiling water.

1. Bring large pots of water to a boil.
2. Using the pots themselves, or filling large basins or buckets with very hot water, pour the water down the drain little by little.
3. Pour in a good amount slowly and let it work for a few seconds to a minute.
4. Repeat the action several times and you will see that each time the drain swallows the water better, instead of it getting clogged and overflowing.

It’s the easiest way to unclog a downspout or a pipe, but if this is not enough because the clog is large or there is an object that persists, then you will have to resort to other methods.

A vacuum cleaner for wet and dry vacuuming It will be very useful when you have to unclog a very clogged drain pipe. It is very important that you do not use a normal vacuum cleaner that is only suitable for dust, that is, to vacuum dry, because when vacuuming in the pipe there will surely be water or other wet substances and they will spoil it. At OneHOWTO we recommend that you follow these steps to achieve it:

1. Set the vacuum cleaner in the function to suck up liquids.
2. Tighten and seal the drain, with the vacuum activated at its highest level.
3. In this way, you can eliminate the clogging of the pipe and that the dirt is stored in the bag of the machine.
4. To make sure the drain is unclogged, you can pour in water and see if it goes down well or is still puddling.

Keep in mind that it is not an infallible method if there is a large or very stuck object, but it is another alternative that can help you to unblock the patio drainage.

If you still don’t know very well how to unclog a patio drain and, above all, if it drains at street level, in this case, manually cleaning the pipes thoroughly is a good option. You will have to follow these steps to thoroughly clean the patio drain pipes:

1. Put a bucket at the bottom of the pipe that will allow you to collect the water and dirt that come out.
2. Loosen each of the nuts at the ends of the pipe with the help of a wrench or other similar tool to help you loosen them.
3. Finish the task manually by removing the nuts and turn the pipe parts upside down to drain.
4. To remove the dirt, use a brush.
5. Rinse the pipe parts with water and put them back in position.

There are long plastic ribbons, about 6 mm wide and spiral-shaped at one end, which serve to unclog the pipes. Follow these steps to achieve this with this method, which is very similar to the wire hanger.

1. Wear gloves and start by unrolling the tape.
2. Feed the tape down the drain until you find the clog.
3. Move the tape back and forth so that the tip moves the obstruction.
4. Pick up the tape by rolling it up again.
5. Repeat the process if you find that the pipe is still somewhat clogged.
6. To finish, clean the tape and let it air dry.

Caustic soda is an effective product for unclogging patio drainage, but requires adequate protection to prevent health damage. Follow these prompts if you wonder how to use caustic soda to unclog a patio drain:

1. Protect your eyes and hands, as caustic soda can cause burns if not handled properly.
2. You must pour cold water (about 3 liters) into a bucket and add three cups of the product.
3. Stir the caustic soda out of the water with the help of a stick or plastic spoon.
4. When the mixture begins to bubble and rise in temperature, pour it down the clogged pipe in the patio.
5. Wait for it to act for 30 minutes before pouring in lots of hot water to help it all drain out and completely unclog the drain.

The detergent that you usually use to wash dishes can also be useful if you want to unclog the patio drain. Use in this way the dishwashing detergent to unclog a downspout:

1. Pour a quarter large cup of detergent into a large container.
2. Add hot water and stir a little.
3. Pour the mixture down the drain and use a plunger.
4. The soap will work as a lubricant and degreaser, helping to break up the clog in the pipe.

The mixture of baking soda and salt will help you unblock the drain following these steps:

1. Mix half a cup of salt and a half of baking soda. If the drainage is large or the obstruction is very serious and there is a lot of puddled water, then use more of this mixture, but always in this proportion.
2. Pour the mixture down the clogged drain.
3. Wait for it to act for 20 minutes.
4. Pour hot water so that, together with the mixture, a chemical reaction is generated with which the obstruction will dissolve.

The last method that at OneHOWTO we recommend to uncover the drainage of a patio is the use of a piece of steel. Much like a folded wire hanger or plastic tape, a long steel piece with a hook In the end, it will help you unclog the pipes of obstructions due to the accumulation of waste.

1. Insert the piece through the blocked pipe.
2. Turn it to detect the obstruction and progressively break it until …