If you think that you have a drain choke at home, the first thought that pops up in your mind might be to call in a professional plumber to resolve it; however, you can follow a few tips to clear it up and save your cash for something else.

To have the best chance of successfully resolving a drain choke, it’s important to have an idea of some of the tell tale signs that your drain is about to let up. This way, you will be able to clear the clog before it tightly settles into place.

If you pick up on bad odours coming from your sink or notice that the water is draining away slower than normal, prepare yourself for a choked drain.

Use the methods below to resolve this frustrating plumbing issue before it renders your bathroom or sink unusable.

Wire Hanger

The easiest and fastest way to get rid of a clog in your drain is with the help of a wire hanger. Simply straighten out the hanger, but leave the hook intact. You can then lower the hanger, hook-first, into the drain and fish out the clog. Just remember that you should be fishing stuff out not pushing it deeper into the drain pipe.

Once you are comfortable that you have removed most of the clog, pour water, preferably hot water, down the drain to clear any remaining bits.

Hot Water

Baking Soda And Vinegar

If you are unable to clear the clog using a wire hanger, you don’t have to call in the pros just yet; try using baking soda and vinegar next. Pour half a cupful of baking soda down the drain followed by a similar amount of vinegar. Alternatively, you can mix these two ingredients in a measuring cup before pouring them down the drain immediately. Leave the resulting mixture to work its magic over a few hours, or overnight if possible.

The fizzing action from the mixture will be able to work on the clog; breaking it down bit by bit. Once you are confident that the clog has been dealt with, pour hot water down the drain to flush away the weakened mass.

Wet And Dry Vacuum

If you own a wet and dry vacuum, then clearing a drain choke will be simple and straightforward. To begin with, set the vacuum to liquids. For this method to work, you will need to create a very tight seal between the drain and the vacuum suction tube positioned over it. You can use an old plunger head to do this. Block the vent to ensure that you don’t end up with a mess afterwards.

Once everything is ready, turn the vacuum on, and set it to its highest setting. The suction power generated should be enough to pull the clog out and leave you with a clear drain.

With the above tips in mind, solving a choked drain should be easy and straightforward. However, if the blockage persists, you might have to call in a qualified plumbing professional to help you out.