Take a look at this step-by-step guide for unblocking your drains. Work the auger or rod in both directions of the drain line — back towards the house and out from the house. It is about time you got to work. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Significant blockages could cause pressure to build and pipes to crack or collapse. Put on elbow-length rubber gloves before you begin. Outdoor drains are susceptible to clogging with leaves or mud. If the drain is in an area with a lot of foot traffic, lay down a flat rubber drain screen over it. Remove the drain strainer or grate to access the outside drain clogged with dirt. For dirt or mud, you might need a professional to use a hydro-jet or other method to clear the blockage. You can unblock an external or outdoor drain by lifting up the grate covering it and breaking up the clog with your hands or a drain rod if you can reach it. Boiling Water. The qualified professionals at Zodega TIS can assess the cause of your clog, address damage, and get your system back in working order. Tip: If there's a chance of rain, cover the drain with a rag or plug so the vinegar and baking soda don't rinse out. Whether you need landscaping, irrigation, or outside drain cleaning services in Houston, contact our experienced team at 713-480-2372 or contact us online today to learn more and get a quote. Pour a bucket of hot water into the sink to melt the blockage. Enzyme cleaners come in liquid or granular form and can be purchased online or from your local hardware store. Follow these steps to use caustic soda to unblock an outside drain: • Pour caustic soda down the drain • Pour water and wait for soda to fizz away • The debris will rise to the top • Add more water to remove the debris. While you can, of course, unclog outdoor drain and French Drain pipes as needed, this is a good example of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. Run the snake into the opposite end of the drain, if it was not long enough to go through the entire … Simply cleaning grates regularly could go a long way toward preventing flooding and damage to landscaping. This is usually a short, white pipe about 3 to 4 inches in diameter and sealed with a screw-on cap. Your outside drain may be connected to not only your in-home fixtures, but runoff from roof drains, area drains, and more may also be connected. Use your flashlight to reach inside the drain pipe or system opening to carefully remove any debris that is seen or felt right at the entrance. Make sure you’re wearing your rubber gloves before putting your hands in the water. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Step by Step guide for unclogging drainage pipes that attach to downspouts. Use thick waterproof gloves that come up to your elbow. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. – A pressure hose that can clean the drain after you’re done unblocking it – A screwdriver that can fit in blocked areas – Eye goggles if there’s a potential danger of a pipe burst or anything similar – A large version of the regular drain rod, or as some like to call it, a drain snake The property owner should carefully remove these screens or grate covers to better see into the darkened drain tunnel and to rinse the screens thoroughly with water or a pressure hose. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Drain covers can be purchased at your local hardware store. Safely secure the ladder against your brickwork — don’t attempt to clear drain pipes on your own, someone should always be at the foot of your ladder. If neither cleaning the trap nor plunging clears a plumbing clog, your final weapon is a drain auger (also known as a snake). This equipment will make your job easier and faster. Outside Drain Unblocker: Tools and Chemicals. Using your drainage rods, attempt to flush out the blockage. Generally, it’s not too difficult to spot an outdoor drain clogged with mud because it will start to back up, resulting in visible pooling. Your outside drain then becomes blocked with grease, leaves, dirt and other debris. This article has been viewed 73,002 times. Yes, you can make your own outdoor drain cleaner using vinegar and baking soda. Put on protective gloves, and search for the outdoor drainage pipes that may have clogged due to some sort of outside … This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Simply reach into the drain using the rod and gently feel around until you come across the problem blockage. If you can’t clear a blockage on your own, or you’re not keen on getting your hands dirty, it’s time to contact experts in outside drainage, blocked storm drain cleaning, and French Drain cleaning. Tip: Enzyme cleaners are safe to use with septic tank lines since they won't harm the helpful bacteria. Chemical Drain Cleaners. How to Unclog a Drain with a Snake. Gloves will protect your hands from anything in the water and keep your hands dry as you break the clog apart. Pipe relining is by far the best and most effective way to unblock a drain … Is it inside the waste pipe outlet from the bathtub, the … See whether water drains freely down the plughole. If you have a drain rod, otherwise known as a plumbing or drain snake, in your home, then you may be able to use this to clear out an outside drain blocked with mud. How to Unclog an Outside Drainage Pipe In some cases, figuring out how to unclog outdoor drain pipes is relatively easy, and you could save some money with a DIY approach. If you’ve ever used a snake to unclog indoor drains, you can try the same approach with outdoor drains. If the drain still runs slow, use your drain rods until it works again. There is no disturbing or digging of soil, no use of heavy chemicals or any other non-environmentally friendly way of clearing the drain. An outside drain serves a unique purpose, different than other drain line components inside your building. Whether you have exterior drainage for a commercial or residential property, you need to clean and inspect regularly so you don’t end up with a yard or driveway drain clogged with substantial mud. How to Unblock an Outside Drain. Drain Rodding. Grate hooks can be purchased from your local hardware store. Gather the tools you need to unblock drain pipe parts — gloves, ladder, bucket, water jet and brush or scrapers to loosen debris. [1] X Research source You can also pour 1 cup (208 g) of baking soda into the drain, then pour 1 cup (240 ml) of vinegar to the drain to start a reaction that will unclog the drain. With the two pieces of plastic from the milk bottle which should hopefully now be (somewhat) flat, measure the pipe diameter and cut your plastic in a circle to be about 20mm larger than the pipe. If your drain is completely clogged, consider using drain rods or a snake to break it apart first. However, severe blockages or damage to the drainage system will probably require professional help to address. % of people told us that this article helped them. Slip the end of the hook under the grate and lift it up. landscape drainage cleaning, repair, and installation in Houston, How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Using Home Remedies, Top 7 Houston Landscaping Ideas for Every Taste, Easy Steps to a Trouble-Free Sod Installation in Houston, Texas, Definitive Guide to Safe and Effective Lawn Fertilization. Wait about 30 minutes, then dump a large pot of boiling water down the drain to flush the clog, baking soda, and vinegar away. If your drain is slow or completely backed up, there are ways you can clean it yourself without calling a plumber. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. If your hose is too short, you can get an extender. Wear an oven mitt while you pour the water in case it spills down the side of the pot. These pipes, which at the end of the run, connect to the city sewer system. Feed the snake into the drain. A clogged landscape drainage pipe can result in significant damage and expense if left untended. Gather The Necessary Equipment; If you are confident of having what it takes to unblock your drain pipe outside, then you should keep in mind the essential equipment. Safety Warning. Your drain pipe will have some kind of grate over the opening to catch large debris like leaves, twigs, and so on. Whether you have issues with outdoor landscape drains, or you need to find out how to unclog a French Drain, you’ll be glad to hear that this common problem can be relatively easy to solve, especially with professional assistance from outside drain cleaners. A few methods you can take unblocking your outside kitchen drain yourself are; Pour water: Fat is the most common debris people find in their kitchen sink. When they solidify, they can cause a blockage. While you can, of course, unclog outdoor drain and French Drain pipes as needed, this is a good example of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. Drainage consist of piping, tiling or an underground catch basin that collects excess water and funnels it away from your property, often to a termination point at the street, a drainage field, or some other safe runoff point. This is our primary set: This should release the pressure in the sewer line and force any water that has backed up into your home to drain. Unclog Your Drain … If the drain has a solid top, pry it up from the edge instead. Boiling Water. Then, pour 1 cup (240 ml) of distilled white vinegar into the drain to start a chemical reaction that will break up the clog. After you break up the clog, pour about 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water down the drain using your hose to test the drainage and to get rid of any loose material. You can stick drain rods down outside drains to try to break up clogs or obstructions that may be blocking it. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Here are a few things you can try first when you experience a yard drain pipe clogged with dirt or detritus. A typical plumbing drain system consists of a network of pipes. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. There are many products that are designed exactly for this task, like Domestos Sink & Pipe Unblocker.When poured directly into the blocked drain, these chemical drain cleaners work to dissolve the grease and build-up that cause the blockage. Baking soda and vinegar is a great natural alternative to chemical drain cleaners. Begin feeding the hose into the pipe. This type of drain can be cleaned with a typical main snake, a water jetter, or if the clog is not too big, you may be able to force it out with a blow bag. Landscape drainage operates on a straightforward system. If you’ve already cleaned the opening of your drain and there’s still backup, check cleanouts and the termination point next to see if you can spot and remove other areas of blockage. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. To do this, you should first clear the drain as much as possible using your hands or tools and then scoop out the water to a manageable level. wikiHow's. Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes, then pour a large pot of boiling water down the drain to lift loose material and flush the clog down the drain. Wear rubber gloves when you’re working on your drain so you don’t get any skin irritation from the water or debris. Step 1: Visual Inspection; If you have a blocked drain, the first thing you need to do is perform a visual inspection. Before plunging cover the overflow with a damp cloth to ensure a drain seal and force the air out through the drain blockage. However, if water is still getting through in a trickle, backup could seep into the soil surrounding the drainage pipe, leading to soggy soil, areas of overly lush growth, foul odors, and the presence of mold, mildew, or fungus. Use Caustic Soda To Unblock An Outside Drain. Figure A: Under-Floor Drain System. Drain Unblocking with a Hose A great way to clear a blockage without using chemicals is to use a hose or pressure jet to force the obstruction through the pipe. When using a sewer rod, direct the rod through the pipe until you reach the obstruction. A blocked outside drain can create havoc for if you are a homeowner. This can lead to further yard damage and greater expense for repairs. Always read the label and product information before use. If you have a clog in a septic drain, try enzyme cleaners before any harsh chemicals. Once of the oldest tricks in the book, boiling water. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/85\/Unblock-Outdoor-Drains-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Unblock-Outdoor-Drains-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/85\/Unblock-Outdoor-Drains-Step-1.jpg\/aid10596114-v4-728px-Unblock-Outdoor-Drains-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"