How to clean a washing machine drain with pictures and a ton of detergent.
Every household has at least one washing machine drain that is blocked.
Plumbing services tend to be expensive, so more often than not people would prefer to clear the drain on their own.
Water coming back up and creating a flood is a huge mess to clean up because of the nasty materials that build up in the drain over time.
First things first, turn the water supply off, and then switch the power to the area off at the breaker before you attempt any repairs.
You don't want a short circuit on top of the problem.I suggest using a bucket to scoop out the water from the inside of the washing machine.
To find the washer water pipe which is at the back of the machine, you need to use a flashlight or some other source of light to see where the dirt and debris accumulate in order to clean it properly.
Lots of household chemicals can be found in your local supermarket and you can use many other methods to get rid of the clog.
Many brand names offer their cleaning products with instructions on how to use them, which is quite liberating to know that your problem isn't un fixable.
Some drains are more difficult to clean because they are too thick or a small piece of clothing has made its way there.
Don't lose hope.If that's the case, you can use a pole or coat hanger to push or pull out the mess.Continue until the hose is emptied.
Our standard methods can not fix the leftover material stuck to the inside of the drain.
Trust me, they are cheaper than your local plumbing company.There are many types of chemical cleaners, but I am going to make a quick list of some of the properties which the cleaners contain and on which you should keep an eye out.
Don't try to mix up random stuff you find at home with these chemicals, it's usually not a good idea.
If you want to know if the products will work, you should pour a small amount into the drain and wait for a reaction.
Try to find the source of the problem elsewhere if these methods don't seem to work.lint and other larger pieces of material may be the problem in the filter through which water flows.
If the filter is not cleaned for a certain amount of time, it can become clogged and not be able to trap lint, which can lead to a blocked drain.
The front of the machine is where the filter is usually located.If you want to take it out, you have to wash it with water and shake it to get the lint out.
The only other option is to check the water pump which is connected to the drain inside the machine and see if it needs to be fixed or replaced.
If this is a call for your local plumbing, you might consider replacing the pump or buying a new washing machine because untrained handling can cause irreversible damage.
I would like to talk about how to prevent the clog from accumulating in the first place after you found my guide useful.
If you want to keep the drain clean, you need to pour some of those chemicals at least once a month.
Depending on how frequently you use the washing machine, you should check and clean the filter monthly or weekly.It doesn't matter if you call the plumbing once or twice a year for maintenance.
You need to know what causes the problem in order to understand how to clean it.
The gunk from your clothes and lint goes first through the water pump and eventually the drain, which is usually made up of lint.
It's not unusual for detergent to get sticky when dry for anyone who got it on their hands.There is a mixture of laundry detergent and lint.
The clothes clean themselves by rubbing against each other and there are very small differences in laundry detergents so you don't need to empty out your pockets for expensive brands.
The heated water coming through the drain can clean gunk better than cold water, so you should try to wash your clothes with hot water.
I wouldn't recommend doing this with all types of clothes because they could shrink in size or fade over time, so white clothes only.
If you want to be extra careful and don't want your dirty clothes to accumulate in your drain, you can use pre-wash on your clothes, it's not expensive and you just need to wash them with cold water.
There are many ways to fix a blocked drain, as well as preventive measures that can help you not get into this mess in the first place.
Try them out and see what works best, most are easy to clean, but there are some that will need an expert's opinion and help.
In conclusion, I would like to say that in spite of the pricey services, a plumbing professional will get the job done much better and quicker than someone who is faced with this problem for the first time.
It is better to hire a professional if there is a malfunction.
Spending your free time fixing a problem of this size is more expensive than investing your money.Best of luck, I wish you a fast drain.
Does your washing machine drain?In this article, we show you how to get rid of the washing machine drain pipe.
Marco is my name.I retired as an ex-plumber.My friends and family still ask me for plumbing advice even though I no longer offer it.I decided to start a website to help them with plumbing issues.Feel free to look around.I don't sell anything here.