If you have a clog –  Αποφράξεις Καλλιθέας – in your drain, water may not drain as it should. Typically, when this occurs, you purchase a bottle of chemical drain cleaner and throw some down the drain. The chemicals eat away at the clog, allowing water to once again flow through the drain. But, if you have a septic system, chemical drain cleaners should not be used. Chemical drain cleaners can kill the good enzymes and bacteria in your tank that help to break waste down and can be damaging to your tank itself. If you experience a clog in your drain, here are a few of the safe ways you can go about unclogging it (apofraxeis).

Reasons for a clogged bath or kitchen drain:

  • Dumping food or solid materials into the drains.
  • Dumping kitchen grease or sticky stuff into the kitchen sink.
  • Dumping chemicals or paints into the drains.
  • Hair down the bathtub and shower drains.
  • Improper and/or inadequate venting.
  • Clogged main drain-line.
  • Clogged septic inlet or outlet.

Common Causes of Clogged Drains



Ways to unclog a drain:

  1. Baking soda and vinegar drain unclogging is an alternative and more natural way to remove a blockage from the drain. Vinegar and baking soda don’t harm the environment.
  2. Use a plunger to unclog your drain. This will work for clogs of smaller sizes and it doesn’t cost much. If the clog still persists, call an expert.
  4. High-pressure water jetting – Αποφράξεις Αντωνίου Καλλιθέας is more effective on clogs caused by pouring paint or sticky and greasy material into the drain.

Ways to avoid clogged drains and a full septic tank:


Possible causes for a slow drain:

  1. Part of the main drain line is clogged.
  2. Part of the drain inlet or outlet of the septic tank is clogged.
  3. Part of the percolation pipes is clogged.
  4. The septic tank vent is blocked
  5. The septic tank or septic vents have frozen due to low temperatures.
  6. A block in the distribution box.

Ways to unclog a main drain or full septic tank:

  • Use a snake or water jetting to unclog the main drain pipe. This is the work of an expert. He knows, through his expertise, how to snake a slow drain, say whether the clog is due to solid waste or greasy substances or roots, and use a suitable technique to unclog the same.
  • Check the inlet and the outlet of the septic tank for any blockage due to solid wastes, scum, and so on. Remove the block and check for easy flow.
  • Check the area around the percolators. See whether it is moist, swampy, and stinky. It means that the percolation is not proper. In other works the soil is not absorbing the drain water at the rate of discharge. It could be either because your usage of water has increased of late due to more guests or the soil has become saturated due to moisture from other sources such as rainfall (more than normal) etc. Immediately enlist an expert, the problem requires instant care.

Preventive measures to avoid a blocked main or slow drain:

  2. Use filters over the drains in your toilet and kitchen to trap hair and solid objects.
  3. Winterize the septic tank to prevent it from freezing in winter.
  4. Empty the septic tank, if you are planning for a long outing.


Pour Hot Water Down the Drain

If you have a clog in your drain, one of the easiest methods you can use to try to remove it is to pour hot water down the drain. Bring a pot of hot water just to the boiling point and then pour it down the clogged drain. The hot water will help to loosen any grease or soap causing the clog, while the rush of water can help to loosen hair clogs.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

If hot water does not work, the next method you can try is a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Dump a couple of teaspoons of baking soda into your clogged drain, followed by one-half cup of vinegar. This will create a fizzing action that may cause a fizz-like eruption. This is normal. This fizzing action may help to break the clog up and get things moving in your drain once again.

Septic-Safe Drain Cleaners

If your drain is still clogged, the last thing you can attempt to do before calling in a plumber is to use a septic-safe drain cleaner. A septic-safe drain cleaner does not contain the harmful chemicals that a regular drain cleaner does. Ensure the item you are using does specify that it is safe for septic systems though.

If you have a septic system, it is always wise to keep a septic-safe drain cleaning product on hand. This way you can free your drains if other methods do not work. 

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