So, how to unclog a urinal? In most western countries, you will notice the urinal in many male toilets where this sanitary plumbing fixture is present only for urination. Similar to many issues you will be encountering in a flush toilet, you may also encounter such issues in a urinal. Hence it is important that maintain the urinal properly. If the urinal is clogged, then through this article, you will learn some tips to clean it properly.
Most urinals are present on commercial property than at home. If you are a commercial property owner who wants to know about unclogging the urinal or if you have a clogged urinal at home in both cases, you can follow the instruction given in this article. The smell from the clogged urinal is often disgusting hence it is better to check on the issue at the earlier stage and sorting as this will help to avoid intensive repair.
Causes for a Clogged Urinal
It is also important to know about the possible causes why the urinal clogs and how you can prevent it. Some of the causes for clogged urinals are given below.
Flushing Solids
You might know the purpose of installing a urinal is only to use it for urination. Hence you cannot flush any solid in it. If someone has flushed something apart from liquid, this causes blocks in the drainage system and causes the urinal to get clogged. If you flush cigarette butts or toilet paper in the urinal, this debris will cause blockage.
Yeast in the Urine
Yeast is one of the major ingredients in beer. Hence if you have the habit of consuming beer, then this might be why the urinal at your home is getting clogged. Yeast that gets mixed with your urine can result in clogging the urinal.
Sediment Buildup
In the urinal drain, sediment buildup takes place, resulting in clogging of the urinal.
Hard water Deposits
When cleaning the urinal, you might use hard water due to the high mineral concentration, and the buildup will result in blocks.
High Concentration of Minerals
On most occasions, the urinal gets clogged with uric salt crystal, uric acid, and calcium released through the urine, forming a buildup.
These are some of the most common causes of a clogged urinal. Although you can prevent clogging by avoiding such activities, most of the other causes are unavoidable. You can also try using a water softener if the clogging of due to hard water minerals.
Signs of a Clogged Urinal
If you don’t know how to ensure that the urinal is clogged or not, then here are a few signs through which you can confirm.
- You would get an unpleasant smell from the urinal, which would be disgusting.
- Slow draining of liquid and slow flushing.
- You would hear noises when you flush the urinal.
- An overflowing Urinal.
- Leaking of drain pipes.
How To Unclog a Urinal?
Now you might understand why the urinals get clogged if you notice that your urinal is getting clogged, then it is best to unclog it before you face severe consequences. Sometimes this might be the first time the urinal at your home has got clogged, which makes you wonder how to unclog a urinal.
In such situations, you don’t have to worry. You can flow the instruction carefully to do the unclogging process successfully. Unclogging the urinal will be easier than dealing with a clogged toilet.
Unclogging the Urinal Using a Plunger
A plunger is also known as a force cup that you can use to remove the blocks in the pipes or drains. This is one of the popular tools the plumber will use, especially when dealing with clogged toilets and urinals. Hence if you are searching to unclog a urinal, it is better to try sorting the issue using the plunger.
First, ensure that you remove the drain cover by unscrewing it. Using this, you can plunge the drain. After repeating the process several times, you might hear noises which means the drain pipe is getting cleared.
As a result of unclogging, you will notice that the water will drain without any hassle. Although the plunger will be useful to unclog the urinal, in some cases, this will not be a good option hence you will have to consider using any alternative methods.
Drilling using the Drain Auger
If the above method is not working, you can try unclogging using the drain auger. If you don’t know what a drain auger is, it is a tool you can get in the store that will be helpful when removing clogs or any other obstruction blocking the drainage system.
This tool is safe to use when unclogging a toilet or a urinal, but in you have a damaged drain pipe, then it better be cautious when using such a tool since this may get stuck and cause intensive damage. If you need to unclog the urinal, then it is necessary to purchase the right drain auger that will be suitable for a urinal. Either the electric or manual auger will suit the purpose.
The electric auger will remove the clogs through vibration. If you are considering the durability of the urinal, then it is better to use the hand-cracking drain auger to remove the clogs.
Snake the Urinal
Another method of fixing an issue due to a clogged urinal is snaking it. The plunger will not be suitable if your urinal is extremely clogged. Hence you will have to snake the urinal using the drain auger to remove such clogs. When snaking the drain, it is better to get the support of a professional or plumber who will help to sort out the issue.
If you are trying to DIY the task, you can use the urinal auger and snake the drain. It will help remove the blocks. You can send the snake inside the urinal and remove the clog. After snaking, you can ensure whether the issue is fixed by flushing it using water.
Muriatic Acid
If even snaking is not work, then lastly, you can try sorting the issue using muriatic acid. In a bucket, you will have to mix one part of the acid with ten parts of water and pour it into the urinal. Then let it sit for around ten minutes. Next, clean the urinal by flushing the water three to four times. This will hopefully sort the issue.
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