The Weirdest DIY Drain Unblocking Fails We’ve Seen

As professional Brisbane blocked drain plumbers with years under our belts, it’s safe to say we’ve seen it all when it comes to unblocking drains. Homeowners often ask us how to unblock a drain when they call in the experts – but only after really messing up! And while we admit to admiring the DIY spirit, some attempts are so wild they’d make your head spin. Of course, an annoying blocked drain can drive anyone to desperation, but the methods people try?! Let’s just say they range from the bizarre to the downright loony.

So here’s our list of the weirdest and worst DIY fixes for blocked drains we’ve witnessed in our time – along with what they probably should’ve done instead.

1. The coat hanger catastrophe

We once arrived at a job where a guy had shoved a wire coat hanger down his kitchen sink to tackle a blocked sink. He’d twisted it into a hook, thinking it’d snag the clog – but instead, he punctured the pipe, turning a simple blockage into one heck of a leaking mess. The kitchen smelled like a swamp, but he was baffled as to exactly why he’d only made it worse.

A better DIY fix: Skip the hanger and grab a plunger. A few firm pumps can shift a clogged drain without wrecking your pipes.

2. The soda bottle blowout

A lady swore she knew how to unblock drains – by pouring an entire two-litre bottle of Coke down her shower drain. She’d read online that the fizz could break up grime. Spoiler: It didn’t. We arrived to find a sticky, sugary mess coating a wad of hair that was arguably even more stuck than it had been at the start.

A better DIY fix: Mix baking soda and vinegar instead:

• Let it fizz for 15 minutes
• Flush with hot water to loosen minor blocked pipes.

3. The vacuum cleaner vortex

This one’s a real gem – a bloke in Rocklea hooked up his shop vac to a drain blocked in his laundry, thinking suction would yank out the gunk. All he ended up with was a flooded floor and a vacuum full of foul water after the hose popped off mid-suction. Genius idea, terrible execution.

A better DIY fix: Use a plumber’s snake from the hardware store to gently probe and pull out debris from blocked drainage.

4. The boiling oil blunder

Another Brisbane homeowner we attended to had poured boiling hot cooking oil down a blocked sink, figuring it’d melt the grease clog. Instead, it cooled, hardened, and turned the pipe into a solid fat plug – much, much worse than before. We had to dismantle the whole trap to fix that gooey mess.

A better DIY fix: Stick to boiling water alone – it’s safer and can soften grease in a blocked drain without adding to the problem.

5. The tennis ball tactic

Here’s a creative one that will make your eyes narrow and your eyebrows raise – a guy dropped a tennis ball into his outdoor drain, expecting (or praying) that it would roll through and dislodge a blockage. The ball’s fate, of course, was to get lodged, making his blocked pipes a bit of a nightmare to even access, to be honest. We eventually fished it out with the help of a CCTV drain inspection camera – and a lot of patience.

A better DIY fix: Try a garden hose on low pressure to flush out debris and unblock drain issues outdoors.

6. The dish soap disaster

A lady in Newstead – if you can believe it – dumped half a bottle of dishwashing liquid into her toilet, thinking it would slick up a blocked drainage issue and send it packing. The bowl, in reality, turned into a quite predictably bubbly swamp, and the clog – tree roots, as it turned out – didn’t budge a millimetre. She was ankle-deep in bubbles when we got there!

A better DIY fix: A toilet auger is your friend – crank it through to break up minor clogs and figure out how to clear blocked drains the much more effective way!

7. The hammer horror show

This one, though, takes the cake – without a doubt. A fella from Fitzgibbon – wearing a fedora, would you believe – had grabbed a hammer and started smashing up his bathroom drain cover to ‘free’ a drain blocked by hair, thinking he’d just replace the cover afterwards. What he achieved was smashing a tile, cracking a pipe, flooding the room – and giving us a repair job twice as big as the original clogged drain.

A better DIY fix: Try unscrewing the cover, as many are removable, and then use tweezers or wire to unblock drain build-up like hair and other debris.

How the Pros handle unblocking drains

When DIY goes off the rails, it’s time for the real experts to step in. Here at Brisbane Drain Cleaning, we’ve got the tools and the know-how to tackle any blocked drains situation whatsoever – without resorting to crazy tactics!

Wondering what to use to unblock drains like a pro? We start with:

• CCTV drain cameras to see exactly what’s causing the holdup – roots, grease, or a rogue toy.
• Then, we bring out the high-pressure hydro-jetting gear to blast through stubborn clogs …
• Or root-cutting augers to slice invasive tree roots.
• For really tricky spots, pipe locators help us zero in without digging up your yard.
• Pro-grade drain snakes slither through tight bends and pull out debris like hair or gunk.
• Chemical treatments (safe ones, not DIY concoctions) dissolve organic build-up fast.

And so much more! Because, remember – it’s not just about clearing the headache for a while, but doing it right so you’re not back to square one next week. Whether it’s friendly advice about how to clear a blocked drain or a full-on and hectic blocked sewer fix, we’ve got it covered with precision and care.

Now, we’re not saying DIY is always a bad idea – because sometimes a trusty plunger or a dash of vinegar really does do the trick for drain unblocking. But when you’re staring down a blocked drain that won’t quit, or you’re tempted to grab a hammer (DON’T!), that’s when you need us the most. We’ve seen every DIY how to unblock drain trick in the book, and we know what works (and, more importantly perhaps, what doesn’t). Our equipment, tried-and-tested techniques and experience turns chaos into smooth-flowing drains every single time.

Call the Pros for drain unblocking done right

Had a DIY drain unblock fail? Or just want it done properly the first time? With Brisbane Drain Cleaning, you’ve found a team that is here 24/7/365 to sort out any how to unblock drains challenge – from sinks to sewers and far beyond. Give us a shout today for fast, reliable fixes with guaranteed workmanship that keep your drains flowing like they should!