Got a Clogged Urinal? Here‘s Your Step-by-Step Guide to Unclogging It Safely

As a home improvement expert who‘s tackled my fair share of clogged drains, I know how frustrating a blocked up urinal can be. Water pools in the bowl, bad odors arise, and guests are left without a functioning restroom!

Before you reach for the drain chemicals, hold up. As we‘ll cover, pouring corrosive cleaners down your urinal can actually worsen clogs and damage your plumbing. Trust me, I‘ve been there!

Luckily, there are several safe, effective DIY methods to clear even the toughest urinal clogs. In this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to unclog a urinal in a few simple steps. You‘ll learn:

• The top reasons urinals get clogged in the first place
• Why drain cleaners are a big no-no when it comes to urinal clogs
• Pro tips for using a plunger, drain snake, and enzyme cleaners to clear clogs
• My best advice for stopping clogs before they start
• How to know when it‘s time to hire a pro plumber

Arm yourself with the info in this guide, and you‘ll be able to quickly fix a clogged urinal and keep your bathroom plumbing running smoothly. No more standing water or bubble baths in the urinal—let‘s get to it!

Why Urinals Get Clogged: The Usual Suspects

Before we dig into solutions, it helps to understand exactly what causes urinal clogs in the first place. Here are the most common culprits:

Buildup of mineral deposits – The minerals in hard water, like calcium and magnesium, gradually form sediment deposits on pipe walls over time. This buildup accumulates and eventually constricts water flow, leading to clogs.

Foreign objects – It‘s all too easy for things like gum, toothpicks, food, coins, toilet paper, and paper towels to get flushed down urinals and lodge in drain pipes. I once snaked a urinal pipe and pulled out a plastic army man—no joke!

Urine sediment – The solids in urine, including calcium oxalate, uric acid crystals, phosphates, and sulfates, accumulate as a sedimentary deposit inside drain pipes.

Grease and grime – Residue from hand soaps, shampoos, body washes, and cleaning products builds up and coats pipes over time.

Damaged or faulty plumbing – Cracked drain pipes, worn out flappers, or issues with the flush valve can all contribute to urinal clogs.

Now let‘s go over why you should never use drain cleaner on a urinal clog.

Don‘t Use Drain Cleaner! Here‘s Why

When you‘ve got a urinal that‘s barely draining or completely clogged, it‘s very tempting to simply dump drain cleaner down the pipes and let the powerful chemicals blast through the gunk.

I‘m guilty of trying this myself in the past. But trust me, fight the urge!

While drain cleaner may seem like a quick fix, it actually does far more harm than good by damaging your plumbing in several ways:

• Corrodes metal pipes – The sulfuric acid and lye in drain cleaner corrodes and eats away at metal pipes, causing leaks over time.

• Ruins porcelain finish – The caustic chemicals also etch and degrade the glossy porcelain finish of the urinal itself.

• Produces toxic fumes – The fumes released by drain cleaner are hazardous if inhaled. Definitely avoid using in confined, poorly ventilated spaces.

• Harms the environment – The toxic ingredients get flushed down drains and contaminate waterways.

• Reacts with urine – Drain cleaner can react with urine sediment and salts to form abrasive crystals that scour pipe interiors.

• Leaves chemical residue – Over time, drain cleaner leaves a harsh residue that builds upon itself and worsens clogs.

The bottom line is that while drain cleaner may provide a quick fix in the moment, it causes much larger plumbing issues down the road.

The good news is that safer, non-damaging DIY methods will effectively clear clogs. Keep reading to learn how.

Step 1: Try Using a Plunger

The suction force created by a simple sink or toilet plunger can work wonders for unclogging mildly blocked urinals. Always try this method first before attempting more intensive solutions.

Here‘s a step-by-step guide:

1. Take a standard plunger and seal the bell end completely over the urinal drain opening, pressing down firmly to form an airtight seal. Be sure no air can escape.

2. Let the urinal fill with a few inches of water.

3. Work the plunger vigorously up and down 10-15 times. This rapid plunging action forces water down the pipes, creating turbulence to dislodge the clog.

4. When plunging, vary your force – use light, medium, and heavy pressure.

5. After plunging, flush the urinal with hot water to rinse away any gunk or debris freed by the plunger.

I recommend repeating this full cycle 2-3 times to clear the clog. The key is creating strong suction force down the drain – that turbulence will dislodge most minor clogs.

Step 2: Dislodge Stubborn Clogs with a Drain Snake

For clogs that withstand the plunger, a mechanical drain snake (also called an auger) is your next best bet.

A drain snake uses a stiff coiled metal cable that you feed down the urinal pipes. By cranking the cable and twisting it around, it bores through and hooks out even the toughest blockages.

Follow these steps when using a drum auger:

1. Slowly insert the curled metal cable end into the urinal drain opening.

2. Crank the rear handle clockwise while applying light downward pressure to steadily feed more cable into the drain.

3. Once you hit a snag or resistance, that means you‘ve hit the clog. Keep cranking the cable back and forth rapidly to bore through and agitate the blockage.

4. After churning up the clog, slowly retrieve the cable to pull out any freed debris.

5. Give a final rinse flush with hot water to wash away any remaining gunk.

It may take repeating this process 2-3 times to fully clear a severe clog. I highly recommend using an auger if plunging fails—nothing beats it for physically breaking up and removing blockages.

Step 3: Use Baking Soda and Vinegar

For an all-natural way to break up urinal clogs, look no further than your pantry! Baking soda and vinegar create a chemical reaction that dissolves gunk.

Here is the simple process:

1. Pour 1 cup of baking soda down the urinal drain. Let sit for 5 minutes. The baking soda acts as a deodorizer too.

2. Follow that with 1 cup of household vinegar – white vinegar works best.

3. The mix will immediately start bubbling and fizzing as the acidity of the vinegar reacts with the alkaline baking soda.

4. After allowing it to finish reacting for 10-15 minutes, pour a large pot of boiling water down the drain to help rinse away any grime and residue.

The benefit of this approach is that it‘s completely non-toxic and safe for pipes. Together, the ingredients help break down organic matter, grease, hair, and mineral deposits clogging drains.

Step 4: Use an Enzymatic Cleaner

Enzyme-based commercial cleaners use natural bacteria cultures to digest and dissolve gunk. I keep some handy for tough urinal and tub drains.

They typically come as either powders or liquids. Look for enzymatic cleaner products at your local hardware store or online.

Be sure to follow the product instructions, as enzyme cleaners require extended dwell time to work properly, usually 4-12 hours:

1. Shake or activate the product and apply down the urinal drain according to package directions.

2. Allow the enzyme cleaner to sit and work its way through the pipes for the recommended time.

3. After the prescribed dwell time, flush the urinal with hot water.

The active enzymes will gradually break down and consume oils, grease, uric acid, hairs, and any other organic material stuck in pipes. With regular monthly use, enzymatic cleaners help prevent future clogs too.

Prevent Clogs Before They Happen

Clogs are inevitable now and then, but you can minimize their frequency and intensity with some simple preventative measures:

• Flush urinals weekly with hot water – The added heat helps liquefy grease and clear sediment from pipes.

• Clean debris from drain grates – Regularly clear any visible gunk, hair, gum, etc from urinal drain strainer grates.

• Avoid misuse – Never treat urinals as trash cans! Make sure people do not flush paper towels, trash, or other items that can snag in pipes.

• Install drain screens – Adding mesh screens across drains traps debris before it enters pipes.

• Use urinal cakes – The chlorine in urinal cakes help deodorize bowls and inhibit mineral deposit buildup.

• Perform annual drain cleaning – Have a plumber professionally snake and hydro jet urinal drain lines annually to prevent clog formation.

Call a Plumber for Serious Urinal Issues

As a home improvement veteran, I can clear 95% of urinal clogs using the methods above. But if you try them all and the urinal still won‘t drain, it‘s best to call in a professional plumber.

Signs it‘s time to bring in an expert:

• Water continues pooling in the urinal or drains extremely slowly after attempting to unclog.
• The clog persists and returns immediately after you think you‘ve cleared it.
• You are unable to dislodge the clog despite trying several methods.
• The urinal frequently clogs again despite preventive measures.
• You notice leaks, corrosion, cracks, or other damage around the urinal.

A qualified plumber has high-powered hydro jetting equipment and industrial strength augers that can clear even the worst urinal blockages in a pinch.

They can also diagnose issues like pipe damage or root intrusion that may require significant repairs. Paying for professional drain cleaning services can seem expensive, but it‘s worthwhile to prevent extensive plumbing repairs down the road.

Let‘s Recap

Phew, we covered a lot of ground here! Here are the key takeaways:

• Avoid pouring drain cleaner down urinals – it damages pipes!

• Try a plunger first, then move up to a drain snake for tough clogs.

• Baking soda and vinegar work great for clearing gunk and odors.

• Prevent problems by flushing weekly and avoiding misuse.

• Call a plumber for serious recurring clogs or damage.

Hopefully you now feel armed and ready to take on any urinal clogging issues yourself. Just remember – try the gentlest method first and work your way up. Feel free to reference this guide anytime you need to unclog a urinal.

Now get out there and keep those urinals flowing freely! Let me know if you have any other home plumbing or DIY questions.