You might be cooking on a Sunday morning. A delicious breakfast for your family and saw the kitchen pipe is clogged. To fix that, you used a drain bladder. But unfortunately, it also got stuck.
Why is your drain bladder stuck in the pipe?
The drain bladder might have got stuck for two reasons. The first reason can be regarding the high water pressure. The second one might be that you have used a different size of drain bladder. As a result, it didn’t fit the pipe. But don’t worry you can remove it from the pipe.
The above information is not appropriate enough. You should read the whole content to understand everything about drain bladder.
Let’s get started!
Why Did Your Drain Bladder Get Stuck In The Pipe?
The drain bladder has quite simple mechanics. It is easy to operate. It serves us well by cleaning pipes or drains.
But this tool can get stuck in your pipe if you don’t use it properly. But other than that, there are some other reasons too. They are followed-
Reason 1: High Water Pressure
Sometimes it might blow off and get stuck in the pipe or drain that you wish to clear. This might happen because you might not have followed the instructions properly. And create high water pressure.
So what happens is the bladder might have got segmented inside the clogged pipe. This happens due to the high water pressure from the hose. The valve might get detached from the hose and stuck in the pipe.
Reason 2: Not Knowing The Size Of The Clogged Pipe
Another reason can be the drain bladder might be larger than the pipe you want to clean. You should know the size of both the drain bladder and the pipe. Otherwise, if you force it inside a smaller size pipe it will get stuck.
Don’t worry we have also solved this problem below.
How To Remove The Bladder From The Pipe?
Removing the bladder isn’t that hard. But you should be super careful while you’re discarding the stuck bladder. Because doing it incorrectly can cause further damage.
By the way, a clogged drain will also attract centipedes in drains. If this happens you then have to get rid of pesky centipedes.
Nonetheless, for removing the bladder, follow these easy methods-
Solution 1:Turn Off the Pressure
To begin, disconnect the hose. This way there will be no pressure. If there’s no pressure, the bladder will deflate without any water.
Once it does, you can just twist the hose clockwise while you’re pulling it out.
Solution 2: Use Dish Soap
Even after the first solution, your bladder is still stuck. This could be possible.
But no worries! There’s another solution. This will make solution 1 easier.
To remove that bladder easily, use automatic dishwasher detergent or dish soap. Automatic dishwasher detergent has many uses and it’s available in gel and liquid form too.
That’s why it works as a really good lubricant. You just need to pour the gel or liquid detergent on the hose. This will loosen it up.
Once it seems to loosen up, twist and pull again. Make sure you’re pulling in a clockwise direction. This should be enough to get the bladder out.
But your bladder might still be stuck in the pipe. If this happens, you have used a different sized bladder.
As a solution, you might think of cutting the pipe. But don’t!
Instead, call a plumber and take his help to get it out.
Tips on How To Use The Bladder
You might be looking for some prevention to this problem. If you don’t want the drain bladder to get stuck again, follow these instructions.
But make sure you’re wearing gloves while doing the work. You can wear the same gloves that you use while soldering copper to your brass threaded fitting.
The instructions:
- Connect a hose to a cold water hose bib and attach your drain bladder to that hose.
- Push the bladder all the way down the drain.
- Wait until it reaches maximum pressure and drives water pressure into the pipe. The drain should clear after the bladder exerts water pressure.
- Wait for the water to run before you shut it off. The bladder will deflate once the water is turned off.
- Examine the drain to determine if there is any standing water. If you still see water in your bladder, use it one more time.
The above instructions will help you to use the bladder. But remember one thing, using the right-sized bladder this time is a must.
Luckily, you won’t face much trouble while choosing the right size. Because this process isn’t as complicated as toe kick heater sizing.
You can find drain bladders in three different sizes for any type of drain. They come in small, medium, and large sizes.
Small drain bladders are suitable for drain pipes with a diameter of 1 to 2 inches. Medium drain bladders are suitable for drain pipes with a diameter of 1-½ to three inches. The large drain bladders are suitable for drain pipes with a diameter of 3 to 6 inches.
For your comfort, we are suggesting our top three choices-
| Product 1 | |
| Product 2 |
You can buy any of the drain bladders.
That’s it! We have reached the end of our piece!
FAQs
Question: What if the bladder drain explodes?
Answer: Physical injuries can be caused by a drain bladder. This warning is similar to the one about remaining within the maximum safe distance. If you’re standing behind a bladder when it explodes, the flying materials could cause serious injury.
Question: Can a drain bladder damage the clogged pipe?
Answer: Yes, it can damage the pipe. It can burst a pipe including steel, PVC, and cast iron. The pressure of the water produced by the drain bladder has the potential to shatter fragile pipes.
Question: How much should you insert the bladder into the clogged pipe?
Answer: It should be at least 6 inches down the drain. Less than that can be less effective while you try to clean the pipe.
Bottom Line
You have reached the end. We have tried to enlighten you about why the drain bladder is stuck in the pipe.
Goodbye for now and good luck resolving the problem!