How to Unclog a Urinal

Unclogging a urinal may be a kind of nasty endeavor depending on the state of the restroom, but it shouldn't be too difficult—especially if you've got the right tools. Start simple by using a plunger on the urinal the same way you'd use one on a clogged toilet. If you aren't having any luck, get a drain auger to snake the drain line and clear any blockages. If you need a heavy duty option, you can always use muriatic acid mixed with water to dissolve any blockages. If you still can't drain the urinal, it may be time to call a professional plumber.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Plunging a Urinal

Download Article

1
Put on a dust mask and rubber gloves. Get a clean pair of rubber gloves and put them on. While it's not mandatory, it's probably a good idea to put on a dust mask as well if you're going to be working on a public bathroom. If the bathroom has flooded, put on a thick pair of rubber rain boots to protect your feet from bacteria.
- The dust mask won't serve any functional purpose, but it'll dampen any gnarly smells that may be accumulating in the bathroom.
- Consider opening any bathroom windows to get some air flowing.
2
Remove any urinal cakes, splash guards, and debris from the urinal. If the urinal has a cake or plastic insert over the drain, pick it up and put it aside. Remove any debris that doesn't belong in the urinal and throw it out.^{[1]XResearch source}
- If you're in charge of the urinals and you don't have urinal cakes, consider buying some and leaving them over the drain. They can go a long way towards keeping the bathroom from stinking in between cleanings.
Advertisement
3
Unscrew the drain cover and remove it from the drain hole. Inspect the screw on your drain cover if you have one. Get a Philips or flathead screwdriver to unscrew the cap on the drain cover. Carefully pull out the cover and physically pull out any pipes or rods attached to the cover to remove it.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Some drain covers don't have screws and rely on tension to stay in place. If you don't see any screws, try simply pulling on the cover.
- Some urinals don't have drain covers. If you're responsible for the urinal, consider installing one to prevent blockages from accumulating in the drain in the future.
4
Place a plunger over the drain at the base of the urinal. Get a standard plunger with a flexible cup that will bend a little to fit around your drain. Put the cup into the base of the urinal and fit it over the drain hole so that it's fitted around the opening. You may need to hold the plunger at a 45-degree angle to get it to fit the drain.^{[3]XResearch source}
- The standard, cheap plungers with a wood handle and a reddish cup may be a little too firm for the curved porcelain in a urinal.
- You can put a bucket down under the urinal if you're worried about splash-back from the plunging.
5
Pump the drain cover with the plunger 7-8 times. Hold the cup in place with the handle and push down. as soon as the handle reaches the base of the drain, pull it back up slowly without raising the cup off of the drain. Repeat this process 6-7 more times and then lift the cup up off of the drain.^{[4]XResearch source}
- If you hear the drain pipe making noise, it's probably emptying out and you've removed the blockage. You may not hear anything though.
Put a bucket underneath the urinal if it flushes with a fixed amount of water and it has a chance of overflowing. Pull the handle on the urinal down and see if the water goes down all the way. If it does, you're done! Reinstall the drain cover and clean up. If it doesn't go down, try plunging 10-15 more times before stepping up to a drain auger.^{[5]XResearch source}
Tip: If the plunger isn't working, it may simply be a problem with your plunger's cup not fitting over the drain properly. If you have access to another plunger, try using that one instead.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Snaking the Drain

Download Article

1
Get a drain auger to snake the drain and remove tougher blockages. A drain augur, also known as a snake, is a tool with a drum and strong cable that you feed through a drain to break blockages up. It has a coil at the end so that it catches any hair, or thick materials to prevent them from blocking your drain line further down after they're dislodged. Get a snake at your local hardware store.^{[6]XResearch source}
- There are electric snakes that feed the cable automatically. Consider getting one if you know that you may need one in the future.
- There are drain augers that have a long rod instead of a drum. You cannot use this type of snake on a urinal because the pipes are too round.
2
Pull 2–4 ft (0.61–1.22 m) of the snake out. To start, hold the handle on top with your nondominant hand and pull on the coil sticking out the bottom of your drum. If the coil doesn't move, look on the drum to see if there's a key or switch and turn it or flip it—your coil is probably locked to keep it from uncoiling. Pull a few feet out to start with.^{[7]XResearch source}
- An electric snake doesn't need to be pulled out. Simply stick the part of the coil that sticks out into the drain pipe.
3
Insert the cable into the drain opening and start turning the handle. Brace the drum between your nondominant arm and your side. Push the tip of the snake's coil into the drain by hand. Once you've fed 1–3 ft (0.30–0.91 m) of coil through the hole, shift your grip so that your nondominant hand is on the drum and your dominant hand is on the handle. Crank the handle to begin mechanically feeding your coil down the pipe.^{[8]XResearch source}
- If you have an electric snake, all you have to do is press the button or trigger to start feeding the coil through the pipe.
The snake's coils travel through the pipes as you turn the handle, turning and moving along the pipe's path until it encounters a blockage. Keep turning the handle to continue feeding the coil through the drain line. If you feel resistance, like something is in your way, turn the handle hard. Keep turning it to puncture the blockage or push through a pipe junction.^{[9]XResearch source}
Tip: Unless your pipes are falling apart to begin with, you won't hurt your pipes by forcing the coil through. Even if the coil feeds into a junction where it meets a pipe at a perpendicular angle, the coil will automatically give and go up or down the pipe.
5
Turn the handle to return the snake after it travels 15–30 ft (4.6–9.1 m) into the drain. Depending on the size of your snake, stop turning the handle after you've reached the last 3–4 ft (0.91–1.22 m) of coil in the drum. Then, slowly turn the handle in the opposite direction to begin pulling the coil back through the drain pipe. Continue turning until you've completely removed the coil and inspect the top of the cable to see if you trapped anything on the tip.^{[10]XResearch source}
- Depending on the type of blockage, your coil may not have been able to pull anything out of the pipe. This doesn't mean that you didn't clear the blockage though.
- If there's a bunch of gunk on the coil, it's possible that you didn't get all of it. Clean the coil off by hand and repeat the process just to be safe.
Set up a bucket underneath your urinal if you're worried about water overflowing when you flush it. Pull the handle or press the button to flush the urinal. If the water goes down, flush it 3-4 times to ensure that any debris is fully flushed out of the pipes. If it doesn't, try snaking it one more time before moving on to an alternative method.^{[11]XResearch source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Muriatic Acid on Stubborn Clogs

Download Article

1
Put on gloves, long sleeves, and a mask to protect yourself from the acid. Muriatic acid is very effective and extremely potent. Put on a new pair of rubber gloves and throw on a clean dust mask to protect your skin and lungs. Make sure that your arms are covered and wear protective eyewear in case of splashes.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Standard drain-clearing chemicals aren't as efficient as muriatic acid and tend to be bad for pipes. Avoid using them unless you can't get your hands on muriatic acid.
- Muriatic acid is closely related to hydrochloric acid. It's extremely abrasive, so handle it carefully.
- Muriatic acid only works if you have a dry blockage. If there's water built up in your pipe that can't escape, this won't work.
Warning: Muriatic acid should be the last pipe-clearing solution you reach for. Just because it's easy to use doesn't mean that it won't have long-term effects on your pipes if you overuse it.
You won't need more than 3–4 cups (710–950 mL) of the solution, so start with 0.4 c (95 mL) after adding the rest of your water. Pour your water in first, then your acid. Let the liquid settle for a moment before doing anything else.^{[13]XResearch source}
3
Pour the mixture into your urinal and wait 1-10 minutes before flushing. Lift your bucket up slowly and carefully to avoid spilling. Gently pour the solution into your drain. Let it sit for a moment and give it time to eat through the blockage in your pipes. After 1-10 minutes, the acid will eat through the blockage and clear your pipes.^{[14]XResearch source}
- Flush the urinal 3-4 times after doing this to wash out the acid and any other debris.

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Commercial chemicals that are marketed as pipe cleaners tend to be really bad for the pipes, but you can use them if you really need a drain clear. They will work.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0
Call a plumber if you still can't clear a blockage. Pipes probably need to be disassembled to clear a blockage that can't be cleared by acid, pressure, plunger or snake.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0