Blocked Urinal |work|

The cost of fixing a blocked urinal varies wildly based on severity.

Warning: Wear rubber gloves and safety glasses. Urine is sterile when fresh, but stale urine in a blocked urinal is a breeding ground for bacteria.

Sounds coming from the pipes while the urinal drains.

If the plunger doesn't work, you likely have scale. Do not use Drano; it is ineffective against struvite.

High-quality screens prevent cigarette butts and other items from entering the pipe.

Most assume urinals are simple funnels. In reality, they rely on a delicate balance of gravity, venturi effect, and trap seal.

Excessive force with a plumber's snake can crack the ceramic structure of the urinal.

A motorized plumbing snake with a "C-cutter" head is used to physically scrape the scale from the pipe walls.

Fill a bucket with 2 gallons of water (not from the urinal). Pour it quickly into the bowl. If the water drains away normally, the urinal is fine—your flush valve is broken. If the water backs up or drains slower than a drunk snail, you have a blocked urinal drain downstream.