Matt Weber
Home Improvement & Repairs magazine based in Birmingham, Alabama.
Find more at www.homeimprovementandrepairs.com.
How much advice about clearing sink clogs can I cram into a brief article? Let’s find out.
To fix a clogged bathroom sink, start by using a cup-shaped plunger with a large enough suction cup to completely cover the drain and create an airtight seal against the surrounding sink. Seal off any other outlets, such as the overflow drain in sinks, with a wet rag to create a vacuum, then fill the sink with enough water to cover the suction area. Push out any trapped air beneath the cup, then give the plunger 10 to 15 up-and-down pumping strokes to jolt loose the clog. You might need to repeat this a few times.
If that doesn’t work, you can remove the drain cover which closes the drain. The drain cover operates using a ball-and-socket lever at the back of the sink’s drainpipe.
To remove the drain cover, first place a bucket beneath the sink’s drainpipe to catch water. Most drain covers have a metal “lever-rod” that raises and lowers the cap. Unscrew and remove the retaining nut on the back of the drainpipe that holds the “ball” of the lever-rod to the socket. Then, slide the lever-rod out of the pipe (and the keyhole at the bottom of the drain cover). You should then be able to pull the drain cover freely out of the sink drain, which is often what traps hair, objects and other debris in the drain. Use a plumbing auger (or a wire coat hanger) and hot water to clear out the pipe. Wash the drain cover before replacement.
If that still doesn’t work, use a pipe wrench to remove the P-trap (the U-shaped pipe) beneath the sink, in which a foreign object may have gotten trapped in the turn of the pipe. Run a plumbing auger or plumbing snake into the drainpipe past the P-trap to rout out clogs farther down the line.
An inexpensive plastic plumbing auger is one of the best $4 purchases a DIY homeowner can make. Available at most hardware stores, the augers are hooked to grab hair and gunk, stiff enough to shove through a pipe, but flexible enough to follow the turns in a P-trap or S-trap.
Kitchen Sinks
Kitchen sinks are less susceptible to hair clogs and more susceptible to built-up fat and grease from food. For this reason, you might want to pour boiling water into a clogged sink drain to see if that melts the problem away.
Kitchen sinks are generally built like bathroom sinks and have a P-trap, but they may also be connected to a dishwasher’s drain line or to a garbage disposal, which might complicate effective use of a plunger and plumbing auger. If the clog remains, it might help to remove the P-trap and insert the auger directly into the drainpipe. Snake out the pipe until you hit the obstruction and break it up, then flush the pipe with water.
If this doesn’t fix or locate the problem, check the other household drains to make sure the clog is only in one fixture. (If more than one drain is clogged, then there is a clog in the main drainpipe, so call a plumber.)
Liquid Clog Removers
If water is slowly draining, but the pipe is not completely clogged, then a liquid cleaner may solve the issue. However, thin liquid drain cleaners often run right down the pipe and straight past the clog, leaving the problem stuck in the drain. For this reason, you should choose a thicker foam or gel product that sticks to the inside of the pipe for better coverage and longer contact with the blockage. Allow the product to sit as directed—usually about 30 minutes—and follow with running water to test the drain.
Always use chemical drain cleaners in a well-ventilated area and wear rubber gloves. Don’t use a plunger if a liquid cleaner is in the drain, or you risk splashing caustic chemicals on your skin. And don’t use a liquid cleaner if the drain is completely blocked, because if it doesn’t work, you’ll be stuck with a sink full of caustic water.
Homeowners with septic tanks should note that the active ingredient in chemical cleaners is often chlorine bleach, which can harm the beneficial bacteria of a septic system.
Dissolving a clog with vinegar and baking soda, however, will not damage septic systems. First, pour hot (but not boiling) water into the drain to loosen the clog. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda into the open drain. Then, pour 1⁄2 cup of white distilled vinegar down the drain. You will hear the mixture fizzle as it begins to foam. Allow the mixture to act on the clog for 15 minutes to an hour, then try to rinse the obstruction away with hot water.