How to Unclog Your Sink

You have filled your sink with water to wash or shave. Having finished your task, you open the drain. Nothing happens. You close and open the plug several times hoping for a miracle, but it does not change. It is time to go the next step to see if you can fix this the easy way. You know it might just be temporary fix, but at least it will be simple and not require much of your time. Over the years, I have been involved in unclogging scores of sinks with varying degrees of difficulty. I have installed and removed sinks in bathrooms, kitchens, and other places along with their related plumbing. Because of other extensive experience with various forms of plumbing and sewer work, my knowledge in this area is quite comprehensive.

If you are lucky, you will be able to twist the sink stopper left or right and extract it from the basin. If it can be removed this way, you sink will probably drain as soon as you pull it out. As you pull it out, most of the time it will be coated with slime and hair. Clean this debris. You should be able to reach a finger or two into the drain and pull out additional debris. When you have removed as much as possible, replace the plug. Run some water into the sink to verify that it drains properly.

Should the stopper not be able to be removed this way, try stopping off the overflow by stuffing it with a wet cloth. Get it good and tight so that a minimal amount of air can flow through it. It is better if no air can pass through the overflow. Open the stopper and cover it with a plunger. Pump it up and down 5 or 6 times vigorously. You should see a lot of debris rising up from the drain.

The water may start to drain slowly. If you have any luck, it will flow freely from the sink. Most of the time this will get you a good temporary fix until you have 30 to 60 minutes to do it right.

To fix it right, you need to do the plunger routine to get the water to drain from the sink. If this does not work at all, you will want to dip the water from the basin until it is nearly empty. Put a bowl or small bucket under the drain. Get a pair of pliers or a wrench and reach under the sink and unscrew the nut that holds the stopper mechanism in place. Be careful not to lose any of the parts as you remove the stem that sticks through the loop on the lower end of the stopper.

Once this is removed, extract the stopper from the drain. Clean the stopper and the drain as much as possible. While you are under the sink unscrew the large nuts on the drain that hold the “J” trap in place. Remove the trap and clean it completely. Reach up into the drain from the bottom and clean out any debris that might remain.

Run a small amount of water to make sure that it flows down the drain and into the bowl under the sink. Do not get carried away with this, or you will have a big mess to mop up. If water does not flow out, look through the drain from above and see what is still creating the clog. Remove it and try again. It should work now.

Reattach the trap. Insert the stopper back into the drain with the hole facing the right way for the pin to pass through it to hold the stopper in place. Tighten up all of the fittings. Make sure that the stopper mechanism works correctly. Run water into the sink and make sure that it drains properly.

If you are unfortunate enough that your drain still is clogged, you may need to call for help. The clog may be in your larger drains that carry the water to the sewer. If this is the only appliance in the house that does not work correctly, you may be able to remove the trap again and run a small cable through the drain that passes through the wall or floor. If you can not move or reach a clog, and the problem persists, call a plumber.

Either way, make a note to buy some products designed to keep your drains clean. Use them according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. This should help keep the problem from returning.