How to Unclog a Sink or Toilet, a Plumbing How to

If you have young children then I’m sure you know that clogged drains are just a part of life. They come in many sizes ranging from large to small, difficult to simple, and are caused by who knows what, who knows when, and always mysteriously when no one has entered them room for apparently days. Well no matter the cause of the clog or who caused it, there final answer is you must get it unclogged. But how do you unclog a drain and end up better than when you started with as little mess as possible. Well, that’s what this article will attempt to relay. I have had the joy of coming across a great deal of clogged drains in my line of work as a constructor of commercial and residential buildings so let me pass on a bit of the wisdom on clogged drains that I’ve picked up over the years.

How to Unclog a Sink

Sinks are probably the most clogged drains in the entire house. They have all kinds of things going down through them and all kinds of hair to ball up on. Well let’s role up our sleeves and get started. First, going to have to locate the approximate area of the clog. If only one fixture is affected the problem most likely is occurring in the stopper of the sink, P-trap, or in the drain line leading away from the sink. If multiple fixtures are being slowed then your problem is downstream a little ways.

For a localized clog start first with a plunger, cover the overflow valve to maintain pressure and make sure to go easy on the first plunge because it may be messy due to the air held in the end of the plunger. Now if that doesn’t do it you’re going to get a bit dirty. Remove the P-trap and manually remove the clog. This is a simple task. Start with unscrewing the plunger then unscrew the P-trap from below, it will come off easily but be sure to keep the order straight for reassembly.

If the problem is down stream detach the sink drain from the wall and insert a snake. A snake is a plumbing tool that sends a long cable with a coiled end down a sewer pipe to tear up and push a clog through. You may rent one at the hardware store for about $25. Follow the manufacturers directions really they are pretty simple.

When snaking a bathtub, unscrew the overflow valve and run the snake through that way because the tub drain has a sharp angle to get back to the main drain.

How to Unclog a Toilet

So you enter the bathroom and the toilet is overflowing all over the place. What do you do? Well first stop the toilet from over flowing. Take the back lid off the toilet and close the flapper at the bottom of the tank. With that done assess the situation. Now, most clogs can be taken care of with the simple use of a toilet plunger. The trick is to keep from making a mess. That’s easy, follow these tips: Place the plunger in the water and cover the exit hole with the bell. Press slowly down to avoid an up rush of water when the plunger expels the air trapped in the bell. Now plunge more vigorously for about 15 or 20 seconds. That should do the trick no problem. But, if you happen to have a nasty one on your hands you may need to pull out the closet snake. The closet snake is made especially for expunging toilet clogs. You may pick one up at any hardware store or rent it, cheap. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and you’ll be done in no time.

Thank you, enjoy your unclogging and most of all never lose your temper during the unclogging process it will only result in a mess. Trust me on that one.