Unclog Any Clogged Sink, Learn How!
You got a clogged sink drain that’s need to be fix but, how do you unclog a bathroom sink and what is the correct equipment to solve the problem? This section will cover common causes of a clogged sink, how to unclog it, and the best equipment (s) to be used in this particular situation.
How a sink drain works?
Every bathroom sink has a pop-up assembly installed in the center of the drain. The pop-up is holds water in the sink whenever is needed, the pop-up also helps to prevent foreign objects from falling into the trap or from going any further in the line.
However, if you noticed that the drainage in the sink drain is getting slower and slower, before, you consider any major project to clean the drain, verify if the pop-up is correctly positioned in the drain. The sink drain will not work properly if the pop-up is pushed inside the drain, so, make sure that the pop-up is pulled all the way up, this will allow the proper drainage in the sink because it will allow a more efficient exchange between the air and the water. After you have checked the plumbing installation and still noticed a slow sink drain, then, it is clear that the drain has a real blockage somewhere between the p-trap and the sink drain line.
How a sink gets clogged?Just like any other drain, a bathroom sink gets clogged due to years of sludge and debris buildups. The most common types of buildups in a clogged sink drain are: toothpaste, hair and soap.A clogged washbowl does not get clogged only with toothpaste and spits; the line gets also clogged due to infrequent maintenance and abuse with the plumbing system. For example, people like cutting and washing their hair the sink. During my five years unclogging and cleaning drains, I have pulled all kind of stuff from all drain systems including from bathroom sinks lines. From bathroom sinks for example, I have removed toothbrush, toothpaste caps, shampoo caps, hairclips, combs, pen, make-up accessories, and dental-floss and so on. A pop-up assembly is formed of a pop-up plunger, tail piece, pivot nut, center rod with ball.
Steps to unclog a clogged sink:Starting with the pop-up assembly and p-trap:
Did you know that nearly 50% of the clogs on a clogged sink drain are located between the pop-up and the p-trap?
So, before calling a company, rent or buy a heavy duty machine to unclog the clogged washbowl, you must check the sink pop-up assembly and/or the p-trap to see if the clog is there. This is a very easy procedure and no special tools are required to do it. It should only take 10 to 15 minutes to perform this particular job. However, as you remove all the parts from the clogged sink drain, make sure that the parts are organized in a orderly manner, it will easily be remembered how all go together when it’s time to re-install them.
Removing a pop-up assembly and p-trap:1 – Cover the floor under the sink with rags or carpet pads and put a bucket under the sink p-trap to retain the water and debris that will fall from the drain. 2 – Locate under the sink behind the tail piece the pivot nut and center rod. 3 – Unscrew the pivot nut by hand or with a small wrench. 4 – Disconnect the parts behind the tail piece and remove the center rod with the ball. 5 – Remove the pop-up from inside the drain and check inside to see if there is any debris. 6 – Unscrew the p-trap from the tail piece and from the pipe. You can do this by hand if it is a plastic p-trap or use a bigger wrench to lose it up if it is a chrome p-trap. 7 – Once you have removed all the parts and cleaned everything, it is time to re-install it. 8 – Turn the water back on and leave it running for at least a minute, if you notice that the sink is filling up quickly, turn off the water. If it is draining alright, you have fixed the problem. Congratulation! If the problem persists, follow the next option.
How to unclog a clogged sink?
Considering that a clogged sink drain has one of the smallest lines in diameter and probably one of the shortest as well, you should do the followings: 1 – Never, I mean never cable a clogged washbowl drain through the sink p-trap, it will break the p-trap and it will make a huge mass not mentioning the damages. 2 – Remove everything that you have under the sink. 3 – Have the following materials available: pipe wrench, a bucket, safety glasses, a flashlight, latex and leather gloves, goggle, rags, earplugs, knee pads, GFI (GFCI) cord and 700-machine or 100-machine. 4 – Cover the floor and around the working area with rags, towels or carpet pads. 5 – Put the bucket under the p-trap before removing it. 6 – Use the pipe wrench to unscrew the nuts (while holding the pipe wrench with one hand, hold the tail piece or the p-trap with the other hand to prevent damaging anything, slowly but firmly twist the wrench until the nut is loose, then unscrew it by hand). 7 – Remove the p-trap from under the sink (both pieces). 8 – Now you have the pipe exposed ready to be cabled with the machine. 9 – Plug the GFI Cord in the outlet, then plug the machine cord in the GFI cord. 10 – Make sure have your latex and leather, earplugs, protective glasses on. 11- Slowly start your cable machine, with one hand you feed the cable in the pipe and with the other hand you control the machine. 12 – If your cable is in more than 10 feet, you probably have gone far enough. 13 – Slowly but firmly, pull your cable back and push it inside the machine drum. 14 – When the end of the cable is almost out of the pipe, stop the machine and pull the cable by hand. You don’t want sludge splashing all over you or under your sink. 15 – Remove all possible debris or gunk that you might have in the end of your cable. 16 – Re-install the p-trap and check your sink drainage and, don’t forget to check under the sink for possible leaks. 17 – If everything looks great, you have successfully unclogged your clogged washbowl. Congratulations, Job well done! Home Bathroom Sink Unclog Drain SBI-TV |
