How to Open Traps Under the Sink
Inadvertently dropping an object down the drain doesn't necessarily mean the item is lost. The sink drain trap prevents items from getting into the main house drain by capturing them in the curve of the pipe. If you do drop something down the sink drain, shut off the faucet immediately to prevent forcing the item through the sink trap. How you open the trap under the sink depends on whether your trap has a clean-out plug. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Bucket
- Adjustable wrench
- Slip joint pliers
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Instructions
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Open the sink cabinet doors and remove the contents from the sink cabinet. Position a bucket under the sink trap. The sink trap is the curved portion of the sink drain line.
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Find the sink trap clean-out plug, if your sink trap has one. The plug is usually on the front bottom of the sink trap just before it bends, and has a small square stub in the center. Turn the plug stub counterclockwise with an adjustable wrench to remove the plug and open the sink trap.
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Loosen the two nuts securing the sink trap to the two sink drain lines with a pair of slip joint pliers, if your sink trap does not have a clean-out plug. Opening this kind of sink trap is a matter of removing it from the sink drain lines.
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Turn the securing nuts counterclockwise with your fingers once you loosen them with the pliers. Pull the sink trap straight down and away from the remaining sink drain pipes.
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Tips & Warnings
Apply plumber's tape to the threads on the sink drain pipes before reattaching the sink trap if you have metal pipes.
