How to Open a Clogged Sink Drain

Unclogging a sink trap is a fairly simple procedure.

Kitchen and bathroom sink drains can easily become clogged--over time, soap, food, grease and hair can build up into a gunky glob--leading to a back-up of water in the sink or slow draining. Carrying out a repair on your clogged sink drain is one of the easiest home plumbing jobs and should prove straightforward for those with only a rudimentary grasp of home maintenance.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber plunger
• Bucket
• Rubber gloves
• Slip joint pliers
• Eye protection
• Drain auger

Instructions

1. Run hot water down the sink to clear the blockage. If your slow running drain is clogged with grease or soap, this simple solution often proves effective.

2. Fill the sink with a couple of inches of water and use a rubber plunger to try to dislodge the blockage. A few firm plunges over the drain should provide enough suction in the sink trap to dislodge all but the most stubborn gunky blockages.

3. Place your bucket beneath the sink trap and put on your gloves. You should be able to release the slip joint nuts that connect the U or J shaped trap to the drain pipe, and the straight pipe coming down from the sink basket, by turning them counter-clockwise. If you struggle by hand, gently use your slip joint pliers to release the nuts.

4. Empty the contents of the trap into your bucket.

5. Release any blockages you can feel within the sink trap using your auger or another object you can safely insert into the trap.

6. Clear your drain pipe if unblocking the trap doesn't do the job. Place your auger at the end of the pipe. Push the auger down the drain until you notice resistance--that's probably the cause of the blockage.

7. Twist the auger until the blockage disintegrates or the head of the auger becomes entangled in the blockage. Remove the auger from the pipe, bringing with it the blockage that was affecting your drain.

8. Reassemble the sink trap, taking care not to over-tighten the slip nuts as this may cause damage to the threads and pipes.

   Run water through the pipes and check for any leaks, re-tightening your connections where necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also use chemicals to unblock a clogged sink drain. However, given that it only takes a short time to un-hitch the sink trap, unblocking the sink by hand is usually the most effective and economical way.

References

• Plumbing Help: How To Unclog Your Bathroom Sink