When your sink is blocked, it can be a real problem as there will be dirty standing water to deal with, some cleaning will be needed, and the blockage will have to be removed. Perhaps there is more than one sink blocked, and this makes the problem even harder to resolve. In these circumstances, many homeowners call on a local professional plumber to quickly fix the problem. This may not be necessary, let’s take a look at three steps that you can take to unblock your sink.
- Remove the Standing Water
Standing water can quickly become disgusting if left for too long in your kitchen. It’s a perfect environment for waterborne diseases; also mosquitoes can breed there if they get into your home. You need to flush that water away as soon as possible and get the sink empty. If you cannot flush the water out, use a jug and bucket to remove it manually.
- Cleaning the Blockage Away
The sink is blocked because of a clog in the drain, this has formed due to material accumulating over time, and eventually, it has filled the drain causing the blockage. The very next step is to clean the drain and remove the blockage safely to allow the drain to work correctly.
Most homeowners at this stage will simply purchase an off the shelf chemical drain cleaning product and pour it in the drain. This may seem like a simple solution that’s not too expensive and easy for anyone to do. Unfortunately, these chemical drain cleaners can damage your pipes, and this will lead to expensive repairs later down the line.
There are more gentle cleaning options that you may want to try first before resorting to physical removal. Vinegar is a great all round cleaner for your home, and it’s pretty effective at removing drain clogs. Some other good options include baking soda, hot water, and lemon juice. If all these methods fail, the clog may be too big to remove gently, and physical removal will be required.
- Physical Removal Using Tools
The first thing that you may be tempted to try is a plunger; this can be effective if you’re very gentle as you proceed. Using a plunger too vigorously could create a vacuum that could damage the pipes. Another cheap and easy option may be to use a wire coat hanger to break the clog up so that it can be easily flushed away. Again, go slowly and don’t be too harsh or you could damage the pipes. If you have a very comprehensive toolbox, you may have a very specialized plumbing tool called an augur. In the plumbing trade this may also be referred to as a snake an there are different models available to remove drain clogs. The augur is used to drill into the clog and break it apart, as you spin the augur you may even hear the clog break apart. If these methods don’t work the clog may be especially tough or located deeper in the drain. If this is the case, call out a
local professional plumber for expert help.
By Giovanni Longo President Flood Brothers Plumbing
Giovanni Longo is a 3rd generation master plumber who has been practicing his craft and trade in the greater Los Angeles area for well over a decade and a half. A plumbing and hydraulics-engineering innovator, Giovanni’s particular world-class expertise focuses on dealing with challenging sewer system designs as well as resolving complex commercial and residential draining issues. As a certified Flood Mitigation expert, he is also well versed in a wide variety of water damage and remediation solution.
