When the bathroom sink will not drain, it can be an annoying and unsettling experience. If the drain is slow or it doesn’t drain at all, the likely cause is a bathroom sink clog. In this article, we will look at three ways that you can unclog your sink and how to prevent the problem from returning again.
Clear the Drain
Remove the dirty water and give the sink a dry with an old cloth so that you can see the drain clearly. When we use our bathroom sinks, a lot of debris that shouldn’t go into the drain will end up there naturally. Materials, such as hair, floss, nail clippings, and others, can form a clog in the drain when mixed with soap scum. Lift up the sink plunger and carefully clean out and debris that you find there. If you cannot reach a piece of debris with your fingers, try using a pair of tweezers instead. There may be clumps of hair wrapped around the drain, and this can be tough to move in one go. But, if you persevere, you can usually tease the strands loose and remove them. Try to avoid dropping debris further into the drain to avoid adding material to a clog that could be lurking there. Run the water and see if the bathroom sink is draining and if it is you’re done.
Use a Cup Plunger
If the first drain clearing option has not worked, it’s time to change tack and try something else. Take a standard cup plunger, run the water in the drain and place the plunger over the drain. Then, move the plunger up and down slowly to change the pressure inside the drain. Don’t be too vigorous when you use the plunger, let the pressure do the work for you and you can avoid causing damage to your plumbing. After a minute or two, stop to see if the sink has started to drain correctly. This process can be repeated a few times to force a clog loose and flush it away in the drain. If the water starts to drain, run the tap for a few minutes to get rid of the clog, and you’re done.
Clean the Trap
If the cup plunger didn’t work, it’s likely that you have a formidable clog on your hands. Take a look in the drain trap located in the under sink pipes. Put a bucket or bowl under the pipes to catch the water that is trapped in the pipes. Then remove the trap, clean the gunk out, and re-attach it to the pipe. If the sink is draining correctly, you have removed the clog from the trap, and you’re done.
None of These Methods Worked
If your bathroom will not drain after attempting these three clearing methods in order, it’s time to call a local certified plumber. There could be a formidable drain clog lurking further in your drain, and it must be removed manually. Avoid the temptation to use a store bought chemical drain clearing product because the caustic ingredients can damage your plumbing pipes.
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.
