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Clogged kitchen sink -- "please advise!" We recently received this e-mail: "How about an article about unclogging a clogged kitchen sink? Yes, I've tried Liquid Plumber. Yes, I've tried a wood-type stick auger to manually clean up the clog. Yes, I've bailed out the kitchen sink and poured boiling hot water down the drain numerous times. However, the kitchen sink is still clogged. Sewer gas used to seep through the drain, but it apparently doesn't now. I'm a starving grad student. I simply can't afford a plumber. However, I believe that it is possible to use a so-called home remedy to unclog my kitchen sink. Please advise." Face it, clogged drains are a fact of life, right behind death and taxes. "So, my drain is clogged. What is it -- and where is it?" Most people are under the impression that the clog will be in the "trap": that little shiny chrome piece directly below your sink drain. In reality the word "trap" in this instance is not used to mean, "what traps foreign matter from going down your drain," but rather, "a water lock which traps sewer gas from escaping through your sink." In other words, don't expect to find your problem in the trap. "What do I do now?" Numerous chemical drain cleaners on the market create the impression that you simply pour a little magic potion down the drain and all your problems will disappear. Not to say that these products cannot be useful under certain circumstances. Some brands of chemical drain cleaners contain high levels of sulfuric acid. These products pose a hazard to you, your property and the environment -- and should be avoided unless you are absolutely certain how to use them. Just to have acid in the home is extremely dangerous -- especially if you have children. Almost any plumbing professional can tell you a horror story about either being burned or causing at least some damage to their client's property from the use of a sulfuric acid product. Once you've poured a strong chemical drain cleaner down a drain, don't attempt to plunge it. To do so may put you at risk of getting burned by the chemical cleaner. "So, having ruled out these possibilities -- what can I do?" The plunger, also known as the "plumber's helper," is renowned as an effective way to unclog drains. However the chances of this working in your sink or in your tub are minimal at best, as the vents and overflows in these fixtures which will render the force of the plunger ineffective. "Are you suggesting that I now must call a professional?" Not necessarily. You don't need expensive hi-tech snakes to clear most household clogs. For most small drains, a small, inexpensive hand-held snake can unclog myriad drain problems if you:
And then of course you have to know how to reassemble what you have taken apart in order to insert the snake to begin with. In many cases this can be more difficult and frustrating than clearing the drain. If you don't like the sound of any of this, save yourself the agony, mess and risk of damaging your system ... call a plumber. "What preventive measures can I take?" First of all, use your common sense. Make sure there is a strainer in the drain at all times. Never pour grease or anything heavier than water itself down your drain. If you have a garbage disposal, allow the water to run for a period of time after the disposal has done its thing, so you can be sure the waste has moved into the main sewer line. (Also note: Anything extra fibrous should be suspect (pineapple tops, artichoke leaves, etc.) Just because your disposal can eat it doesn't mean your pipes can digest it.) If you realize your drains are getting slow and you've tried everything short of nuking them, it is time to get down and dirty, or call a pro to get dirty for you. Once your drain is completely stopped your options become much more limited. Two tips we heard in the wind ... but take no responsibility for:
- Hardware Hotline August, 1998
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