Having a slow draining sink is one common problem at home. Usually, soap, grease, hair, and hardened fat can cause this draining problem. When these residues combine, they could clog the pipes.
Hence, the draining slows down. If a homeowner ignores this trouble, the condition may lead to a more complicated clogging or eventual plumbing problems in the pipes.
Prevention has always been the best option to avoid plumbing problems. In most cases, homeowners install special screens that prevent household items from going down the sink. In some cases, prevention doesn’t succeed, and clogs still happen.
If you’re a homeowner who experiences this kind of sink problem, here’s an article that could help you fix your sink:
Table of Contents
1. Remove The Standing Water In The Sink
Turn off any source of water that contributes to the standing water. Then, manually remove what’s left in the sink. If the water is high, you could use a pump to remove the water.
If you live in Virginia or its nearby places, you could go to a water pipe repair services in Chantilly to ask for the appropriate equipment for de-clogging.
2. Clean The Stopper
After removing the standing water, you could clean the stopper as this may have accumulated dirt and fats as well. In addition, rust buildup on the stopper blocks the waterway even more. In cases when the stopper already contains hardened stains, rust, or grease, you may consider buying a new one.
3. Use A Plunger And Pour Boiled Water
Pour the newly boiled water into the sink as this could dissolve the clogs that accumulated from the grease, hair strands, or leftovers. Alternately, you could use a plunger to suck out or push down the clog. Your goal is to create a space where the water could insert into. If the clog is moved, try to use high-pressured water to ultimately push the clog down.
To continue the de-clogging and cleanup, you could use a plunger to try again removing the clog. You may repeat the earlier steps until such time that the clog is entirely removed. To clean up the slime that may cause foul odor and what’s left on the drain and sink, you could pour boiling water repeatedly.
4. Melt The Sludge
If the clog wasn’t pushed down, you could get a pointed object or scraper to manually remove the clog. In addition, you could remove the sludge that has formed because of the accumulation.
You could use a mixture of one cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar to create a solution. Pour it into the slow draining sink, and it’ll make a solution or chemical reaction that’d dissolve some parts of the clog.
Stuff the opening with a rag so the reaction would have a maximized effect. Wait for 10-20 minutes for the solution to settle down. After that, you could pour another kettle of boiling water to flush what remains in the sink.
5. Pull Out Debris
If the solution wasn’t successful, you could use a hair clog tool to twist and turn toward the clogged area of the sink. Gently pull it in and out until the accumulation of fats, grease, and dirt is gone.
If you don’t have the tool, you may use other alternatives that could scrape, pull, or twist any part of the clog. Sparingly, you may pour boiling water into the sink, especially if the water starts to flow quicker.
6. Clean The P-Trap
For kitchen sinks, you may detach the P-trap—the curve of the drainpipe—to further de-clog your sink. The P-trap is usually located underneath a cabinet of modern kitchen sinks, and it needs to be cleaned out periodically. Usually, it’s the part where the accumulation happens.
You may also use an auger to clear the remaining clogs. If you don’t have an auger, you could use a wire coat hanger as an alternative.
Wrapping Up
Clogging is the culprit for many plumbing problems at home. This could be prevented by avoiding to push down the usual reasons for clogging such as soap, grease, hair strands, and fats. However, in cases when clogging still happens, you may try to do some plumbing hacks at home.
You may think about what you’ve read in this article before deciding whether you’ll do the fixing yourself or avail of the services of a plumbing professional. Either way, just be sure it’d keep the water flowing better than before. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you find the appropriate way to fix your sink.
