How to Clear a Slow Bathroom Sink Drain in Your Grass Valley Home
So, it’s too late … the drain is completely clogged, your kid left the faucet running and water is cascading down the stairs from one floor to the next. What to do now?
Well, for starters, try not to let the drain get to that point to in the first place. Keep a sharp eye out for signs of a sluggish drain. It’s easier to unclog a slow drain than it is to open a drain that has completely stopped. When the drain is slow, pour scalding water down the pipe to loosen any buildup of grease or soap scum. You’ll need to clean the stopper, pop-up or drain screen. This not for the faint of heart, my wife gags whenever I clean the stopper, get some good rubber glove to stay clean. If this doesn’t locate the problem, then check the other household drains to determine if the clog is only in one sink fixture. If more than one drain is clogged, then there is a clog in the main drain pipe. At which point you may just want to call out a professional plumber, and yeah that would be us at ABT Plumbing, Electric, Heat & Air. 530-272-9120
The first tool most people grab to fight a sink clog is a simple bathroom plunger, and it’s a good tool to have around. Pick a plunger with a large enough suction cup to completely cover the drain and create an airtight seal against the surrounding sink. It should also have a cone on the bottom which can be folded up when you use it for sinks or tubs. Fill the fixture with water to completely cover the suction cup (it may help to coat the rim of the cup with petroleum jelly). Seal off the overflow with a wet sponge help to create a vacuum. Push out any trapped air beneath the cup, then give the plunger 15 to 20 vigorous up-and-down pumping strokes to jolt loose the clog. This may take 3 to 5 times to do the job. Remember that plungers work with both the down and up stroke, so really tug up on it.
If none of this works you could try using a hand snake, but let me tell you form my experience they suck. They take a lot of effort with very little affect. You really need an expensive electric snake to do the job right, so yes once again, call in a professional plumber, ABT Plumbing, Electric, Heat & Air 530-272-9120. Or you may be able to rent one from the rental yard, but it helps if you know how to use it, they can be very dangerous to use, like broken limbs dangerous.
One other thing you can do before the drain gets clogged is use an enzyme drain cleaning product like Pro-Clean. The enzymes digest the organic material and break it down to it basic element. It’s a great environmentally safe product. And if you are on a septic system the enzyme will work their way down into the tank and digest all of the gunk in the septic tank as well.