Does your sink drain slowly or doesn’t drain fast enough that water pools in the sink?
You’re likely to have blocked drains that are caused by a lot of things.
Kitchen sink drains often clog due to:
- Oil cake or cooking grease stuck down the drainpipe walls
- Detergent soap scum
- Undissolved food particles
- Other stubborn, gunky clogs
Dumping almost everything down the drain has repercussions too. Produce stickers, eggshells, coffee grinds, solvents, polish remover, anti-freeze, corrosive substances, and prescription medication, are just some of the few things that will cause blocked drains.
Surprising what people dump down the sink drain, right?
When it comes to bathroom sinks, blocked drains happen for even worse reasons.
The Good News
The good news is there are many ways to fix a slow sink drain. Depending on the gravity of the situation, DIY will do, or you’ll have to call a plumber for help.
- Use a Zip-It tool to clear out any debris or hair collected down the sink drain. Because it is thin enough, you don’t need to remove the drain pop-up.
- Clean and clear any gunk collected behind and around the sink drain pop-up. This may be causing the slow drain.
- Clear the gunk that may have collected over time at the sink overflow. Clogged, you have a flow opening that would not do its job of draining water in the sink fast.
- Use a mixture of baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water to clear blocked drains. This is a cheaper and safer option than commercial drain cleaners.
- Use a plunger to dislodge any debris or hair collected in the pipe.
If you’ve tried all of the above and nothing works, call a Baldivis plumber. The blockage may be somewhere else or that expert skills are needed to remove it.
It is important to note that the tips listed above come with proper procedures that you must follow, or the solution would fail.
A successful plunger method, for example, requires that no air escapes and makes the plunger weaker.
So, before you start pumping the plunger, make sure to cover the sink overflow with some duct tape or a rug. This creates a seal that will pump a strong gush of air into the blocked pipe and dislodge anything that’s stuck in it.
When to hire a professional plumber to fix blocked drains?
The answer is simple: when you’re dealing with a major blockage.
Most causes of clogged drains are minor and can be fixed with a drain cleaner, plunger, or a Zip-it tool. But when all your efforts fail, avoid doing more damage and call the pros. The block might be further down the drain and no snake will be able to reach it.
In some cases, DIY will cause pipes to burst, resulting in more expensive work.
Conclusion
Blocked drains can be minor or major and the solutions you choose should fit the problem. But the wisest move is to prevent clogs in the first place. Avoid dumping anything that can cause a blockage and regularly flush your drains with a mixture of baking soda and boiling water.
If you have a blocked drain in your home – We can give you tips to avoid them next time > Tips to Avoid Blocked Drains