How to unblock a sink drain
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A DIY guide to unblocking your sink drain.
Is your kitchen or bathroom sink blocked? Unblocking a sink can be rather straight forward. All it takes is some basic tools and you can do it all on your own. Here are some tips.
Causes of a blocked sink
In the bathroom a sink can tend to block up with hair, soap and other greasy products. Similarly, in the kitchen food scraps can often cause a blocked sink.
Unblocking a sink with boiling water
Often you can unblock a sink by pouring a few litres of boiling water down the sink. This can work by helping dissolve soapy and greasy materials that have caused the blockage by coating the walls of your pipes.
Unblocking a sink with a plunger
Firstly, you should try to unblock your sink with a plunger. When you have your plunger ready, you partially fill the sink with water (enough to cover the plunger head), and then with the plunger over the drain hole you plunge the plunger up and down vigorously ensuring that you keep the plunger sealed against the bottom of the sink as you do so. The plunger works by creating a lot of air resistance within the drain, and using the resistance to clear the clog in your drain. Once you have cleared the clog, run hot water or some drain cleaner down the drain to clear any remaining blockages.
Unblocking a sink with a drain auger
If the clog in the blocked sink is too stubborn for a plunger then its time to move onto a drain auger. A drain auger is a flexible auger used to remove clogs in drains, it is sometimes referred to as a plumbers snake or a toilet jack. With a drain auger you can weave your way down the drain and push through any blockage.
Unblocking the sink by removing the trap (u bend)
You may find that you can unblock the sink by removing the trap (u bend) from below the sink. Removing the trap gives you better access to the drain and can help you unblock the sink from below. When you remove the trap make sure that you place a bucket under the trap so that water doesn't go everywhere.
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