Unclog a sink or lavatory drain
Unclog a sink or lavatory drain
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Difficulty:
Close DifficultyBeginner Do-It-Yourselfer - EasyIntermediate Do-It-Yourselfer - ModerateExperienced Do-It-Yourselfer - DifficultProfessional - Expert - Completion Time : 1 Hour
Soap buildup, hair residue and grease can easily clog the lavatory basin, just as food residue can accumulate in your kitchen sink drain. Unclogging a sink or lavatory basin can be done fairly quickly and doesn’t require specialist knowledge, but the scope of the job will depend on the location of the blockage. If the clog is in the trap, cleaning will be straightforward. If the clog is not in the trap, it’s likely the drain pipe behind the wall is clogged, in which case you should use a hand snake.
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TOOLS
Tools and materials required
TOOLS
- Cloths
- Sink Plunger (with a red cup)
- Small flexible brush (twisted metal wire shank)
- Multiple slip joint pliers (plumber’s pliers)
- Bucket
- Plumber’s auger
- Protective gloves
- Protective mask
- Flashlight
MATERIALS
- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape
Before Assembly
NOTES
SAFETY
• Don’t use chemical products if your trap is made of plastic or if you have a septic tank.
• Chemicals used to unclog a lavatory basin or sink are corrosive and emit toxic fumes. Exercise caution when using them and wear a protective mask and gloves.
• Air out the bathroom after product remainders have been emptied into the toilet
• Never use more than one chemical product at a time to unclog a basin or sink; combining products can result in a chemical reaction or splash.
• In case of contact with your skin or eyes, rinse generously with water and consult a doctor immediately.
MAINTENANCE
To avoid repeating the problem of residue-buildup clogging your drain pipe, use a strainer in the sink. This small mesh drain cover is placed over the drain opening where it collects waste and residue to prevent it from travelling into your drainpipe.
Steps
Unclogging techniques are the same for the kitchen sink and lavatory basin in the bathroom, except you will have to remove the sink stopper on the lavatory basin.
1.1 Place a bucket under the lavatory basin to collect water and avert an overflow.
1.2 Raise the stopper from the drain opening. You will have to either unscrew the stopper or pull it free, depending on the model. If you have a “pop-up” stopper, it may be connected to a pivot rod under the basin which you’ll need to disconnect. Make sure you have a bucket to collect any water that may spill through the hole from the basin.
1.3 Clean off debris and hair that has gunked up the stopper, possibly clogging the drain.
1.4 Reconnect the pivot rod and put the stopper back in the drain opening when the job is finished.
Buy a sink plunger. They are usually red and without a lip. Do not confuse it with a toilet plunger, which is usually black and with a lip.
2.1 Remove the sink strainer. If you haven’t already done so, remove the sink stopper as well.
2.2 Block the overflow with a damp cloth or piece of tape to prevent air from circulating. You can also use duct tape.
2.3 Place the plunger cap over the drain hole of the sink or lavatory basin.
2.4 Ensure that there is enough water in the sink to cover the plunger before you proceed.
2.5 Vigorously work the plunger up and down several times.
2.6 Remove the cloth from the overflow and turn on the water; check whether water is moving freely down the drain.
2.7 Reinstall the sink stopper and pivot rod if necessary.
If you haven’t been successful with the plunger, you need to remove the trap under the sink. The trap is an S-pipe, whose function is to retain a certain amount of water to “plug” the drain pipe, preventing unpleasant odours from escaping. Due to its shape, the trap doesn’t retain only water; it is also conducive to collecting debris.
3.1 Close the valves under the sink and put a cloth or towel on the taps to remind you not to turn them on.
3.2 Slide a bucket or other container under the trap to collect water as it is released.
If the trap has a slip-joint connection:
3.3 Unscrew slip joint by hand.
3.4 Clean out the accumulated gunk.
3.5 Put the slip joint back.
3.6 Turn on the water and check whether the sink or lavatory basin has been unclogged.
If the trap does not have a slip-joint connection:
3.7 Use multiple slip joint pliers to loosen the two nuts maintaining the trap. If the nuts are chrome-plated, protect them with a cloth prior to loosening or cover the jaws of the pliers with duct tape.
3.8 Secure the trap with a piece of wood so that it doesn’t turn while you’re dismantling it.
3.9 When the nuts are started, finish unscrewing them by hand.
3.10 Clean the trap with a small twisted wire brush, the tip of a wire clothes hanger or any other piece of hard metal you can bend into a hook.
3.11 Rinse the trap with hot water.
3.12 Reinstall the trap.
3.13 If the old tape has worn away, apply new polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape to the threads on the pipes.
3.14 Hand-tighten bolts before tightening with multiple slip joint pliers.
3.15 Open the valves and turn the water on to verify there is no leaking and that the clog has been broken down.
Chemical products
4.1 Wear protective gloves, and protect your face with a mask so that you don’t breathe in any toxic fumes.
4.2 Pour the product slowly into standing water over the drain, taking care to avoid any splashing. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding wait times.
4.3 Rinse with hot water to dilute the mixture and wash down any residue.
4.4 Ventilate the room to remove any toxic fumes.
Natural products
4.5 Remove any standing water, then pour a few teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda into the blocked drain opening.
4.6 Next, pour down a cup of white vinegar and let stand for 15 minutes.
4.7 Add more vinegar, then run hot water down the drain.
If debris is not caught in the trap, the clog is probably in the drain lines behind the wall. If this is the case, try to unclog the drain using a plumber’s auger, or as it is more commonly known, a hand snake.
5.1 Remove the trap.
5.2 Remove the elbow connecting the trap to the pipe into the wall.
5.3 Hand feed the auger cable into the pipe until you sense some resistance, which probably indicates an elbow.
5.4 Leave approximately 6 inches of cable out of the drain, then turn the crank handle clockwise while pushing down gently on the cable to encourage it to turn and navigate the elbow. Release the catch and continue to feed the cable by hand until you meet firm resistance. If this resistance blocks the cable from travelling any further, you’ve reached the blockage.
5.5 Continue to turn the crank clockwise, pushing gently, to firmly snag the clog.
5.6 Release the catch, turn the crank slowly clockwise, and pull the clog all the way out.
5.7 Start over if the snake has released the clog.
5.8 Remove the blockage.
5.9 Inspect the gasket for wear, and replace if necessary.
5.10 Reinstall the elbow and trap and tighten the compression rings.
5.11 Flush the system with hot water to get rid of all remaining debris.
Si votre évier ne s’égoutte toujours pas normalement après avoir essayé les méthodes précédemment citées, consulter un plombier.
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