How to Fix a Sink that is Not Draining

Wazzup World!

Having a sink that is not draining can be a real problem. It effectively makes the sink unusable. When you have a blocked sink it can also smell bad. However, the good news is that, like a hot water system, in most cases you can fix yourself without the help of a professional plumber.  

The Best Methods to Unclog a Kitchen Sink

As long as it is done right, using a plunger to clear a sink is the best and quickest way, and that is true for any type of sink. To begin, the correct plunger is needed; it is important to note that for sink plungers, they will be smaller and dome-shaped, while toilet plungers are larger and shaped like a bell.

Secondly, plunging will work best if there is some water in the sink. For sinks that are not draining at all, you will simply need to begin to fill it with water. However, if it is draining albeit slowly, then you may need to place a sink stopper in before attempting to fill with water. After the sink has roughly 2 inches of standing water, you can now begin to start to plunge it.

To do so, simply grab the plunger and position it at a slight angle to allow for bubbles to escape while you're plunging with the help of air. Once the plunger is in the right position and you are confident, cover the drain opening with the plunger and start to pump until the sink starts to drain.

While this will take care of most sink clogs, in some cases the issue won't be resolved in this way, and other methods may need to be used.

Pull out the Clog Manually

If your sink is still not draining correctly after plunging, it may be a large object or a group of objects that are causing the issue. In this case, you will now need to dislodge or remove what is clogging the drain manually. Because of the size of kitchen drains and plumbing, you won't be able to do this by hand, so you will need some sort of tool to help.

Most of the time, this will be done using an auger or plumbing snake. However, if you are in a hurry and don't have the time to find one, then you can try to straighten out a wire coat hanger to do the same thing. You will want to push the snake into the drain and try to reach down as far as you can.

This will either push whatever is clogging the sink through the pipes and resolve the issue or bring it to the surface so you can easily grab it and dispose of it.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

A drain volcano refers to the chemical reaction that happens when you mix vinegar and baking soda, and this is a great method that is an alternative to chemical drain cleaners.

Before using this method, make sure to run the garbage disposal to ensure that it is not the issue. After, simply pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain and follow it up with 1/2 a gallon of vinegar and boiling water (the ratio for this is 1:1).

This will allow a cleansing action to take place that will, in theory, allow for most debris and food residue to be washed away when followed up with more boiling water in around 10-15 minutes after the baking soda and vinegar mixture has been used.

Next Step

If your sink is still not draining correctly after trying all methods listed above, it is time to disassemble the P-trap and clean it by hand. This can be messy, but in most cases, it will fix the issue, and you can do it at home without calling in a plumber.

You will want to make sure that the cabinet under the sink has been cleared, and that you have a bucket handy to catch the water and debris that will come out during this process.