How to Unblock a Bathroom Sink

The drain of your bathroom sink can be a disgusting place. In this article you will find an explanation of how drains work, cleaning a drain, and replacing parts. It may surprise you but aside from the gross factor, it is a simple job that most people can do.

Before you begin you should empty the cabinet beneath the sink because extra room will make your job easier. Just below the sink you will find an inch and a half pipe that bends towards the wall. This bend is a P trap. It will always contain water and prevents the smell of gas from the sewer line from coming through the pipe. Because everything goes through this bend, it is the most likely place for clogs. You can easily remove this by loosening the plastic nuts around the pipe. You will then be able to separate the pipes and remove the P trap. You will want to have a container ready to collect excess water from the P trap.

You will be left with a straight pipe coming from the base of the sink. It will have a small nut and rod in the back. When this nut is removed, the rod should pull right out. This rod is what makes the drain stopper rise and fall. With the rod removed, you should be able to remove the stopper from the top of the sink. If your sink is like most, you will find lots of hair connected to it. There is no simple way to clean this other than to get to it. Use a good cleaner and make sure there is no gunk left on it.

Be sure nothing is blocking the pipes and then reassemble everything you removed. Put the seals back, tighten the nuts around the pipe, lower the stopper and fill the sink with water, and then open the stopper. Look for leaks beneath the sink. You have succeeded in fixing the sink if there are no leaks.