My sink is clogged?

Question

I think my roommate clogged the sink when he dumped grease down it. How should i go about unclogging it? Does that liquid plumber stuff work for that?

Answer 1

Do not use the drain cleaners you get from Home Depot or anywhere else.....they contain harsh chemicals and can eat away your drains......you do not have to turn the water supply off to the faucet to take the p-trap off...just make sure the faucet itself is off......hot water may work to get the clog to go away but it only moves the grease......a plunger may work also just hold the stopper down on the other compartment while you plunge to keep the air in the drain......once you've gotten it unstopped then run COLD water for a few minutes......cold water will cause the grease to form into little balls and move on down the drain!

Answer 2

Boiling hot water will get rid of the clogged grease, then you need something that will get the grease that sticks to the sides. I think all the drain uncloggers ...ie liquid plummer, are a waste of money. Once you boil the water....several good size pans should work, make a mix of baking soda and coke (not diet, just the regular coke) and pour it down the drain. It's cheap and works as good as the liquid plummers of the world. That should do it, but if it is too stuck even for that, turn off the water (valves are under the sink) get a wrench and take off the elbow (trap) clean it and put it back. Sounds complicated, but it's a piece of cheese.

Answer 3

You can try a little baking soda and vinegar before you try a commercial clog remover. Pour them down the drain. It will fizz up at first. Give it time to work, then flush with very hot water.

There are also compressed air cyclinders you can buy to force the clog through BUT NEVER USE THEM AFTER USING AN ACID BASED CLOG REMOVER.

And, if you do use a drain opener, follow the directions exactly. Make sure the room is ventilated so there is fresh air coming in, keep your face away from the container when you open it, and don't spill it.

In the future let your roommate know it's better to put used grease in a can.

Answer 4

I would also start with the liquid drain cleaners. Be sure to follow the directions and be careful not to splash any on you or your clothing.

If those don't work, the clog usually appears in the P-Trap under the sink. It is very easy to un screw those connections and clean out the clog. Be sure to have a pan under the trap when you disconnect it or you will have a mess!

Answer 5

my roommate did the same thing. you can try the liquid plumber, but it's grease, so you also ned to try and run a bunch of hot water down the drain...also, it might be asy to take that "p trap" off and clean a bunch of the grease out that way. also, yell at your roommate about how stupid they are for dumping grease down the drain.

Answer 6

I'd get your roommate to clean it since he stupidly dumped grease down the sink. Introduce him to the trash can.

But, if the liquid plumber doesn't work you may have to take the elbow off to get it out.

Answer 7

You can try the liquid plumber (or similar) product and see if it unclogs the drain. If not, you may have to snake it to see if anything else is blocking the pipe.

Answer 8

you should keep a coffee can by the sink so that when u have grease you can pour it into the can..

i'd try the toilet plunger first...those liquid plumber chemicals are very strong...keep at it with the toilet plunger...

ps/your roommate should be the one trying to fix the sink

Answer 9

Try a drianage power which helps in clearing the mess in the sink and in between the pipes or use something which has the abilty to grasp things by putting pressure.

Answer 10

Grease, Add lots of hot water to the drain ,boil the water then pour it in the hot water should disolve the grease