My bathroom sink drain is clogged!?

Question

The guy at the Hardware store sold me some Clear-Line, which is highly corrosive and was supposed to do the job.It not only didn't, but now I have a mixture of standing water and the toxic stuff too Any reccommendations or suggestions, today is Good Friday and there are no stores open, suggestions for home remedies? Thanks

Answer 1

Clogs happen. Kids pour things down the drain they shouldn’t. Sludge builds up and slows the water. Your toothbrush slips down the drain. Hair, grease and random objects can turn your free-flowing drains into closed doors that don’t let anything through. If it happens to you, knowing the right way to clean your clogged drain can save you a call to the plumber. Here’s how to clear any drain in the house in a few simple steps.

The Tools You Need
You don’t need to spend a fortune on tools to unclog your drains. They’ll cost less than $20 apiece at any household or hardware store. Here’s the Official Drain-Cleaning Toolbox List:

- A plunger, also known as the plumbers’ friend. It will cost you $5 to $10. It’s your first line of attack against nasty clogs.
- A plumbers’ snake or cable auger is a flexible steel cable that you can use to dislodge clogs that are down lower in the drain.
- For tougher clogs, or toilet clogs, a closet auger is the tool that you want. It’s specially designed to get around the bend in the bottom of your toilet bowl.
- A drain cleaner for maintenance
- A bucket

How to Use a Plunger
Okay. Most people have the wrong idea about what a plunger is supposed to do. It’s not meant to shove the clog further down the drain. It’s meant to PULL it out, or at the very least dislodge it so that it can go down the drain the right way. Here’s the right way to use a plunger.

1. Stuff any holes. If it’s a toilet clog, you can skip this step. In a bathroom sink, cover the drainage holes in the bowl of the sink. In a double kitchen sink, stuff a rag into the unclogged drain. If it’s a modern tub, the drainage holes may be along the bottom edge of the drain lever. If you don’t block the holes, you won’t be able to get any suction going.
2. Place the cup of the plunger over the drain completely.
3. Here’s the part where most people get the wrong motion going. You’re not trying to shove something down the drain. What you want to do is create suction that will dislodge the clog. Push down firmly on the plunger until the cup is pressed against the drain. Now, BOUNCE the plunger vigorously without pulling it off the drain. You’ll hear water sloshing as the suction tugs on it. Bounce for several seconds – you’ll feel the suction ‘grabbing’ at the plunger.
4. Now – yank the plunger straight up hard and fast. Nine times out of ten, you’ll hear the beautiful slosh and gurgle of water rushing down the drain.
5. If you don’t, start over with Step 1.

Two or three times should do it. If it doesn’t, proceed to…

Cleaning Out the Drain
The idea behind using an auger is to ‘hook’ the clog and pull it out. To do that, follow these steps.
1. In a sink, you’ll need to get UNDER it. Place the bucket under the elbow pipe and use a wrench to unscrew it and pull it off. This will let the water in the trap drain out.
2. Feed cable from the auger into the pipe until you feel resistance.
3. Pull out about 18 inches of cable, and crank the handle while pushing forward to feed more into the drain.
4. If you hit resistance, turn the handle counter-clockwise to pull the clog back out of the drain.
5. Alternate feeding the cable in and out until the cable moves freely.
6. Pull the cable out, replace the trap and the pipe and run hot water through the drain.
7. You may need to plunge the drain once or twice to clear debris from the busted up clog.

Preventing Clogs From Happening
A little maintenance each week will save you all the hassle of having to unclog your drains. As you use your sink and tub and washer and toilet, debris and soap scum and other less savory things cling to the sides of the pipes and form a buildup. The buildup narrows your drains, making them drain more slowly, and making it more likely that clogs will happen. To prevent clogs:

1. Use a screen or guard over your drains to prevent things from dropping into them.
2. Use a drain cleaner on a regular basis. The best drain cleaner to use is one that is kind to both the environment and your pipes. Whether you buy a drain cleaning product or make your own drain cleaner recipe, you should use it at least once a month to keep the sludge from building up around the inside of your pipes and blocking the drains.

Answer 2

First off you can try removing the U-trap under the sink, and see if the clog is there. You will need a good pipe wrench or Channel Lock pliers to break the nuts loose. When you get it off, you will most likely have to replace the seals, as they are most likely old and dry now, Those are cheap, and most hardware stores carry them. Just take the old ones, down and they will show you were the new ones are located. However, before you do all that work, I suggest you buy a toilet plunger or the sink plunger, also available at any hard ware store, and even in some Drug Stores and are also inexpensive. Fill up the sink, about half way, and use the power of the plunger, a few times, and hopefully, you will dislodge what is plugging up the sink. It may take a few tries, but with what you have done already, it should do the trick for you.

Answer 3

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A few things you can do before calling the plumber: 1. Use a plunger. The plunger has to be worked vigorously. Imagine the plug is loosely attached to the wall of the pipe and that every time you plunge it loosens it but not sufficiently to disengage the plug. By working the plunger relentlessly and by forcing water against the plug, you may send that sucker on its way. 2. Pour lots of boiling water down the drain. A plug is often composed of hair and soap. The hot water dissolves the soap. 3. If you have to use the snake, go underneath the sink and unscrew the fittings around the trap. Insert the snake into the pipe from there. You're trying to get at the plug that is far enough along that it is affecting both the tub and the sink. It might help both. 4. If none of that works, use the chemicals before calling the plumber or the Roto-Router Company. 5. The shower problem is a result of the diverter. If you can, you can replace it.

Answer 4

My first suggestion would be to get a bucket and a cup and get the standing stuff out of the sink. You don't want to risk getting it on your skin when working on the drain. Next, if you don't have a drain snake I would fashion something to act as one. Should be something firm, yet flexible. Feed that down the drain and work the clog out.

If you want to get REALLY gross, most clogs are in the trap. This you will need a BIG bucket for. Remove the trap, clean it out and replace. Depending on the type of plumbing this isn't too hard, but it will smell - BAD. The bucket is to catch all the water that will fly out once the trap comes free (see get as much out of the sink above).

Answer 5

Clear Line Drain Cleaner

Answer 6

You need to remove the trap (curved pipe under the sink) and drain the caustic stuff. use a bucket and rubber gloves and be careful not to get it on you or in your eyes. The original clog was probably in the trap anyways (hair, soap etc). Plumbers are now charging more to work on lines with chemicals in them because it takes a toll on their equipment. I personnaly have ruined nails on one hand from a sink that the lady "forgot" to tell me she put Drano in. Even though I asked her before I took the trap out.

Answer 7

Because you used such a harsh product there is no product you should really use. The fumes from mixing can be lethal.

Your clog may need a professional at this point but remember to let him know what you have tried. If you still have bottle save so they know exactly what you used.

had this problem previosly and my maintenance man advised me, for he used a product that needs a liscence to purchase.

Answer 8

did you know that a large plastic bottle of regular coke cleans clogged up drains=I use it all the time

Answer 9

Get a wrench and remove the trap. If you can't clear whatever is in there, get a new trap.