Since there are so many ways for sinks to have blockages, a drain blockage must be resolved quickly. The method to unclog a sink will vary with the sink design type. Before clearing a sink’s blockage, understand how your sink drain works. Bathroom sinks feature a drain and a faucet; most include a pop-up stopper that fills the sink with water. There will be either a filter or a damper in the bathroom basins.
A P-trap, a sink trap, is installed in most basins. The P-trap is a curved section of conduit under the sink. It is designed to hold water, creating a seal that prevents the wastewater pollutants from reaching the kitchen or restroom. The P-trap establishes a seal that stops sewer gases from rising through the sink drain and catches water.
What Is the Cause of Blocked Bathroom Sinks?
• Damaged Pipes:
Pipe damage of many varieties can potentially cause constant water pooling in your sink. Severely damaged, out-of-shape pipes can fully block or restrict water movements, and massive rust piled on the pipelines’ insides may slow the flow of water. Hence, they sag and inhibit flow.
Pipelines that are not firmly installed will have some changes over time, which would lead to the displacement of the piping or leakage. Trying to prevent the damage caused by piping is a slippery task. It would be damaged or worn out, blockage of the pipelines, or corrosion as the pipelines age. The only reliable way to correct pipelines from this effect is to install new replacement pipelines.
How well are your operating pipelines secured? Are they in an area that is easily damaged? As a failure issue, a sink draining slowly, with no indication of the problem, could indicate a more serious problem with the off-site operating pipelines. This can happen if it backs up so severely that the pipelines break or burst. Using professionals to replace those will be crucial.
• Hair:
Hair deposits causes a blockage in a bathroom sink. Strands of hair may be lost in the sewer while you cleanse your teeth or bathe your face, and you may not even be aware of it. The walls of your pipelines are adhered to by hair, which clusters together when it is moist.
The hair is further clumped together by the water dripping from the pipelines, exacerbating the situation. This process continues until the cluster reaches a large enough size that water cannot pass through, resulting in a blockage.
• Fat and Grease:
This is one of the most common blocked-drain scenarios in your home’s pipelines when oil and fat solidify, but at the same time, it is also one of the easiest to prevent. The most common form of oil and fat comes from food residue or cleaners, which, over time, begin to harden and stick to the inner layer of piping.
If not attended to over time, there is a hard struggle with a grease/fat blockage. It is, therefore, advisable to pour boiling water down your drains periodically to ensure that this does not happen.
• Soap Scum:
Soap residue is a white or gray film that coats the inside pipes and the outside surfaces of sinks, bathtubs, and showers. It results from some of the chemicals in soap combined with calcium and magnesium ions in water. This gooey substance builds up inside pipes much like hair does and can catch other items touching it.
It can build up over time, and professional tools or a snake better clear these blockages. Therefore, hiring a professional plumber is the best way to effectively remove the soap residue from your pipes.
• Mud and Dirt:
It is quite common for debris and sludge to reach your sewers, especially during drier seasons, both of which might block your pipelines over time. To prevent this, all outdoor sewers must be covered because this will keep out debris and sludge from entering the system in the first place. However, proper checks and cleaning must ensure the debris or grime from these outdoor sewers is carried out. You might need to call the plumber to fix the problem if you run into a blockage.
How to Fix a Clogged Bathroom Sink?
- Using vinegar and baking soda
- Clean out the P-trap
- Boiling water
- Drain snake or auger
- Enzyme drain cleaners
- Use of plunger
- Wet and dry vacuum
2.1. Using Vinegar and Baking Soda:
Baking soda and vinegar are a viable solution for light to moderate blockages, and they are less abrasive on your plumbing system than toxic commercial drain cleaners. As is well-known to those who have participated in the elementary school volcano science experiment, the combination of vinegar and baking soda results in a vigorous frothing reaction. This reaction can assist in the dissolution of blockages when it occurs within a drain.
The following is a method for clearing a drain using baking soda and vinegar:
- Remove the sink strainer and use a wet/dry vacuum to remove any residual water from the drain.
- The baking soda must be in contact with the vinegar at the obstruction for this method to be effective; therefore, there should be no stagnant water in the sink.
- Dispose of one cup of baking soda down the drain.
- Pour 1 cup of white vinegar down the drain.
- Secure the drain orifice with a stopper. This phase is crucial, as the stopper will direct the reaction between vinegar and baking soda towards the obstruction.
- Allow the mélange to settle for 15 minutes.
- Remove the drain cover and flush the system with hot water to resolve the obstruction.
2.2. Clean out the P-Trap:
This “P-Trap” is situated beneath the sink and is frequently responsible for numerous sink obstructions, such as cleaning residue and hair. It is precisely shaped like the letter P, and its name refers to it. Generally, a p-trap is a plumbing fixture ascribed to multiple purposes.
The principal purpose of the p-trap is to prevent hazardous gases, such as methane gas, from infiltrating a residence by preventing them from traveling up the system. This is accomplished by capturing detritus drained from the sink or preventing it from causing an obstruction deep within the plumbing system.
These devices also enable householders to retrieve small items falling down the commode.
2.3 Boiling Water:
This effectively deals with specific blockages in the bathroom, more so at the drain caused by detergent residue. To get the best from this boiling method, use it with a slow discharge and very little tepid water in the drain.
Take a large bucketful of water and boil it in a kettle or a large container. Pour it down the sink in a few stages. If this trick does the magic, the results will be prompt. However, this shouldn’t include scalding water within the PVC pipelines since this weakens the pipe joints.
2.4 Drain Snake or Auger:
Sometimes, the most effective method of removing an obstruction is physically removing it using a drain snake or auger. These devices pass A metal cable through the conduit to resolve the obstruction. This method is more costly than the other DIY solutions because you must purchase an auger if you do not already have one. Nevertheless, it is significantly less expensive than hiring a plumber. A drain snake is likely a worthwhile investment if obstructed drains frequently occur in your residence.
Steps:
- To facilitate the auger, eliminate any obstructions from the drain.
- Manually insert the cable of the auger into the receptacle.
- Rotate the auger handle to advance the cable into the receptacle while applying pressure. The blockage is identified when resistance is encountered.
- Rotate the snake using the lever or cordless drill until the blockage is resolved.
- Extract the auger from the drain.
- Ensure that the drain is cleared by running hot water.
2.5 Enzyme Drain Cleaners:
If all those other solutions have been tried, a drain cleaner should be employed, and then one that is nontoxic, harmless to use, and safe on water products is a more effective choice. Do not use chemical drain cleaners. These caustic chemicals can potentially cause harm to you by backfiring through your sink, damaging the environment, or weakening the wastewater lines in your pipeline.
Furthermore, chemical solvents rarely clear up the clog adequately due to their unsafe features. Moreover, if one fails, it could leave you with a tank full of dangerous chemicals and water that must be disposed of separately. Follow the instructions for your favorite nontoxic cleanser for the best results.
2.6 Using Plunger:
Plungers are recommended for clogged toilet sinks; small plungers are recommended for these blockages.
- Remove the strainer or whatever covers the sink to dispose of the waste.
- Fill the toilet sink up to about 1.5cm in depth to conceal the wastages it flushes into the sink, but be careful not to overflow the basin.
- Put the plunger over the drain; push down to seal it.
- Plunge for 15 seconds over the bathroom sink drain.
- Take off the plunger, and the water will drain quickly. Check by flushing a little water down the drain. The blockage must often be loosened by repeating the plunging technique several times.
2.7 Wet and Dry Vacuum:
If you own a wet and dry vacuum cleaner at home, you can similarly use this method to unblock a bathroom basin. Ensure the vacuum is set to liquid mode and its vent is suitably sealed to avoid difficulties. To optimize the vacuum’s suction power, ensure the discharge outlet is well-fastened. Old plunger heads may come in handy for this purpose. Change your vacuum setting to the highest level to get rid of any rubbish obstructing your drainage system
3. Conclusion
Don’t panic too much when the bathroom sink gets clogged. There are many things you can do to rid yourself of the blocking. Be sure to work carefully while handling chemically and instrumentally unsafe work.
If any of the things mentioned here make you feel, at the moment, that would be better done by an expert. So, this post will provide the know-how necessary to do just that and clear the blockage in your bathroom sink. If you have any questions or need help, please reach out.