Why Wont My Snake Go Down The Drain
Once you insert your snake into the proper access point, begin to manually feed it down the pipe. Contrary to popular belief, the crank on your hand snake is not to uncoil it, its to rotate it. More on that in a moment.
Steadily continue to push your snakes line down the pipe. If you butt up against an obstruction, now is when you use your crank. First, engage the lock so your snake doesnt retract as you push. While continuing to push the snake forward, turn the crank. This will rotate the head so that it either breaks through a clog or finds its way around a pipe bend.
If your drain snake wont make the turn, keep trying. Snaking is as much an art as it is a science. It takes finesse and practice to navigate long lengths of pipe. You may need to spend a few minutes pushing and cranking before you reach the next section of pipe. If you dont make forward progress pull back a short distance and try again.
No Drano No Problem: You Can Unclog Your Kitchen Sink Without Harsh Chemicals
Here’s how to easily unclog the buildup in your kitchen sink pipes.
You’ve got a problem when you’re washing dishes and the water stops draining. That standing water means your kitchen sink pipes are clogged with food and grease and need to be cleared out. But that doesn’t mean you should douse your sink with Drano. We’ve have a few, easy methods that don’t require pouring chemicals down the drain at all but are just as effective.
An added bonus is that you may already have the items in your cabinets that you’ll need to get your pipes flowing again. Some methods require a simple mixture, while others require some extra elbow grease and suctioning power to clear your drain. But these methods are pretty inexpensive compared to calling a plumber.
Depending on how bad the clog is, you may need to follow all of these techniques and repeat them a few times to unclog your sink. And if your kitchen sink has a garbage disposal, try running that before you begin to grind any food that could be sitting in there . Here are the best ways to unclog your sink and send the stagnant, smelly water away.
If your kitchen sink isn’t draining, use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to clear it, or plunge it.
Popular Home Remedies: What Youll Need
Drain cleaners like Liquid Plumr or Drano often contain chemicals that are corrosive and harmful to the environment, so its best not to use them. Instead, try using natural remedies and the following life hacks to remove any debris. Youll need to have the following items handy: rubber gloves , baking soda, salt, vinegar/lemons , a coat hanger, a plunger, a mug or container for scooping water, and some large buckets. You can also purchase a gadget called a Zip-It, which is an alternative to using a coat hanger. Ideally, you will already have many of these household items lying around, but a quick trip to a supermarket or dollar store should do the trick.
Read Also: Underground Gutter Drain Cleaning Service
Clean The Sink Stopper
Sometimes the stopper of the bathroom sink may build-up residues, debris, and soapy lather around it. This will slow the draining of the sink. Also, hairs might circle it. Thus, when you experience a bathroom sink not draining, no clog, you must start by cleaning the stopper.
- Firstly, look underneath the sink to find the small rod attached to the stopper. It will also have a nut and clip. The clip attaches the small rod to the drain pipe.
- Use the pliers to loosen and remove the nut to detach the smaller rod. Then, squeeze the clip attached to the rod. It will release the smaller rod to lift the sink stopper.
- Remove the hairs around the stopper. Use an old toothbrush and soap to clean off the stopper properly before you remount it.
Melt And Remove The Sludge
If the bathroom sink is draining slowly due to sludge and toothpaste build-up, you need to melt the sludge to remove it. Sludge usually develops around the pipe to narrow down its mouth, reducing the drainage performance.
- As the stopper is removed, pour one cup of baking soda and white vinegar through the drainage line.
- Now, put a small rug over the drainage as white vinegar and baking soda react to bubble up and fizz.
- Wait at least 15 minutes until the fizzing reaction breaks down the sludge into smaller particles.
- Finally, pour boiling water through the drainage. It will remove the sludge. You need to pour hot water through the drainage for a couple of minutes. It will remove the last particles of sludge from the drainage.
Dont Miss: Pouring Boiling Water Down Drain
Don’t Miss: Clean Out Ac Drain Line
Directions For Plunging A Clogged Kitchen Sink
This method is best for standing water clogs. Always remember to use a kitchen plunger rather than a bathroom plunger to avoid the spread of germs. Follow the steps below:
If plunging won’t fix the problem, you have a few additional options available to you for resolving a clogged kitchen sink:
Inspect The Garbage Disposal
When unclogging a sink with a garbage disposal, confirm that the unit is not the problem as soon as possible.
- Turn on the garbage disposal. If the clog is in the disposal, running it may break it up.
- If the disposal is not running, check to see if it has overheated. Activate the reset switch at the side or on the bottom of the unit. Then turn it on again to see if this clears the clog. Check our guide on How to Unclog a Garbage Disposal.
Recommended Reading: Surface Drain Vs French Drain
Try The Plumber’s Snake
The clogs that put up a fight will require the strength of a plumber’s snake to battle the blockage. The tool has a coiled spiral snake that reaches down into the drain. Once the snake hits an obstruction, you can crank the handle to dislodge the debris and pull it out of the drain. Electric snakes pack even more power to tackle clogged drains.
If you don’t have a plumber’s snake, you can create a makeshift one with a wire coat hanger. Simply use a pair of needle-nose pliers to unwind the hanger into a long piece of wire. Keep the hooked end, as this is what you’ll use to grab onto the debris. If necessary, you can use the pliers to adjust the angle of the hook so that it can easily fit through the drain opening.
No matter which tool you’re using, simply feed it down the drain a few feet at a time. Try not to push too roughly, as you might accidentally push the clog further down the pipe. When you feel the tip of your tool hit an obstruction, hook it on and pull the debris up through the drain. Keep doing this until you feel confident that the blockage is gone. Run hot water down the drain to see if you’re right.
Make Prevention A Priority
Sink drain clogs are a normal occurrence, but there are some ways you can prevent them. If you have a kitchen garbage disposal, dont overload it. Feed items in a little at a time, and wait until they grind and run through completely before adding more. Make sure you use garbage disposal cleaning tipsto keep the appliance working properly.
Dont ever put bacon grease, coffee grounds, or oils down your kitchen drain or inyour garbage disposal. Also, always make sure you run plenty of water down the drain after each use.
Its important to know how to maintain and care for all of your home’s plumbing componentsand systems to keep things running smoothly.
Recommended Reading: Best Way To Clear Bathtub Drain
Vinegar And Baking Soda
A natural alternative to chemical drain cleaners is a mixture of baking soda and vinegar with equal parts of boiling water. However, if youve got PVC pipes, its best to skip this step because hot water could loosen the pipe seals.
Flush the drain with 1 cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of white vinegar. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes. Next, carefully pour 1 cup of boiling water down the drain. Repeat the process if necessary for stubborn blockages. The combined baking soda and vinegar will create a chemical reaction that breaks down fats and oils in your drain pipe and drain clogs clearing your blocked sink.
Will A Plunger Work For A Kitchen Sink Clogged Beyond The Trap
In mild clogs, a plunger will work because itll loosen up the food residue and grease, and the sucking motion will clear up the sink.
Plungers also work well for clogs in the drainpipe.
However, if your kitchen sink is clogged somewhere in the wall and its solid, the plunger may not work.
Itll still loosen the clog and make it easier for you to fix the issue, but it wont be enough.
In this case, youll need an auger or a plumbers snake.
It totally depends on how bad the clogging is.
Read Also: Leaking Drain Pipe In Wall
How To Snake A Kitchen Sink Drain
Answer
There are a few things you can do to prevent your kitchen sink from becoming a breeding ground for snakes. One is to make sure the drain is properly blocked by addingmaterial such as sand, plastic sheeting, or wire mesh to the bottom of the faucet. Another is to regularly clean the drain and outlet with soap and water, making sure to take care not to damage the plumbing. Finally, be aware of possible snake activity and take appropriate actions if you see them.
What To Do When The Kitchen Sink Wont Drain
If the kitchen sink stops draining, then you need to stop water from entering your home immediately.
Allowing water to access your home could cause the sink to back up.
Before you know it, water could be flooding your home.
It may even cause other drains in the house to back up.
Your toilet could back up and bring sewer water into the home.
The first precaution to take is to turn off the main water supply to your home.
Then follow these steps to figure out the reason behind the problem and fix it.
Recommended Reading: Yeti Roadie 24 Drain Plug
Reach For Your Sink Plunger
Keep in mind that the sink plunger is not the toilet plunger, these are two different pieces of equipment, and you should use the right plunger to handle your specific problem for the best results.
Take your plunger and put it in one side of the clogged sink. Take a washcloth or any rag and plug it into the opposite drain of the two basin sink . Begin applying some forceful pushes to one side of the sink and do this multiple times. Remove the plunger and the plug from both sides and see if the water in the sink begins to drain after this action. Run your garbage disposal and see if the water begins to clear.
If this does not fix the clog in your kitchen sink, try doing the same action again, but on the opposite sides. So plug the side you plunged with, and now plunge the side that was plugged before
If doing this step does not unclog your drain, you will have to try to remove and clean out the plumbing assembly from under your sink.
Try A Plunger To Push And Dissolve The Clog
When you take on the endeavor of unclogging your sink, most of the time, you need to get your hands dirty.
It would be best if you start by using the plunger.
Remember that a plunger is a tool that works through water pressure. And since were working with a double sink, the first thing you can do is block the unclogged drain with a rag. In this way, all the pressure you apply over the clogged sink will work effectively.
Remove the standing water from the clogged kitchen sink but leave enough water to cover the plunger cup.
Place the plunger cup over the clogged drain and make sure to establish a tight seal. Push the plunger up-and-down evenly six times, without loosening the pressure in the plunger cup.
Remove the plunger, and if water drains, youve successfully unclogged the sink. If there is still water in the sink, you need to try this process a second time.
Keep in mind that to unclog a kitchen sink is not rocket science. Instead, its more like a trial and error process. So, if the plunger tip didnt work, move down to the next tip.
You May Like: Best Drain Hair Clog Remover
Tips On How To Snake Your Own Drain
Posted by William Heinselman on Oct 28 2020
Whether you come across a clog in your kitchen sink or a back-up in a shower drain, it can easily put a damper on your day. The last thing you’re going to want to do is spend hours getting your plumbing back in working order. However, with a few simple tools, trusty methods, and a little practice, you can become an expert at doing away with pipe-clogging debris.
Learn how to snake your own drain just by following our DIY tips and fix your clogged drain in no time!
Why Is The Kitchen Sink Still Clogged After Snaking
When a kitchen sink is clogged, it becomes impossible to use it.
This is why you will look at a long list of solutions including taking out a drain snake to do the job. However, you might end up asking, why is the kitchen sink still clogged after snaking?
A kitchen sink can still be clogged after snaking because the clog is deeper in the drain. To fix this issue, go through the u-shaped trap under the sink. This will help unclog the drain from the inside when the snake does not work.
Its important to turn off the water supply when doing this. Otherwise, you are going to have significant water damage as the water squirts out.
If a kitchen is still clogged after snaking, its possible the issue is deeper. Sometimes, it might go all the way to another part of the drain, which means you will need a plumber to take a look.
This article will explain how to fix a kitchen that is still clogged after snaking it.
Don’t Miss: Replace Garbage Disposal With Regular Drain
Unblock A Kitchen Sink With A Snake
A Do-It-Yourself Guide
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
- Total Time: 30 mins – 1 hr
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Estimated Cost: $20 to $40
Unblocking a kitchen sink drain is one of the most common service calls plumbers make. Unlike tubs or showers, sinks cannot be snaked from above. Sink openings are designed to prevent objects from getting into the pipes. Even if the cable fits, the drain traps will make it difficult to get the snake though.
- Channel locks or pipe wrench
- Hand auger or motor-driven snake
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
Kitchen Sink Wont Drain Not Clogged
A common mistake that homeowners make is dumping grease, oil, and fats down the drain.
It may seem harmless, but this actually damages your plumbing.
Grease, oil, and fats turn into a sludge that sticks to the pipes walls.
As it mixes with water, especially if the water has minerals in it, the sludge thickens.
Eventually, the water cant pass through the drain.
There are a few ways you can keep sludge from forming in your pipes.
The easiest is to pour grease, oil, and fats in the trash rather than down the drain.
Another is to use a sink stopper.
Some stoppers come with a cage on the bottom that traps hair and other solids.
It can also be useful for limiting how much sludge enters the pipe.
Examining the stopper can also tell you if sludge exists in the pipe.
The stopper will have sludge on it, too.
There are also pipe-safe biodegradable cleaners that can eat away at the sludge over time.
Once the buildup is gone, the kitchen sink will drain again.
Don’t Miss: How To Unclog Basement Drain
Why Is My Sink Not Draining But Not Clogged
If your sink is not draining but not clogged, there could be several reasons why. The most common causes are a stopped up U-bend beneath the sink, a clog in the drainpipe, or a blockage in the main sanitation line.
First, you should check the U-bend. This is the U-shaped pipe near the base of your sink or tub that prevents things from entering the drainage pipes. If it is clogged with hair, dirt, food, or other debris, the water wont be able to pass through the pipe.
To fix this, simply unscrew the U-bend and clear out the blockage.
Second, you can check the drainpipe for clogs. To do this, take off the sinks P-trap and look for any blockage in the pipe. If you find anything blocking the pipe, you can try plunging, snaking out the clog, or pouring drain cleaner down the pipe to clear it out.
Lastly, if the blockage is not in the sink or drainpipe, it could be in the main sanitation line. In this case, you may need to call a professional plumber to have the blockage cleared.
In conclusion, if your sink is not draining but not clogged, its important to check the U-bend, drainpipe, and main sanitation line for blockages. If all else fails, call a professional plumber to help.