DIY Drain Clog Prevention

Most people in Anaheim don’t give drain cleaning much thought until something starts to go wrong. While sinks tend to work well and last for a long time, there are a few common problems that people have with them that our local plumbers in Orange County see often:

Clogged Drain Repair

You don’t have to be a professional drain cleaning expert to tackle drain cleaning in Anaheim. DIY clogged drain repair doesn’t have to be complicated, but it doesn’t always go as planned. Read these tips to troubleshoot issues you may run into during your DIY drain cleaning in Anaheim.

Try Plunging

If your kitchen sink won’t drain, the first step is to take apart the p-trap, clean it, and maybe clear out as much of the clog as you can. When that doesn’t work, though, what can you do next?

If your sink has two sides and only one won’t drain, try plunging the stopped up side while holding a plug or cover down on the other side. This should move the clog, and covering the other side means that you won’t get splashed or sprayed in the process.

Plunging may not work, depending on the size and location of your clog. Before you go any farther, remove the water from the sink with a bucket and sponge, or with a wet vac. You will also want to lay down rags under the sink because the next part can get messy.

Remove The P-Trap

When your sink is prepared, get a bucket ready. Then, find your p-trap and remove it. Slip joint pliers are an easy way to do this. Put your bucket under the p-trap, because water may come pouring out. If water does NOT come pouring out the top side, that is good news.

Disconnect The Sink From The drain

Next, look for the tee fitting, which connects the two sides of your sink together. Remove this, and look inside. Many ties, this plastic fitting has a baffle inside of it. This can create a blockage if someone tried to put too much waste down the disposal at once. You can usually tap the blockage out, or use a screwdriver to remove it. If you remove a blockage, put the sink back together and test the drain to see if this was the problem.

Use A Plumbing Snake

If there’s no blockage or this doesn’t solve the problem, remove the p-trap again. Run a ¼” or a ½” cable snake into your pipe. Feed it slowly, so it is less likely to get stuck. You should feel it when it hits a blockage. Move it back and forth and in and out slowly, so the cable doesn’t bind. You may feel the blockage free itself, or you may be able to latch onto it and pull it out with the cable.

Whether you know if the blockage is free or not, don’t use a snake for more than 10-12 feet, or it may get stuck in your drain. Even if you didn’t feel anything move, put your sink back together after you get the snake out and try it again. You could have dislodged a clog without knowing it, and your sink may be as good as new.

Call For Professional Drain Cleaning

If you can’t get your sink to drain by this point, it’s time to call a plumber for professional drain cleaning in Anaheim. At Scott English Plumbing, we’d be happy to come out and figure out what’s going wrong with your sink. Call us to schedule your appointment in Orange County today!