Is your sink not draining properly? Should you attempt to do something or should you reach for the phone right away? The answer is: It depends. If you are having issues with your sink draining, here are 8 things to try before contacting a plumber and bringing in a professional drain cleaning service.
Boiling Water
One of the first things to try before contacting a plumber is boiling water. This works well if the clog is relatively minor. First, get rid of any standing water with a cup. Then boil some water on your stove in a kettle. Take that kettle and pour it down your sink. The water might not move, so you should wait for it to get cold and then repeat the process.
Salt and Boiling Water
Another version of the boiling water trick is to use salt and boiling water. First, remove any standing water from the sink and the drain. Then, pour 1/2 a cup of salt into the empty sink drain. Follow the salt with some boiling water.
Using a Plunger
Another of the things to try before contacting a plumber is to use a plunger. These are not just for the toilet. You can also use it to help unclog a sink by filling it up halfway with hot water. Put the plunger over the sink and plunge up and down fast. Then see if it’s started draining. You don’t even have to use a toilet plunger — you can get small plungers for a very cheap price.
Clean the Disposal
Sometimes, if the garbage disposal is stopped up, it can cause problems with the drain. See if there’s anything stuck in there and that the disposal is running as it should. If not, then you should look more at the drain.
Baking Soda and White Vinegar
Next on our things to try before contacting a plumber is baking soda and white vinegar. Again, make sure that there’s no standing water in the sink. Get a cup of baking soda and pour that down the sink. Then pour a cup of white vinegar and pour that in, too. Don’t be surprised to see a bubbly mix come up the drain. Cover the drain with a rag and then sit tight for 15 or so minutes. Then you can turn on the hot water and let it run.
You can also use baking soda and salt. Use half a cup of salt and mix it with a cup of baking soda. Pour the mixture down the drain. This time, you’re going to have to wait a few hours. Then you pour boiling water.
Drain Cleaner
While there are a lot of commercial drain cleaners out there, many have been proven to also damage your pipes. Instead, look into getting organic cleaners that are safer to use and can get the job done equally well. It’s one of the things to try before contacting a plumber.
Looking at the P-Trap
Look under the cabinet and find the pipe that is curved. Put a bucket under it and put gloves on. Carefully remove the curved part of the pipe, also known as the P-Trap, and empty it into the bucket. Check to make sure there is no gunk remaining inside. Use an old toothbrush or another object to remove it if there is. Then you can replace the P-Trap and see how well the water drains.
Coat Hanger/Plumber’s Snake
You can straighten out a wire coat hanger and see what you can get when you stick it down the drain. This is a rudimentary drain snake, which you can also buy at a hardware store. Both of them can get the job done quickly – though you might not like what you see when you pull the clog out.
In Conclusion
Be very careful when using any of these solutions. If it looks like the situation is worsening, like the sink is backing up even more, then you need to stop and reassess how things are going. If you try to do other fixes without the right knowledge or experience, you can make things worse which has the potential to cost you even more money.
If none of those 8 things to try before contacting a plumber look like they are going to work, then you need to bring in a professional. They will have a lot more specialized equipment that will get the job done. That alone can be worth the peace of mind.