Battling Hairballs and Food Scraps: When to Call a Plumber for a Clogged Sink Drain

03/29/2021

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Clogged sink drains aren’t just a nuisance; they can lead to anything from minor leaks to burst pipes and serious water damage. The average bill for water damage is upwards of $10,000. If your sink is refusing to drain, don’t ignore the issue.

This guide will outline when to call a plumber for a clogged sink drain.

Potential Reasons Why Your Sink Is Clogged

First, let’s consider location. If you have a clogged kitchen sink drain, the most common culprits are food waste.

Kitchen

Trying to wash pieces of old food, coffee grinds, eggshells, and other scraps will almost certainly clog up the pipes. This is the case even if you have a garbage disposal.

Typically disposals have no issue grinding up a little bit off foodstuff; however, it can malfunction if you:

• Dump coffee grinds, eggshells, or other granular debris
• Don’t use enough water to wash down the waste
• Send down peels from potato, banana, or other fibrous produce
• Pour cooking oil or grease in the sink

All of these products have the potential to jam up the blades and prevent your sink from draining properly. If the garbage disposal hums when you turn it on, but the blades don’t move, this is a sign of a clog. You can try to remedy this by using a homemade solution of vinegar and baking soda.

Never put your hands down the drain of a sink with a garbage disposal. It’s not always a simple fix for homeowners. If you can’t clear the clogged sink drain with the baking soda-vinegar mix, call in a professional.

Bathroom

Typical reasons for a bathroom sink drain clogged are hair and soap scum. Soap scum doesn’t just build up around faucets; it can line the walls of your pipes. Here’s how to drain a clogged sink in the bathroom.

First, remove the stopper. This is your first glimpse into what the problem might be. Look to see if the plug is tangled with hair, coated with soap scum, or both. If hair is the culprit, you can use a manual drain snake to remove the clog gently.

Electric drain snakes are dangerous, as they can cause serious harm to you and your pipes if you’re not careful. This is why you should stick to a non-mechanical one. If the hair clog is too much for you to handle, get a plumber to handle it.

If the problem is caused by soap scum, try a ratio of baking soda to water to dissolve the buildup. Use no more than two teaspoons of baking soda once as more could damage the pipes’ system. Follow this by flushing the sink with hot water for a few minutes.

Soap scum, as well as hair, are difficult substances to unclog. A plumber knows the best techniques to tackle these clogs.

Additional Tips

Don’t use harsh chemicals like commercial drain cleaner. It’s a temporary solution that will unclog your drains, but it won’t relieve any plumbing issues. Excess use of liquid drain cleaner may damage pipes.

Be gentle with your methods. Avoid using building hot water in PVC pipes, and don’t use drain cleaners (homemade or not) excessively.

Recognize when a problem is out of your control. Clogs can happen anywhere in your home’s plumbing system, so you won’t always be able to fix the issue on your own.

Know When to Call a Plumber for a Clogged Sink Drain

These methods are useful for small plugs or preventing future issues; however, it’s important to know when to call a plumber for a clogged sink drain.

Contact us for help with all things plumbing, heating, and cooling in Stillwater, OK, and surrounding areas. Our qualified team is available Monday through Friday and for emergency services.

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