One of the most frustrating moments in any homeowner’s life is when you’re doing dishes and the water in your kitchen sink just won’t drain!
While many people will first turn to damaging products like chemical drain cleaners, those can lead to more harm than good as they gradually burn through your pipes.
The next logical step is to call a local plumber for help. While we’re always ready to answer that call, there are DIY ways that you can unclog your kitchen sink before bringing in a licensed plumber.
Let’s review simple steps you can take to get your sink water draining and make you feel like “homeowner of the year!”
Clear Out Your Garbage Disposal
If your garbage disposal gets clogged, then your sink will not drain properly. If your kitchen sink has become an indoor swimming pool, step one is to check your garbage disposal.
Do not stick your hand downt the drain and risk injury. Instead, turn on the garbage disposal and run it for a couple of minutes to see if the food inside breaks up on its own to clear out the clog. Next, run the faucet’s hot water to wash out the debris from the drain.
If that fails, and the sink is still too full of water, the clogged drain requires a plumber’s touch. Garbage disposal repairs have successfully resolved many kitchen sink clogs, and our experienced plumbers are ready to help you make your kitchen sink fully functional again.
Pull Out the Sink Plunger
We stand by our opinion that a sink plunger is one of the most important plumbing tools
a homeowner can own. If you’re experiencing a tough clog, a sink plunger could be the key to your success.
Sink plungers are smaller than the average toilet plunger, so will create a more effective seal for your sink’s drain. Plunge vigorously for 20 seconds. If you hear the clog clear and pull up to see your water draining, your plunging was successful!
However, if you still have an issue, it’s safe to keep plunging a bathroom sink, but you should be wary of too much pressure on your kitchen sink’s clog. Your kitchen sink’s drain traps aren’t a permanent connection like your bathroom sink drain traps. Too much pressure from plunging could result in a leak.
Pour Boiling Water
Running boiling water down a kitchen sink can help clear a clogged drain. Boiling water can dissolve and break down organic matter and grease that could be causing a blockage.
By “boiling water”, we mean scalding hot. You’ll need to boil water in a pot on the stove to perform this fix. While your water boils, remove as much standing water as possible from the kitchen sink with a cup, bowl, or shop vac.
Once your stovetop water is boiling, pour it directly down the drain and wait a few seconds. If it goes down, the clog is clear; if not, it’s time to contact the professionals.
Tough Clogs May Need a Plumber
Beyond these 3 ways to unclog a kitchen sink yourself, tough clogs quickly may need a plumber to solve.
Our plumber will safely snaking a drain to remove your sink’s P trap and get rid of a clog. Do not try an in-depth fix like this on your own. You will damage your sink.
The team at Plumbing Dynamics has experience unclogging even the most stubborn sinks and can get your kitchen sink flowing at a price that won’t break the bank.
Schedule your free estimate today to say “goodbye” to whatever lurks in your pipes!
