by Catherine Lear

Created on: April 22, 2009

You've just finished the washing up, pulled the plug and are about to sit down when you see your sink is slow to empty or is not emptying at all. Don't panic! Just follow these few handy tips and within minutes you could be sitting down with the family for that cosy night in.

So what's the problem?

If you find that your sink is slow to empty, there is probably a build up of grease in the trap and waste pipe. Or possibly a tassel of accumulated hairs or cloth fibres may be clinging below the grid on the plug hole. If the water will not run away at all, accumulated grease has built up to a complete blockage or something such as a bone or hair grip is obstructing the waste pipe. So what do you do?

It is always handy to keep the following tools and materials close at hand to help you to unclog this blockage. Caustic soda; petroleum jelly; a length of wire; sink waste plunger; adjustable spanner; sink auger or expanding curtain wire; bucket and length of wood.

Sink slow to empty

If the sink is slow to empty, smear petroleum jelly around the rim of the plug hole to protect it, then apply caustic soda according to the instructions on the packet. If necessary, clear hairs from the grid with a hook of wire, working from above.

Sink is completely blocked

If the water will not run away at all, place the sink plunger cup squarely over the plug hole.

Stuff a damp cloth firmly into the overflow opening and hold it there. This will stop the air escaping through the hole and dissipating the force you build up by plunging.

Pump the plunger sharply up and down. If the blockage does not clear, continue for a few minutes.

If plunging fails, put a bucket under the sink and open the trap.

To undo the access nut of an old bend trap with a spanner, steady the joint with a piece of wood held in the bend.

If the obstruction is not in the trap, use a sink auger to probe the waste pipe and dislodge the blockage.

Obviously prevention is better than the cure, so here are a few tips to stop your drain from clogging:

1) Buy a plug trapper. They are only a couple of dollars from your hardware shop and this will stop and food or large objects from going down your drain.

2) Never pour grease or fat down your drain. This is just asking for trouble. Always leave the grease/ fat to solidify and dispose of via your kitchen bin

3) Regularly use baking crystal soda to clean your plug holes and drains. Simply pour the crystals down your plug hole followed by boiling hot water. Do this every 2-3 weeks and not only will you not have blocked sinks but it will also keep it fresh.

If you follow the handy tips for keeping your plug holes fresh and clear then you should have no need to unblock the sink, however, if you do have a blocked sink and the above unclogging methods do not work, you will need to call in a professional plumber.

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