by Bob Powelson

Created on: June 18, 2009

Clogged drains are a pain where one sits (sometimes quite literally). There are basically two types of drains in a home, large diameter and small diameter.

The large diameter drains are primarily the toilet and the primary drain system from the toilet out to the sewer line or septic tank. Most are 3" or 4" in diameter, although in some commercial or apartment buildings you could find larger lines.

The small diameter drains are the sinks, tubs and showers, and laundry drains. They are primarily 1 " and 2" lines. They will be the subject of this article.

Much has been written on Helium and elsewhere about how to clear a clog, and there are some thoughts on using plungers. I have yet to see anyone address the fact that if you use a plunger as directed you are applying only a small percent of the available force available from the tool.

Let's look at the small diameter drain, and a bathroom sink in particular, since this is the most common problem. There is a drain at the lowest point of the sink bowl. If there is a drain plug operated by a rod up by the water faucet, the FIRST thing to do is to clear that plug, since probably 75% of all bathroom sink problems are centered around the drain plug.

If the stoppage is not so bad that the sink is full of standing water, skip this paragraph. If there is standing water, either wait a while to see if it goes down on its own, or use a towel or large sponge to remove the water and flush it down the toilet. Squeamish folk might want to use rubber gloves. Get as much water out as possible. The more you get out now the less you will get in your face in the next step.

In my experience, the closer you look to the drain plug, the more likely you are to find the stoppage. For this reason, you should start with the drain plug and work your way down the drain line.

Clear out all the stuff hidden under the sink in the cabinet that has not been reorganized in years. You are going under there, so make room. I think that is one telling argument in favor of pedestal sinks.

Tools needed: Large pliers or medium size channel lock type pliers, a couple clean hand towels or rags, and a bucket or low dish pan that will fit under the drain pipes without tilting too much. A flashlight or small light of some sort may be needed, but do not to use a 120 volt plug-in lamp, as the light bulb may explode if water splashes on it, creating a serious risk of shock.

Ready? First, raise the drain plug and insert something

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