Have a bathroom sink draining very s-l-o-w. Plunger not helping.

May
by May

Need recommendations that don't use harsh chemicals. Just bought house barely 16 months ago. Any advice on how to unclog a bathroom sink?


  7 answers
  • 27524803 27524803 on Dec 11, 2017

    you did not say.. how old the house is... have you tried removing the trap under the sink... and cleaning out any hair or other goop that might be clogging it up... Youtube will have a video that will show you how...

    If the trap is clear... then the plumbing pipes in the wall may be corroded or blocked... you will need a plumber to deal with those.

    • See 1 previous
    • 27524803 27524803 on Dec 16, 2017

      If cleaning the trap out does not help... then you will need to have a plumber come out and send a camera down the line... you may have a blockage farther down, like tree roots in the line to the sewer or septic.

  • Amanda Amanda on Dec 11, 2017

    Hi May. Try putting baking soda down the drain and then vinegar. If it still doesn't clear up you may need to turn the shut off valve off and then take the pea trap off and clean out the pipe. Here is link to help you.

    http://www.dummies.com/home-garden/plumbing/clogs/how-to-unclog-a-sinks-p-trap/

    • May May on Dec 15, 2017

      Thank you much Amanda for the link. I will check that out.

  • If the house is a new build you are still under "warranty" - call your builder. If baking soda and vinegar do not work, here is a link. If that doesn't work, ou will need a plumber.


    https://www.thespruce.com/fix-a-slow-draining-sink-2718798


    https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/how-to-unclog-a-drain-without-chemicals

  • CJ CJ on Dec 11, 2017

    Hi May! I use baking soda, dump about 1/2 cup to 1 cup in the drain the best you can then slowly pour in about one cup of white vinager in the sink. You will get a boiling action as the two ingredients combine. Once all the baking soda has been washed into the drain with the vinager let this set for an hour, at least. Then pour boiling hot water down the drain. This should take care of the clog. If it helps but doesn't get it all, you can repeat the treatment.


    Or you could try my son's discovery, he had some mouthwash he didn't like so he poured it down the drain and walked away. Later he noticed the drain was flowing much better! I suggest buying the cheapest you can find if you want to try it.

    Good luck!

    • May May on Dec 15, 2017

      Hi CJ,

      Thank you for your suggestions. I will try the baking soda+Vinegar+hot water first.

  • Sharon Sharon on Dec 11, 2017

    I use Roebic Drain Cleaner, its an enyzmatic cleaner that won't hurt drains for septic systems. You mix with warm water and pour down the drain at bedtime and let sit overnight.

    Once a year in the fall when the rain starts and my drains start draining slowly, I use their Root Killer to kill the roots in my sewer pipes as I am surrounded by big trees. I get it at True Value or Bi-Mart in the Plumbing section.

    • May May on Dec 15, 2017

      Thank you Sharon for sharing your experiences. We just moved to Idaho. Don't have big trees in our yard here But I recall when we lived in CA it cost us $1,200 to call in plumbers to use high-pressure water jets to clear out roots growing into the cracks in our underground ceramic drains and clogging up the whole system. Back there we had 6 orange tree and 4 huge pine trees.


  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Dec 11, 2017

    https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=unclog%20drains

  • Ebbjdl Ebbjdl on Dec 16, 2017

    Put a cup of baking soda, down the drain. Next, have something to cover the drain completely. Pour vinegar down the drain, and fast cover the drain up. This will cause it to fizzle, keep it there for at least a minute, this should help.