Clearing a Clogged Sink Drain and Rescuing Lost Jewelry
by
ChickFix
3 Materials
20 Minutes
Easy
Ever dropped an earring or contact lens down the sink drain and thought it was gone forever? Chances are high that you can still recover it with this trick, and improve the drainage on your sink while you're at it. Watch the video for more details.
{
"id": "4635765",
"alt": "",
"title": "",
"video_library_id": "7105",
"thumbnail": "https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/2018/02/01/4635765/clearing-a-clogged-sink-drain-and-rescuing-lost-jewelry.jpg"
}
{
"width": 634,
"height": 357,
"showRelated": true,
"noautoplay": ""
}
Start by making a little room under the sink, and grab a bowl or bucket to catch any water that might come out of the drain.
The U-bend (also known as a "trap") at the bottom of the drain can be removed by hand. There are two "slip joint nuts" that hold the U-bend in place, and you can simply twist them loose.
When the U-bend comes off, it will likely be really gross. If you've dropped something down the drain, this is where it will land.
Ewww.
Clean the U-bend out before you put it back in place.
Replace the U-bend and tighten the slip joint nuts by hand.
You might also want to clean the stopper while you're at it.
To remove the stopper, you first must remove the pivot rod that lifts it up and down. You might need a wrench or channel locks to loosen it.
When you pull it out, it will likely be gross.
You should then be able to remove the stopper. It will be gross.
Clean that off, along with the U-bend, before putting back in place.
This picture depicts how the stopper and pivot rod fit together, but getting them together inside the drain can be pretty tricky. You'll need to play with it a bit.
Once you have confirmed they are attached, tighten up the bolt with a wrench or channel locks.
Resources for this project:
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?