Renovation Videos

Fix it, build it, learn it.

Unclog a drain

A slow or blocked drain is the most common plumbing problem in a house, and usually the easiest to fix. Work from the simplest method to the most involved.

  1. Clean the stopper and strainer. In bathroom sinks and tubs, hair caught on the stopper is the usual cause.
  2. Plunge. Use a flat cup plunger on sinks and tubs, and block the overflow or the second sink so the pressure goes down the drain.
  3. Clean the trap. Put a bucket under the P-trap, loosen the slip nuts and clear it.
  4. Snake it. A small hand auger reaches past the trap into the drain line.

Skip caustic drain cleaners, especially if you have a garbage disposal. The disposal maker’s instructions say not to use them. If the sink has a disposal, see garbage disposal humming or not working. If several drains back up at once, the problem is in the main line, and that’s a call to a plumber. Related: Sink won’t drain.

Videos

  1. Slow Bathroom Sink: Clear the P-Trap, Stopper Arm and Drain

    Step by step how toHome Repair Tutor · 10:09

  2. Clogged Double Kitchen Sink: Plunge, Unjam, or Pull the P Trap

    Step by step how toRoger Wakefield Plumbing Education · 8:23

  3. Why Both Sides of a Double Sink Clog: A T Fitting Diverter

    Step by step how toThis Old House · 3:34

Related topics

Follow a job, a problem, a room, a system or a tool.

Job