Just because your bathroom sink is clogged doesn’t necessarily mean you need to call a professional plumbing service. In this article, our expert plumbers will give you a few tips we like to share with our customers in Missoula Montana. With a little luck, you’ll be able to handle this common plumbing problem on your own!
What’s Clogging My Bathroom Sink?
Understanding what is clogging your sink in the first place can help you determine the best method for unclogging it. There are 4 common reasons a bathroom sink gets clogged. They are:
Clumps of Hair
When hair enters the drain, it clumps and tangles together, often getting stuck on the sides or on the drain’s components. Tweezing is a great method for removing hair from a drain if the clog is close enough. There is also a tool called a zip-it tool that is great for this common bathroom plumbing problem. If neither of these methods work, you might have to disassemble the drain. Many homeowners will call us at this point.
Soap Scum
Yep. General soap scum can build up in the pipes over time. In this case, pour a pot of boling water down the drain. Another option is to use baking soda and vinegar to dissolve the blockage. If not, you can plunge the drain with warm water.
An Object Is Stuck in the p-trap
The p-trap is the curved pipe beneath your bathroom sink that connects to the wall pipe. If something falls down your drain, it might get stuck in your p-trap. In this case, you must remove the pipe and clean the p-trap.
Damaged Pipes
Over time, rust, corrosion, and other common pipe damage can lead to a slow drain or a clog over time. You should replace rusted pipes as soon as possible. This is a bigger problem waiting to happen. Don’t delay. A small problem can turn into a bigger one if you are not careful. In the meantime, try a plunger.
Note: We recommend that you NEVER use a chemical drain cleaner.
If you’ve tried everything and still haven’t succeeded at unclogging your bathroom sink drain, then you’re probably dealing with a bigger plumbing problem. If you are in Missoula, we recommend calling your friendly GardenCity Plumbing professional!