How to Unclog a Kitchen Sink

Dinner is just over and for once it's not your turn to do the dishes. You've just settled into your favorite chair with a nice drink and the long anticipated favorite show is warming up on your TV. That's when you hear that dreaded question. "Honey! Do you know how to unclog a kitchen sink"?

Darn it! Well you didn't want to watch that show any way, right? Lucky for you that there are a few simple steps to unclogging the works that are quick and will get you back to your show without missing much more than the opening commercials.

A 14th century Fransican Friar named Ockham came up with the number 1 rule for trouble shooting known as Ockham's razor. Applied here it would go something like " the simplest answer, no matter how unlikely is usually the correct one".

The simple answer here is that several chunks of some type have lodged in the "P" trap of the drain. All that is required is to use a Plunger, if you have one, to dislodge the chunks and let the forces of nature do the rest to clear the drain. Here is the proper way to use a plunger:

1. Seat the rubber suction cup end of the plunger against the sink and centered on the drain. You want to form a seal so be sure the drain isn't peeking out from under the suction cup or that no foreign matter is between the cup and the sink.
2. Slowly move the plunger handle downward to expel any trapped air or water. Quickly raise the handle creating a suction in the drain. Always use a plunger to create suction and never to force pressure against the clog. Forcing pressure against a clog will almost always make things worse.

O.K.! now the clog is gone and you can get back to the show. Elapsed time about 2 minutes. Oh ya, if you use your plunger in the toilet area, don't forget to sanitize the sink!

No? Your sink is still clogged? Oh well, on to Method 2.

We can now assume that your clog is compacted or stuck together with grease or maybe both. The next best method is to use a short drain snake to break up the material creating the clog.

Just feed the snake into the drain, spiral end first. Once you meet resistance use the handle end to twist the snake in order to auger through the material and hopefully break it up.

Once your through the clog stop twisting and pull the snake out to further aid in the break up of the stuck material. If the snake is not pulling out without a lot of resistance, then twist the snake.

Repeat as many times as necessary to clear your drain.

Apparently you have the same luck I do and Ockham's Razor has failed you.

It's time to break out the tools and do a drain-ectamy by removing the "P" trap or bend in your kitchen sink's drain line. It's not as hard as you may think and if you take a few precautions, there will not be a mess.

1. First take the time to clear the cabinet space under your kitchen sink.
2. Place a bucket or large tub under the offending drain. Just something large enough to catch the water in the drain line and sink.
3. Use a set of channel lock pliers or a large adjustable wrench to loosen the nuts holding the "P" bend section in place. Loosen the sink side first. It will work better in managing the water. Just loosen the nut enough to allow the water to begin to drain so that if your bucket gets close to being full you can tighten the drain nut to stop the flow of water and empty your bucket down another drain.
4. After loosening both nuts remove the "P" bend and begin looking for the clog. If water drained from your sink it most likely isn't in the sink drain pipe. Look down through the sink just to be sure. If you can see through the drain into the cabinet area then it's o.k.
5. Shine a flashlight in one end of the "P" bend and observe the other end for light. If there is no light then you've found the clog. Clean out the "P" bend and replace remembering to only tighten the nuts hand tight.
6. If your clog is down stream or beyond the "P" bend pipe use you snake to clear the drain pipe after the bend.
   

If you still are not able to clear your clog then it is time to call a plumber.

Now that you have cleared your clog and your kitchen sink is draining again, take steps to keep your drain lines clear. Once every couple of months add a liquid drain cleaner to your drain. Follow the instructions on the product for maintaining your drains. Remember a couple of ounces of liquid prevention will save you a lot of aggravation later on.