Sink not draining: kitchen and bathroom fixes

Kitchen or bathroom?

If Bathroom sink, slow for weeks

Hair wrapped on the pop-up stopper's rod. Pull or unscrew the stopper and clean it. That's the fix most of the time.

If Kitchen sink, after cooking

Grease and food in the trap or the line beyond it. Run the disposal, then clean the trap.

If Double kitchen sink, water rises in the other bowl

The clog is below where the bowls join. Block one drain while plunging the other.

If Sink and dishwasher both back up

Shared drain. Check the disposal's dishwasher inlet and the trap.

If Other drains are slow too

Not a sink problem. See drain backing up.

Fixes, in order

1. 1

   Clean the stopper or strainer

   Bathroom pop-ups lift out or release from the pivot rod under the sink. Kitchen basket strainers unscrew or lift out.

2. 2

   Plunge properly

   Use a flat cup plunger, fill the sink with a few inches of water, and seal the overflow hole with a wet rag so pressure goes down the drain.

3. 3

   Clean the P-trap

   Put a bucket under the U-shaped pipe, loosen both slip nuts by hand, empty and rinse it, then refit with the washers seated straight. Hand-tight plus a quarter turn is usually enough on plastic.

4. 4

   Use a hand auger

   With the trap off, feed a small drum auger into the pipe going into the wall.

Caution: If you've already poured a chemical drain opener in, tell anyone working on the sink and wear gloves and eye protection before opening the trap.

Why it keeps clogging

• Grease along the pipe walls

  Most common

  Tell: Kitchen sink clogs every few months.

  Fix: A cable opens it; jetting cleans the wall.

  Drain Cleaning →

• Poor slope or a long run

  Less common

  Tell: Island sinks and remodeled kitchens; drains slowly from day one.

  Fix: Re-piping the drain section.

  Kitchen Remodel Plumbing →

• Venting problem

  Possible

  Tell: Slow and gurgling with no clog found.

  Fix: Clearing or correcting the vent. See gurgling drains.