You don’t need a plumber (or a credit card) for this common problem, definitely DIY!
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What do you usually do when your kitchen or bathroom sink quits draining? Grab the bottle of toxic drain opener? Try the trusty plunger method? Pick up the phone?
Okay, here it is – possibly the biggest money and frustration saving DIY plumbing tip – ever!
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Forget both of those methods; instead grab a big pair of pliers (channel locks – if you don’t have a pair, get a pair now), a small bucket or pan, and a towel.
So, the sink is draining freely again -right? I’m waiting ——- still not sure what to do? Okay, here it is – possibly the biggest money and frustration saving DIY plumbing tip – ever!
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The most likely cause of the sink being clogged is the p-trap! Look at the pic below. The p-trap is the J-shaped piece, notice there are two – one on each side of the sink. One is connected to the disposal and the other is connected to the other half of the sink ( this is a double bowl sink). What if your sink only has one p-trap? Don’t worry – one p-trap is actually more common than two. A bath/vanity will only have one p-trap.
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Now it’s time to get that drain open. Here are the basic steps.
1: Place a towel in the bottom of the cabinet. Yes, it might get a little wet and messy.
2: Place a bucket or pan under the p-trap.
3: Loosen the two connectors that hold the p-trap in place. You might need those pliers for a little encouragement. Note-the connectors are called slip-joint nuts and should be installed hand-tight! Many people over tighten them with pliers, which can cause the p-trap to warp so it is no longer perfectly round. This can cause a the p-trap to leak. So, don’t over tighten the slip-joint nuts!
4: When you have the slip-joint nuts loose, water will start to leak from the p-trap – this is normal. That is why you have the towel and the bucket. Loosen the slip-joint nuts all of the way and gently pull the p-trap loose from the rest of the drain assembly. Note – there will be a washer below the slip-joint nut, it should stay in place during your repair. Pay attention to the direction it fits on the pipe – the tapered end should face the p-trap and the wide end should face the slip-joint nut.
5: Clean out the big glob of hair, potato peels, etc.
6: Re-install the p-trap, hand tighten those slip-joint nuts! Leave the bucket or pan in place and fill the sink half way with water. Pull the drain plug and check for leaks around the slip-joint nuts. No leaks? Perfect! Clean up and you are done. If you have leak – check the connections and ensure that everything is back in place. Make sure you installed the washers correctly. If you still have a leak, now you can use your pliers to gradually and gently tighten the slip-joint nuts until the leak stops.
7. Under NO circumstances should you use glue, tape, or caulking to seal the p-trap!
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Congratulations! You just saved yourself a lot of frustration and money!
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What do you want to know about DIY?
Do you have specific projects you would like to tackle? Not sure how to get started? Convinced that you won’t be able to get answers to your questions at the hardware store? Great! Tom wants to know.
Leave a comment or send an email to [email protected].
Check back to see if your question gets answered here at the Good Men Project DIY on Tuesday and Saturday.
Photo:Flickr/Granite Charlotte Countertops
Every parent should learn this! 😀 Fathers are meant to be jack-of-all-trades anyway. Great post!
My husband and I have been having a lot of issues with our plumbing lately. Every time we try to fix it, something else seems to go wrong! We are thinking about calling in a plumber to see if they can get things back in order. We will have to keep these tips in mind for the future, thanks for sharing!
I like that there are certain projects around the home that can be DIY-ed. That way, you don’t have to worry about spending money on someone to come and fix the problem. It would just be a waste to have someone unclog the sink, since it looks so easy to do yourself!
The good ‘ol under the kitchen sink area – an area I despise. Good ideas here, which I shoudl employ once that are fills up again. When we replaced our sink, everything went into a plastic bin in the garage and I’ve slowly been bringing things back in on a need-as basis. It’s only now getting cluttered again.
I like the hanging baskets, but do the hooks show on the front of your cabinets?
I am glad to know that this is such an easy and quick fix! My sink started doing this a few days ago and I haven’t really been sure what to do about it. When it comes to plumbing, I don’t usually trust myself with fixing things myself. These steps will be really helpful and I will be sure to call a plumber in case something goes wrong.
Great article. My mother was always great with plumbing; if there was a leak, or even if the toilet had issues, she could fix it in a jiffy! However, I feel like I haven’t been graced with such know-how, so step-by-step articles like this are great. I have to ask, though- what is the issue with using tape to seal it? I understand that it’s bad to only use tape or glue to seal it, but wouldn’t it just give an extra layer of protection to put tape on after you’ve tightened everything? Thanks.
Yeah, as easy as taking candy from a baby 🙂
plumbing should be done professionally, because so many things become worse when we try to take it into our own hands. However, these are a few things every Person should know how to do before calling the plumber.
Thanks for this! I’ll have to pick up a pair of channel lock pliers. I didn’t realize how easy this really is. Just as you described, you’ll save me a lot of frustration and plumbing expenses.
Great article, Tom! Thanks for sharing this with us—it has been very informative and enlightening! I’ve always wanted to learn more about plumbing, so I’m glad I stumbled upon your post! My drains are ALWAYS getting clogged, so I’ll be sure to look into the p-traps; although, I’m sure that might get dirty! If that turns out not to be the problem, do you think I should hire a plumbing service?
Getting a bucket under the trap is super vital! I made that mistake of not following that step one I was doing some repairs. The cleanup was my lesson and reminder to never forget it again. Great post Tom!
Great advice on how to fix a plumbing problem, In most cases it is sometimes easier and quicker
to purchase a bottle of a branded drain unblocker. this works great in a shower area.
for kitchens I agree with the article, do not attempt this if you are uncomfortable with the task
Thanks for the instructions! Usually when cleaning these kinds of things there tends to be a really bad smell in the house after. Is there any product you suggest that helps with that smell?
There are plumbing issues that you can definitely DIY. Before doing anything by yourself though, make sure that you are knowledgeable enough on the issue.
This is a solid tutorial on how to do a quick plumbing fix. It’s really amazing and disgusting what kinds of things get stuck in the p-trap. Unfortunately, I just tried this method on my sink, and it doesn’t seem to be doing a whole lot. I’m beginning to suspect I’ll need to call a plumber.
I must admit that I’ve had most of these problems at my own home. Having plumbing issues can be such a hassle. You’re right, they always seem to happen at the worst of times. It’s always good to have a plumbing service handy.
I think points two and three of this post go together well. Over-tightening the slip joint nuts could cause the p-trap to link, so in case it does, it’s important to have a bucket or trap underneath it to catch all the excess leakage. Making sure it is in place before starting to work on any plumbing can help save clean-up time.
Thanks for the great tip, I hate having clogged drains. Hopefully my husband and I will be able to take care of this in the next few days, otherwise we really will need to just call a plumber. I don’t want to put it off much longer.
I recently panicked when my sink wasn’t draining. The water continued to fill up with a cold mess of food and whatever was in there. What you listed here about the p-trap seems really simple to repair. If it happens again, I will use the steps outlined with the tools I need to loosen it. If not, I will just have to find a plumber for my emergency.
Thanks for the information. It’s so good to know that there are plumbing issues that can be fixed by yourself. With that being said, I have a few issues with my own home that can’t be fixed by me. I guess it’s time to hire a professional to come take a look.
Wow, I didn’t realize that something like this could be so simple. We have been calling a plumber for things like these my whole life. If only I could of learned how to do it myself earlier then I could of saved some money. This was fun to read. Thanks for sharing.
Nice blog post for solving the common plumbing problem itself.
Thanks for sharing this tip on clearing out a sink drain! Lately, I noticed that it has been pretty slow when draining, and I don’t want the problem to get any worse. I’ll be sure to find that old pair of pliers and see if I can find any clogs in the drain. If doing this doesn’t fix the problem, however, I’ll definitely be hiring a professional.
I’ve always had a problem with my sink draining freely. It’s good to know a tip to help me fix this problem that I can do on my own. I didn’t know that it’s as easy as loosening the p-trap, cleaning out whatever comes out of it, and re-installing the p-trap. That seems easy enough. I’ll be sure to try that out.
Thanks for the tips! It’s good to know that it’s possible to fix those things can be fixed by yourself. Sadly, some of the plumbing issues in my home can’t be fixed by a novice; I think it’s time to hire a professional plumber. Hopefully he’ll be able to figure it all out. Wish me luck!