Information technology'south mutual for a household sink to become clogged upward, and sometimes this ways you lot volition need to remove the trap under the sink to remove the debris. In a but a few easy steps y'all tin accept your sink draining properly in no fourth dimension.

p trap kit

First, a few tips to try before removing your drain:

  • First, run some very hot water down the drain in an endeavour to clear blockage
  • If that does non work, try using a plunger in the sink - button downward slowly, and then pull up speedily
  • If these exercise not work, it'southward time to remove the bleed

Tools you will need to remove the drain: Saucepan, wrench or aqueduct lock pliers, rags, cleaning brush, masking or duct tape.

Step 1: First, locate the drain trap under your sink. The pieces you lot will most commonly see under your sink are: a tailpiece, slip articulation nuts, a "J" shaped trap ("J" bend), a waste arm and a section of pipage coming from the wall. Together, these pieces are unremarkably referred to as a "P-trap".

Step two: Place a bucket or dish pan under the trap to catch whatever water that might come out as the trap is being removed.

Step 3: Unscrew the slip joint nuts on each side of the "J" section of the trap. You may be able to practice this past hand, but if your plumbing is older, information technology is likely you will demand to use channel lock pliers or a wrench to loosen them. If you have a metallic or decorative finish on your trap, use a strap wrench to forbid scratching the finish. Or, you can use masking or duct tape on the within of your pliers to forbid scratching the cease. Another method would exist to identify a rag over the sideslip joint basics before using the pliers or wrench, and then that the tool does not come up in contact with the metal finish.

Step four: Once the slip articulation nuts are loose, go on to untighten them by manus and remove the trap. Remember to take your bucket handy! This is where it can become messy as there is commonly water in the bend of the "J".

Slip joint example

Step five: With the trap removed, y'all will find that in between the sideslip joint nut and trap there is an o-ring. Be sure to put these in a safe place as they are very necessary to seal the connection. Also, annotation the lodge these parts are in: the sideslip articulation nut volition go onto the tail piece then the o-band, then the threaded trap cease (same for the side connecting to the wall).

Step half-dozen: You tin stuff a rag into the pipe coming from the wall to prevent whatsoever sewer gases from coming up into your dwelling.

Pace 7: Use a bottle brush or other cleaning tool to remove whatsoever debris found in the trap. You tin also gently make clean the tailpiece coming from the sink, and slightly into the pipe in the wall to remove any "gunk" that may be nowadays. Information technology'due south as well not a bad thought to take the trap to some other sink and rinse it out, this volition remove whatever left over soap scum or residue that could contribute to some other clog in the future.

Pace 8: With all the parts cleaned up you can at present brainstorm to reassemble the trap. Again, noting the club the parts are installed: the slip joint nut will get onto the tail piece or wall pipe, then the o-ring, then the threaded trap end.

Step 9: Hand-tighten the sideslip joint nuts until tight. Use your wrench or pliers to tighten a quarter turn more than. Be careful of two things: Do not cross thread and do non over tighten! Plastic traps, especially, volition crevice if over tightened.

Helpful Tips

  • If you are looking to make this chore a fleck easier in the future, check out our Add-A-Trap catcher. These products accept built in features to preclude clogs and make it easy to retrieve items lost downward the drain.
  • Some traps have a cleanout plug on the bottom of the bend. To clean these types of traps, simply unscrew the plug and use a strong wire to snag and remove the clog. Be sure to have a bucket under the drain considering there volition be water in the bottom of the trap.
  • Some notice it helpful to identify a towel, or piece of masking tape over the sink and/or faucet to remind themselves and others not to apply the sink while unassembled.
  • We do not recommend pouring unsafe, unsafe to your health (and sometimes your pipes), bad for the surroundings, products into your bleed to articulate up blockages. Concrete removal of hair and other debris is best. The regular use of a safe production such as Roebic K-67 can help prevent slow drains and stoppages.
  • Unfortunately, there really is no substitute for manually removing a hair clog. Chemicals used to remove hair clogs are frequently inefficient and ofttimes result in manually removing the clog anyway. Non to mention how harmful they are. If you observe that a lot of hair goes down the drain in your household, you may consider purchasing a stainless steel mesh strainer for your lavatory, tub or shower. These strainers are an inexpensive, easy to clean way to help go along your bleed from clogging with pilus so frequently.
  • The higher up steps can exist useful not only for unclogging your sink, simply to retrieve items dropped down the drain.
Related Items & Data

Please notation the information provided here is intended to requite a basic knowledge of plumbing related repairs, troubleshooting, or purchasing considerations. This information is general, and may non suit all applications. If y'all are at all unsure of your abilities to complete 1 of these projects or have further questions most the information presented, please consult a professional. Always cheque with local code regulations and the proper authorities before get-go a project.