After a long day at work, you get home and are ready to eat a comforting meal and put your feet up. However, when you get to the kitchen, something is not right – there is an extremely unpleasant smell coming from the sink. You’ve decided to run the tap for a while and the water is taking a good few minutes to drain plus, there is this strange gurgling sound… We’re afraid you have a blocked sink.
We know this is the last thing you wanted to worry about when you got home, but you’ll have to do something about it. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to tackle this problem.
- Get out the plunger.
Guess what? This is the perfect moment to use that plunger that you thought you throwing out a couple of times because you haven’t used it since you’ve bought it. Dig it out from your appliances room and get to work.
Place the plunger over the plughole in your sink and cover with water to create an airtight seal. Grip the handle with both hands and pump it up and down – this will suck the air out of the pipe and force it back in. Fill the sink up and if it drains quickly, you know the blockage is clear!
If you don’t have a plunger and it’s too late to go to your nearest shop to get one, move on to the tips below.
- Blast it with water.
A high-pressure blast of water might be able to push out whatever is blocking the sink. Simply take a 2-litre drink bottle and fill it with warm water. Tip it upside down and place the open end down the plughole. At the same time, quickly squeeze the bottle to force the water out of the bottle as fast as possible.
- Use a drain cleaner.
If the plunger and the water pressure didn’t work, it might mean that the blockage is dense and greasy. This means that you’ll need something to break it down.
There are many chemical drain cleaners which work wonders, however, if you don’t have any at home or have no time to go outside to purchase one, you might have to use some items which you’ll find in your kitchen cupboard.
Add two teaspoons of baking soda to a cup of white vinegar, then pour the mixture down the plughole. Leave it for a few minutes and then flush the blockage with some hot water.
Pour some bleach through the plughole at night before going to bed and then flush it with hot water in the morning.
- Clear out the blockage by hand.
Be aware that you’ll have to get your hands dirty for this one plus, a tough stomach will definitely help. If you are not happy doing this job, give the Squad a call on 0800-0 12 12 12 and we’ll be there in a jiffy.
If none of the methods above have worked, you will have to dive into your kitchen cupboard and wrench off the U-bend of the sink to clear it out by hand.
Firstly, put on a pair of rubber gloves and put down some old towels and a bucket under the U-bend.
Then, use a wrench to slowly unscrew the threaded caps from each side of the U-bend.
Take the U-bend and any dismantled bits to another sink or outside tap. Clean them thoroughly. A wire coat hanger can also help to clean out the inside of the pipe.
Finally, re-attach the U-bend and run the tap to make sure everything you’ve just fitted is watertight.
Still have a blocked sink? Maybe it’s time to call a professional. Our London plumbers are experts at unblocking all plumbing fixtures, from unblocking basins, unblocking baths to unblocking showers and unblocking sinks. Call today on 0800-0 12 12 12 or request a free quote by filling our online form.
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