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How To Unclog A Sink

How to unclog a sink

Over time, it will happen to you that a sink will clog you. If only this sink looks clogged – Αποφρακτική Αντωνίου – and you don’t have a problem with another sink, toilet or drain, then the problem is probably local to that particular sink and is not about your home’s main sewer line. So how do you get rid of it in the right way and also what to do if the blockage proves to be a little more persistent?

Required tools and materials

  • piston obstruction or cupping rubber 
  • small towel or sticky tape 
  • obstructive spiral sink (for persistent cases) 
  • Pliers or collapsible crab (possible use of) 
  • bucket (possible use) 

How to clogging a clogged sink

Most clogs (apofraxeis) in sinks and bathtubs are due to a combination of hair or food debris along with soap scum and lukewarm water. If you have metal pipes, then hot water is the first thing you can try to rinse your sink. And when I say hot water, I mean the water reaches hot, boiling point, at the bottom of the pipe.

Hot tap water will not help and will not solve your problem.

NOTE:  Do not pour boiling water directly into the porcelain sink, but into the duct, and do not use hot water if you have plastic PVC pipes, as water above 80 degrees Celsius can soften some types of PVC pipes, possibly cause the joints to loosen (and consider that the water boils at 100 degrees Celsius). Try to clean the plastic pipes using a blocking piston or a suction cup.

  • Put in your kitchen a large pot with about 3.5 – 3.5 kg of water and let it boil or you can use a water kettle. 
  • Carefully transfer the pot of boiling water over the clogged sink. 
  • Slowly pour boiling water into the mouth of the drain (not directly on the porcelain) and see if the blockage problem is eliminated. 
  • If not, go to the next step, where you will need a suction cup.

Try to unplug using a clogging suction cup

The simplest way to release the siphon is to block it with the traditional plumbing suction cup or with the more modern, suction pump.

There are two sizes of suction cups. It is important to use a different suction cup for the sinks and a different one for the toilet. Choose the size that best fits the place you want to use it, but also for hygiene reasons. You should not confuse them and use them alternately.

  • First, if it is the bathroom sink, close the overflow outlet located at the top of the sink by placing a piece of cloth in the opening or covering the hole with a wide adhesive tape.

NOTE:  If you have previously used boiling water, it is best to add a little cold water now, because hot water can cause water vapour to appear around the overflow hole and reduce the durability of the adhesive tape, leaving it unstable. in place and come off.

  • For best results, also close the opening of the bathtub with tape or a lid if it is in the same area as the clogged sink. 
  • If it is a kitchen sink or something similar, remove the strainer net, the mesh basket. 
  •  If it is a toilet wash, remove the drain cap. Lift and remove it or rotate and lift it. 
  •  Fill the clogged basin with water to the middle.
  • Place the part of the suction cup, which looks like a round cup, over the drain hole and make sure it fits well on the surface of the sink.
  •  Upper and lower the suction cup with quick and sharp movements, causing a violent pushup and down. By applying the suction method and with the power of water, you will detach the dirt from the pipe. Find out if this method works by periodically checking the drainage of the pipe or the water level in the sink. 
  • After cleaning, open the overflow outlet and reinstall the drain cap or the sink’s mesh basket. 
  • If the problem persists, proceed to the next step.

Persistent clogged sink, try the blocking spiral

If it does not overflow with the use of the traditional suction cup, the next step is to try a hand-held block or spiral lock, which is available in various lengths from 4.5 to 15 meters.

It is not difficult to handle, but care must be taken not to damage the pipes with excessive strain.

  • Remove the sink cap and extend the shut-off coil to the drain. When you feel that something is blocking his path, gently pull him out. 
  •  Try again and apply soft pressure. 
  • Extend the spiral to a greater depth until you feel that you have reached the barrier point. This should work if the blockage is at the top of the pipe. 
  • Repeat and then rinse with warm water from the tap, as the water begins to flow unhindered. 
  •  If the length of the spiral you have used is greater than the distance between the mouth of the sink and the siphon, then the block is located after the siphon. To get rid of it, you need to remove the siphon, trap odours and debris.

If the plug persists, it needs a little more work, but no more difficulty. You need to solve the siphon to find out the problem and clean, repair or replace it.

The siphon

You will need to disassemble the siphon and clean its walls with a brush and hot water, perhaps some greasy detergent. Disassembly of the siphon is also necessary when the plug is located further in, ie the siphon, in the direction of water flow. In this case, the most suitable tool is the blocking spiral.

  • Place a bucket or basin under the sink siphon to collect the running water when you release the siphon 
  •  Unscrew the two rings, the two valves between which the sink siphon is located, with the pliers or crab. To protect the rings – washers, cover them with a cloth before grabbing them with the crab. Note how the plastic washers you unscrew are oriented 
  •  Drain the water from the siphon to the bucket. Water will also run from both ends of the pipe. sewer. 
  •  As in the previous step, the blocking spiral extends to the flat part of the pipe. Gently pull out. 

What about chemical barriers?

Do not use them. Chemical cleaners are neither environmentally friendly nor sewer pipes (apofraxeis Athinas) and generally the hydraulic system. Also, they can be very dangerous to use. I highly recommend using the technical cleaning instructions described in this guide instead of caustic chemical cleaners.

Chemical cleaners are rarely effective in persistent conditions. After a failed chemical cleaning attempt, you will be left with a sink full of toxic chemicals that you will have to remove by hand in a bucket and then throw in the toilet.

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