How to Unclog a Drain – Get the Water Flowing Freely Again. Drains are not something you probably consider to be a large part of the functioning of a home.  However, when those drains quit doing their jobs, they become much more noticeable!  Before spending a lot of money on a plumber for your plumbing problems, consider trying to fix the problem yourself.  A clogged drain demands immediate attention.  Learning how to unclog a drain yourself will save you time and money.  Whether you need to know how to unclog a drain for your bathtub or kitchen sink, this article will guide you through without the use of harsh chemicals. Also see how to install a toilet yourself.

Three Common Areas for Clogs

1. Curved sections of pipes (traps) that are generally underneath sinks, tubs and showers
2. Internal passages within a toilet
3. Inside the main drainpipe leading away from your home

What to do BEFORE you Try to Determine the Location of the Clog

Perform a simple check.  Do this by running some water down the other drains in your home.  Do those drains flow freely?  If they are slow, you may have a more severe problem that is part of the system, instead of one or two pipes.

How to Unclog Drain – Steps for Sink, Tub or Shower Drains

The most common area for a drain to clog under a sink is in the trap.  Traps are installed to help keep sewer gases from getting into your home.   Unfortunately, these traps do not only trap in the sewer gases, they also trap a build up of gunk that goes down the drain.  Instead of reaching for a corrosive chemical to unclog your drain, try a more mechanical approach.  

Steps to unclog a sink, tub or shower drain:

1. Remove any strainers
2. Reach into the drain with your fingers and pull out any solids
3. If this does not fix the clog, get a sink plunger that has a smooth bottom surface.  Fill up the sink with 2 to 3 inches of water to form a seal around the plunger.  Start to gently plunge to minimize splashes of water.  Gradually start a more forceful plunge.  If this is successful, you will see dirty water disappear quickly. 
4. If problem continues after plunging, you will need to go below the sink.  Get a bucket that you can put underneath the trap.  If the trap has a drain plug at the bottom, remove it with a pair of slip-joint pliers.  If it is a drain-free trap, use a pipe wrench to undo the threaded collars holding the trap together.  Once open, water should flow out into your bucket.  
5. If water does not flow from the trap, you will have to poke a flexible wire up into the drainpipe to loosen gunk.  
6. If the wire does not work, you can use a drain snake (drain auger) that is a long, flexible, metal device that will bend around corners while you push it into the clogged drain.  Push the snake down the pipe.  Once you hit the obstruction, turn the crank handle and the snake will chew its way through.  

How to Unclog Drain – Steps for Toilet Drains

While a toilet does not have a trap, the toilet’s internal passages can act like a trap.  This is the most common area for a toilet to become clogged.

Steps to unclog toilet drain

1. Fill the bowl with enough water to seal around the rim of a toilet plunger.  Plunge gently and then work up to a more aggressive plunge.  
2. If plunging does not work, use a toilet snake.  This is like an ordinary drain snake; however, it is covered in protective rubber to prevent scratches.  
3. If this does not work, the clog is likely past the toilet.  Shut off water supply to the toilet and drain the tank.  
4. Remove the nuts that hold the toilet to the floor and lift the toilet.
5. Run the drain snake from the opening.  
6. If the drain snake does not work, there could be a blocked vent stack that can cause poor flushing because it forms a temporary vacuum within the drainpipes.  When fresh air is not allowed to replace the volume of water that moves through the pipes, a slow and ineffective flush action will result.   Generally, plastic vents are used and rarely get clogged.  However, old galvanized-metal stacks that are found in older homes can be clogged by rust.  Eventually they will close up.  Get on the roof and ram a steel rod down the vent pipe.  You will notice the blockage immediately.
7. If this does not work, rent a power snake to auger out the drain.

For chronically slow flushers, your toilet could just be old and need to be replaced.  Be sure to install a low flow model.  Learning how to unclog a drain can save you a lot of hassle and money.

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Comments (4)

• |2009-07-23 19:35:02 Pvilla48  - Kitchen Sink clogged up
  I have a two kitchen sink. when you open the water on one side it will flow on the other side and then began clogging both sinks. I open the trap under the sink and it's clean. Then I used a 25 ft snake encounter a little problem pushing the rod. Did couple of times and the auger caught some hair and some others. But still clog up. Whats seems is the problem
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• |2009-12-17 02:13:28 Mark  - bath skink drain clog
  I removed the trap, its clean, I snaked the trap arm to the stack and water jetted with hose and nozzel, it seems clear. I went on the roof and checked the stack, its clear, the toilet drains into the same stack no problem. When I put it back to gether it won't drain, not even slowly! Could it be air lock??
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• |2010-05-02 19:39:23 Anonymous  - re: Kitchen Sink clogged up
  d

  Pvilla48 wrote:

  I have a two kitchen sink. when you open the water on one side it will flow on the other side and then began clogging both sinks. I open the trap under the sink and it's clean. Then I used a 25 ft snake encounter a little problem pushing the rod. Did couple of times and the auger caught some hair and some others. But still clog up. Whats seems is the problem

  Pvilla48 wrote:

  I have a two kitchen sink. when you open the water on one side it will flow on the other side and then began clogging both sinks. I open the trap under the sink and it's clean. Then I used a 25 ft snake encounter a little problem pushing the rod. Did couple of times and the auger caught some hair and some others. But still clog up. Whats seems is the problem
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  ReplyQuote

• |2010-05-17 14:08:26 Randy  - Homeowner
  My washing machine drain will overflow.No other drainage problem. I went onto the roof and ran a snake (about 20 ft) down the vent, which did not help. Would a water jet be more effective??? Thank You, Randy
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