Slow and clogged sinks

Quick answer

Bathroom sink clogs are usually hair and soap at the stopper. Kitchen clogs are usually grease and food in the trap. Cleaning the stopper or trap often fixes it. Skip chemical drain cleaners.

Clogged sinks are one of the most common calls in Monterey Park households.

Bathroom sinks

Kitchen sinks

Grease and food build up in the trap and branch line.

Plungers

A cup plunger works on sinks. Block the overflow first.

The trap

Removing and cleaning the trap clears many clogs.

Deeper clogs

A hand snake reaches further into the line.

Bathroom stoppers

Pop-up stoppers in bathroom sinks catch hair and soap. On most, the pivot rod behind the drain can be loosened to pull the stopper out for cleaning. A plastic drain cleaning strip with barbs pulls hair from the drain quickly.

Kitchen grease

Grease poured down the sink cools and sticks to the pipe walls. Over time, it narrows the pipe and traps food. Wipe greasy pans with paper towels before washing, and dispose of grease in the trash.

Recurring clogs

If the same sink clogs again and again, the problem may be further down the line, at a branch connection or in a section of old pipe with built-up scale. We note where clogs recur and explain the options.

Double sinks

When one side of a double kitchen sink drains into the other, the clog is usually below the point where the two sides join.

Overflows

Bathroom sinks have an overflow opening near the top. Block it with a wet rag when plunging so the pressure goes down the drain.

Where the clog usually is

Bathroom sinks clog mostly with hair and soap scum, usually right at the pop-up stopper or in the P-trap beneath. Kitchen sinks clog with grease, food scraps and coffee grounds, which often build up further down in the drain line. Knowing which sink you are dealing with points to where to start.

Bathroom sink: start with the stopper

Most pop-up stoppers lift out, or come out after you loosen the pivot rod nut behind the drain under the sink. Pull the stopper, clean the hair and gunk from it, and fish out anything in the drain opening with a plastic barbed drain tool. This fixes many slow bathroom sinks in about 10 minutes.

Cleaning the P-trap

Our steps:

• Put a bucket and towel under the trap
• Loosen the two slip nuts by hand or with channel-lock pliers
• Remove the trap and empty it
• Clean it with a brush and check the washers
• Reassemble, hand-tighten, then run water and check for drips

Older chrome traps are thin and can crack or crumble when loosened. If yours is corroded, it is worth having a new trap ready before you start; PVC trap kits are inexpensive.

Kitchen sink grease

Grease poured down a drain coats the pipe as it cools. Hot water and dish soap may push a soft clog, but repeated buildup needs mechanical cleaning. A small hand auger, also called a drain snake, fed through the trap arm or the cleanout can break through.

If both sides of a double sink are slow, or the dishwasher backs up into the sink, the blockage is likely past the point where the two sides meet.

About chemical drain cleaners

We do not recommend caustic drain cleaners for full clogs. They often do not clear the blockage, then sit in the trap where anyone working on the drain gets splashed. They can also damage older metal pipes and some fixtures.

An enzyme cleaner used regularly helps with slow drains as maintenance, not as a fix for a stopped one.

Garbage disposals

If the sink with the disposal is backed up, check the disposal first. Turn off its power, then use the hex wrench in the bottom center of the unit to free the motor if it hums but does not spin. Many disposals have a reset button on the bottom. Never put hands inside the disposal.

When the problem is bigger

Gurgling in the sink when a toilet flushes, water rising in a tub when the sink drains, or multiple fixtures clogging at once all point to a blockage in a shared drain line or a vent problem. Those need a longer cable from a cleanout, and sometimes a camera inspection. Hillside homes with long drain runs to the street are especially prone to this.

Preventing clogs

Use a hair catcher in bathroom sinks and showers. Scrape plates into the trash, wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before washing, and keep coffee grounds and eggshells out of the drain. A kettle of hot water once a week helps keep a kitchen drain clear.

See also our shower head guide for hard water buildup in bathrooms.

Overflow holes and odors

Bathroom sinks have an overflow hole near the rim that connects to the drain. It collects slime and can smell. Pour a little hot water mixed with dish soap into it, then use a small bottle brush.

If a drain smells like sewer gas, the trap may be dry or the vent may be blocked, which is worth having checked.

Tub and shower drains

Tub drains clog the same way as bathroom sinks. Remove the stopper or strainer and pull hair out with a drain tool before reaching for a snake.

What our visit involves

We clear the clog, clean the trap and check for leaks. See clogged sink.

After a clogged sink call near Garfield Avenue, lunch is a bánh mì from Bánh Mì Hòa Phát.

Want us to handle it?

Call or text (626) 684-3505, Mon–Sat, 8:30 AM–7 PM. Send a photo and we will give you an upfront quote.

Call or text (626) 684-3505