Introduction: How to Unblock a Kitchen Sink in the U Bend
Kitchen sink drains can become clogged by a wide variety of objects. Such things as food particles building up, grease, and small objects can cause the sink drain to clog and become unusable. If this should happen with a drain in your home, there is no need to panic. While a plumber can come and do the job, it is also quite simple for those handy men and women who want to tackle the issue on their own.
Step 1: What to Do First
The first thing that should be done if the kitchen drain will not drain is to make sure the there are no obstacles inside the sink that can be removed to solve the issue. Maybe a small plate, a piece of silver ware, or even some paper got into the sink and will not successfully go down the drain.
This is an issue that is easy to rectify. Simply reach in and feel around the exterior of the drain for obstacles. If there is something there, remove it. The sink will drain and the issue will be fixed. If this does not fix the issue, the one must move on to the next step in clearing up the problem.
Step 2: The Second Step
The next step in solving a plugged up kitchen drain is to get any water that is in the sink out. One may want to make sure that they are not wearing their best clothing at this stage, for they may get dirty or ruined.
If the water will not go down the drain at all, use a bucket or scoop or cup to remove all of the water. After the water has been cleared from the sink, using a plunger a few times may clear up the issue. If the issue persists, then it is time to move on to step three.
Step 3: Clearing the Piping
If plunging, removing loose objects and emptying the sink will still not open up the drain, then it is safe to assume that the issue is within the piping. Many times, with a kitchen sink, it is the u bend where the problem exists.
The u bend pipe is at the lowest point of the drainage pipe system under your sink. Many times this pipe will not be able to extract many of the small food particles or grease that get washed down the drain. The items build up and eventually cause a blockage.
Step 4: Remove the U Bend Pipe
A simple pipe wrench will loosen the pipe and allow the individual to remove it. Once the pipe is removed, then it can be inspected for any issues that may be causing the drain not to work. Do not torque on the piping to hard, as it can break and crack causing an even greter problem.
While removing the u bend pipe is a rather simple job, many may choose to contact a plumber to get the job done. If the option is chosen to do it yourself, then once the pipe is off be sure to clean it fully. Get all of the debris and grease out of the pipe to be sure that when it is reinstalled that the issue does not occur again anytime soon.
Step 5: Check All Connections
Simply removing the u bend pipe and cleaning the gunk out of it will not be enough to assure that the issue is solved and will not happen again soon. One must also check the piping before and after the u bend to make sure that the issue that caused the clog does not also exist in those pipes.
What will need to be done is to remove all the smaller pieces of piping between the u bend and the wall under the sink. Be sure to check for any sediment or grease build up, and clean them as well if they are dirty. This will help to assure that the occurrence of issues is kept to a minimum.
Step 6: Putting It All Back Together
When it is time to reassemble all of the pipes, and all of the pipes are cleared of obstructions, be sure to check all of the seals before putting it all back together. The seals, or gaskets at every joint juncture can also leak if the gaskets are old, worn, or not there.
If the piping was really old, one may also need to replace the pipe as well. Make sure that everything is in good working order by assuring that wear and tear is to a minimum. It is far better to have to replace some pipes, a gasket, or even a joint or two than to have a clog turn into a huge problem.
Step 7: Use Care
When putting the piping back together, at first do not tighten down any of the pipes. This allows for some give and take when re-positioning the pipes back into their original positions. It also allows for the right angles to be acquired and for a perfect fit of every joint.
Once everything is in the right position, then go through an tighten the seals on the joints to be sure that there is no leaks. Again, do not overly tighten the pipes for this can also cause the seals to be harmed and leaks to happen. Once everything is all together again, do a slow test run on the pipes to make sure everything thing does not leak and the issue is solved. Stephen runs First Call Plumbers in Dublin.
