Clogged drain? Try these tricks

In the kitchen, few things are more annoying than a clogged sink. Even if you don’t rely on it to wash dishes, proper drainage is essential to rinsing plates, cleaning vegetables, and washing your hands.

Unfortunately, it’s only when you can’t use a sink that you realize how much you depend on it. But don’t despair. With a little ingenuity, you can un-stick the trapped food (or whatever foreign object fell down there). You may even acquire some DIY skills in the process.

Home remedies

Los Angeles residents seem to be especially crafty when it comes to home projects. From Downtown to Santa Monica, most of us at least have a working knowledge of the inner workings of our households. So when you encounter your clogged drain, you can most likely follow your intuition.

In lieu of starting with store-bought products, try some simple home remedies. White vinegar is practically a one-size-fits-all homemade solution to cleaning, and it works here too. Combine half a cup of it with half a cup of baking soda and pour it down your sink. After a minute, chase it with some boiling hot water. The fizzing solution in conjunction with the hot H2O should cut right through the clog.

Trap the problem

If white vinegar and baking soda doesn’t work, and simple plunging can’t cut it, then you may have to get your hands dirty – literally. Under the sink, place a bucket beneath the curved pipe that’s attached to the sink. This will come in handy when you detach the trap, and all of the residential gunk pours out.

Next, using a wrench, unscrew the trap, which is the curved section of the pipe. Some water will most likely drain into the bucket. Check the pipe for any obvious clogs. Remove them and inspect for any other debris that may lead to another backed up sink in the future. Once you re-affix the trap, try running the water again. If the sink still overflows, then your problem will require a more complex solution.

Call a pro

Most of us probably don’t have plumber’s tools handy. Wrenches, hammers and nails, sure. But a cable auger? Not very likely. This is probably a good time to contact a professional. For the best plumber Los Angeles has to offer, call Fiskit Plumbing. We have all the tools necessary to fix your stuck drain. Whether it’s your kitchen sink or bathtub, we have both basic and sophisticated ways of getting your water flowing again. If it’s a deep clog, we can run a snake down into the pipe, locate the problem, and pull it out. Additionally, we have minimally invasive methods of getting behind your walls in order to examine your pipes. That clog doesn’t stand a chance.