Hey everyone! We've been living in our new home for less than a year, and we're having this frustrating issue with the kitchen sink drain. It keeps clogging up on us! We try using Drano, but it only helps for a couple of days before the water starts backing up again whenever we use the faucet for more than a few seconds. We're really careful not to put food scraps or grease down there—just soap and water when washing our hands or cleaning dishes.
Honestly, we're not the handiest people, so I'm wondering if this is a problem we might be able to fix ourselves or if it's time to call in a plumber. Also, the garbage disposal in our sink hasn't been working properly since we moved in. It was mentioned in the inspection, but since we mainly scrape everything into the trash, we didn't prioritize fixing it. Any advice on whether this is something we can tackle on our own or if we should get a professional involved?
3 Answers
If you suspect there's a common issue with your sink’s configuration, it's definitely a good idea to snap a photo of the plumbing under there. You can often DIY a new drain assembly or even install a new garbage disposal if you're up for it. Just be prepared to save some money by doing it yourself instead of hiring a plumber!
You might be able to handle this yourself! First off, don’t use Drano anymore; it’s not effective and can be dangerous. A good first step would be to remove and clean the U-bend part of the pipe under your sink. That's often where clogs happen. Just remember to have a bucket under it to catch any water when you unscrew it. If you don’t find anything in there, then you may need to call a plumber to check deeper down the line.
Good idea, but if you don't find any blockage, consider using a shop vac to clean out the pipe going into the wall. You might need a plumbing snake to go deeper!
Another tip is to use a drain clog remover tool—these are cheap and can really help grab hair and other clogs. If this doesn't solve your issue, you might be looking at a plumber to snake the drain. It could just be something stuck down there from construction debris, so it’s worth investigating!
Totally agree! Also, check out some YouTube videos for a visual guide before you dive into dismantling the P-trap. It can be pretty helpful to see what you're dealing with.