Start simple
- Remove the drain stopper and clear hair by hand or with a plastic barbed strip.
- Pick the right plunger: flat cup for basins, the flanged kind for a toilet bowl.
- For sinks, block the overflow hole with a wet cloth while plunging.
- Set a pail beneath the sink, unscrew the U-shaped trap and rinse it out.
Avoid harsh chemicals
Caustic drain cleaners can damage old pipes, burn skin and make the job dangerous for whoever opens the drain next.
When to stop
- Several fixtures are slow at once
- Water backs up into a floor drain
- The clog returns quickly
These point to a main line problem.
Hand augers
A small hand auger can reach a little further than a plunger. Feed it gently and do not force it through bends.
A wet-dry shop vacuum set to liquid can also pull a clog back out of a sink or tub drain, especially hair and small objects.
In a bathroom basin, the usual culprit is a wad of hair wrapped around the stopper linkage. Pull the rod out from behind the drain, lift the stopper and clean it before reaching for any tool.
Rather hand it over? Our plumbers handle burst pipe repair and faucet repair & replacement along with everything else on our residential plumbing list.