Every second person in his life has come across the fact that water remains in the sink and does not leave through the drain. This is not a very pleasant situation, which is called a simple word - "blockage".
To cope with such a difficult task, it is necessary to conduct a competent cleaning. Of course, you can call the plumbing, which will quickly eliminate the blockage, but you can try to fix the problem on your own, if only the blockage did not form in the sewer of the whole house.
Determination of the blockage
Before clearing a blockage in a sink, it is necessary to determine in which place a blockage has formed. In the event that a “traffic jam” has formed in your apartment, there are several ways to get rid of it.
To determine whether the problem is actually in your apartment, and not outside, you need to drain the water in the bathroom. If there the water goes into the sewer, then there is a congestion between the kitchen and the bathroom.
In order to eliminate the emerging problem, you do not need to buy special equipment. In urban apartments, it is much easier to eliminate the problem than in private houses, since their drain route is shorter.
To eliminate congestion, you can use a cable, plunger or a special tool that eliminates blockages.
Preparatory work
Before clearing a blockage in the sink, certain steps must be taken. First of all, it is worth checking the siphon that is connected to the sink. Unscrew the cover, which is located at the bottom. In order not to spill water on the floor, an empty bucket must be placed under the siphon. In this place, various kinds of garbage often accumulate.
The lid surface is thoroughly cleaned of dirt. Also do not forget about the siphon itself. Garbage and food debris can accumulate on its inner wall. To remove litter, you can use an ordinary stick.
In the next step, go to the flexible connector. To eliminate blockages did not entail a breakthrough of the "corrugation", it is necessary to use a rag. Sometimes the same actions are done with the shell itself.
Cleaning the sink with a plunger
First of all, you need to use the simplest way. Most likely, everyone has such an object as a plunger. To remove garbage, do the following:
- We remove the blockage in the sink. For example, hair and leftover food.
- We remove the filter plug from the drain hole.
- Overfill protection is best covered with tape or wet rags.
- Pour hot water into the sink.
- Apply a lubricant to the surface of the plunger. For example, petroleum jelly. This will ensure good contact with the sink.
- We install a plunger over the drain hole. It is important that when installing the tool, water displaces all air from the bowl.
- Quickly raise and lower the plunger handle. It is enough to make 15 translational movements.
- If the water still does not go through the drain, and the blockage in the kitchen sink remains, repeat the above step.
Cable sink cleaning
In the event that there was no plunger at hand, you can use the plumbing cable.
- We install a bucket or basin under the pipe so as not to wet the floor.
- Remove the curved riser. If it does not lend itself, you can use a gas key to help loosen the mount.
- We merge the contents of the bent pipe into a bucket. Also, one should not forget that the elimination of blockages in the riser is a rather important process. Garbage can be removed using a stream of hot water.
- We remove the horizontal pipe that connects the "trap" and the water supply. We put the cable into the hole until it rests.
- It is important to make sure that the obstruction to the plumbing fixture is a blockage, not a turn of the riser.
- The cable handle must be turned clockwise. Simultaneously with the turns, you need to click on the cable, trying to deepen it in the pipe. Once the congestion is passed, you need to make a counterclockwise rotation, and return to its original position.
- After making sure that the clog in the sink in the kitchen is removed, you must remove the cable from the riser.
- Having established a trap and a horizontal tube in place, we turn on hot water.
Chemical cleaning
A fairly popular way to clean blockages is to use chemicals. Congestion cleaning fluids are available on the market or in a specialist store.
Some believe that the effect will be greater if you use a large amount of cleaning agent. This is a wrong thought, which is also costly.
It is best to follow the instructions, then you can easily find out how to remove the blockage in the sink:
- First of all, it should be remembered that for each type of litter its own means are used. For example, to eliminate hair and soap, you need to use acid preparations. Before buying, consult with the seller.
- Chemicals are not recommended for cleaning sinks in the kitchen. Acid or alkali may splash out of the pipe and enter the surface of the sink. There is also a chance of contact with the skin.
- Frequent use of chemicals can destroy the sewer pipe.
- Before cleaning, open windows and doors to ensure that the room is ventilated. You should wear gloves on your hands, and a mask on your face.
- It is strictly forbidden to mix acid and alkaline substances. This may cause an explosion.
- After performing all the above steps, pour the substance into the drain hole of the sink.
- After a few minutes, open the hot water to check how much clogging in the sink has occurred.
Spiral Cleaning Machine
There is another way to clean the blockage, which is most effective. Small diameter pipes can be cleaned with special automatic equipment. Unfortunately, only a specialist has a cleaning machine. Of course, you can buy this equipment in the store, but it is very expensive and needs special skills in use. A person skilled in the art knows how to clean a blockage in a sink using a spiral machine.
In order to deal with pipe blockages as little as possible, it is best to use special filter plugs. Such items will not allow garbage to enter the sewer.
Sewer smell in the kitchen
Sometimes situations arise when an unpleasant smell is felt in the kitchen. Find the cause as soon as possible. Do not try to eliminate the unpleasant odor with fresheners and similar means. Otherwise, you can simply harm your health.
Causes of unpleasant odors in the sewer:
- First of all, you need to walk around the apartment. If an unpleasant smell is in all rooms, then the reason lies in the sewer of the whole house. This means that you need to contact the plumber. When the cause is eliminated, sprinkle all the pipes with bleach.
- Bad smell can occur due to trash in the siphon. The question is how to clean the sink from clogging. First of all, we get rid of hair and food residues that emit a bad smell. To do this, we disassemble the siphon and clean it.
- There are times when a crack forms in the pipes of cast iron. An unpleasant smell can come out of it. The crack can be repaired with cement, previously diluted to a consistency that is similar to clay. In the event that the pipes are rotten, they must be urgently replaced.
Conclusion
In order not to wonder how to clean the clog in the sink, you need to monitor its cleanliness. First of all, you need to get rid of garbage and food debris in a timely manner.
When cleaning the sink and pipe, pour as much water as possible. Thus, dirt will more quickly be removed from the walls of the riser.
As for private houses, it is best to clean by hydraulic means, since the length of the sewer system may be too large.
Timely elimination of blockages will reduce the likelihood that a tube will form in the pipe, which will prevent the drainage of water. Any of the above methods will help to clean up the sewer system.