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There is a series of tactics to try when your sink is
stinky or clogged. First off, try putting Drainbo down
the sink, (remove the trap and plug the bottom of the
drain so Drainbo can sit in the pipe drain awhile and
work its magic). Because Drainbo tends to eliminate
things like scum, it may resolve the clog and the
problem. But if it's a big problem clog, you might need
to take apart the pop up assembly to get the gunk off of
it. Sometimes the metal stopper can be pulled out of
the sink without any extra tools, which is great,
because you may be able to use a screwdriver to break up
the clog and either pull it out or get it small enough
to wash through the pipe. If you can't pull it out, make
sure it's in small pieces before you try to wash it
away, or you may wind up with a clog even further down
the drain. This is important: if your sink is old, the
plumbing behind it may be old too, and metal pipes may
be thin enough in places to jab a wooden toothpick
through their walls. If your pipes are metal and old,
you can do some serious damage if you're jabbing away
with a screwdriver. So, be careful, work at the clog
patiently, and keep the screwdriver from poking against
the sides of the pipe.
Once you push or pull the clog out, run the hottest
water you can find through the drain to finish cleaning
it out.
If the stopper doesn't come out when you pull it, it
may be attached to the pop up assembly, and you'll have
to unscrew the rod. You can find it under the sink: it
has a big nut on the side, so get your wrench or a pair
of pliers and unscrew the nut, which will then allow you
to pull the pop up rod free of the sink. You might need
to bend the place where it's attached to get it free,
but you can bend it back when you put the sink back
together.
When you're doing this work, you may encounter a
variety of small metal or rubber rings, called washers.
Washers are used when parts join one another, and their
job is to make the connection tighter, preventing leaks
and keeping parts right up against each other. If you
lose a washer or forget to put it back where it belongs,
you're going to wind up with a leak. And if you haven't
done plumbing or other mechanical tasks before, this is
a good time to cover what experienced mechanics do
automatically. When you start to take things apart, lay
them out on a piece of newspaper in the order in which
they were removed. That way, when you aren't sure
whether to put the widget before or after the
thingamabob, you'll be able to see which comes first.
And if you have to remove parts to clean them or replace
them, you may even want to take notes, so keep a pencil
and paper handy too.
Once you've got the pop up assembly apart, use a wire
brush and some oxygen bleach to scrub off the pop up and
various bits and pieces, including as much of the trap
pipe itself as you can get to. (Never use chlorine
bleach to clean your gunky plumbing—it can mix with
soaps or other chemicals and create a dangerous gas). If
you really have your act together, you can add some
lubricant to the pop up assembly once you've put it back
together—use plumber's grease. Put it on the rod where
it attaches to other parts, and spread a little on the
seals and threads of the pipes. Your pop up stopper will
work smoothly and you'll have an easier time the next
time you take the pop up apart. Once you've got the
whole thing back together, make sure you have replaced
and tightened the nut at the underside of the sink, or
you'll wind up with a floor full of water when you start
to flush the drain. Run a little water down to sink to
make sure the nut is holding tight, and then pour plenty
of hot, hot water down the drain. This helps any little
bits of gunk that you dislodged but didn't remove to
slide down the drain.
Low flow sinks and toilets are great because they
save water, but they can be prone to clogs because they
don't have the pressure gallons and gallons of water
rushing through them whenever they're being used. If
you're having continual problems with clogs, you may
want to waste a little water and really give your sink a
good flushing out once a month or so. Pouring some
Drainbo down the sink will help keep your drains clean
and clear, as much of the debris that would otherwise
settle on the sides of the pipes will be digested by the
microbes in Drainbo. Once the waste is made very small
and broken into its organic components, it will tend to
liquefy and move on out as wastewater instead of taking
up residence in your drains.
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