A Ruston home repair that demands immediate attention is a clogged sink. Should a person not deal with this immediately, it could cause even more problems. It is not always a simple thing to fix, but there are effective methods available.
Plunger
One of the most common and popular tools for unclogging a sink is a plunger. If the cause of a blockage is not too far down into the drain, this will work well. Professional plumbers will block the overflow holes in drains in adjacent sinks. If there is not water in the clogged sink, they may put an inch or two of water in it before using the plunger.
The water helps eliminate the obstruction and makes it possible to know when the blockage is removed. Plumbers may also put a thick layer of petroleum jelly on the rim of the plunger. This helps create better suction. When the blockage is cleared, they will run some hot water to remove any remaining particles.
Sewer Snake
There are sewer snakes that will be effective in removing most stubborn sink clogs. This will be used when the sink's trap is clear, but the drain is still clogged. This means the blockage is deeper inside the sink's main drain pipe. When using a sewer snake, a plumber will begin by removing the sink's trap. The sewer snake will then be placed into the drain line until it touches the blockage. The goal is to hook the debris by moving the snake's handle and twisting it. When the debris is hooked, a plumber will move it back and forth until the clog is broken up. Once the debris is eliminated, the snake can be removed, and the sink trap reassembled.
Main Drain
There are some sink clogs that will require removing debris from the main drain in order to be cleared. A Ruston plumber will first locate the clean-out plugs on the large drain pipe of a building or home. They are usually located in a basement or crawl space. Sometimes they are located in a pantry closet or even outdoors.
A steel or plastic cap located on the main drain will be removed with a wrench. A waste bucket will be put in place before the cap is removed. Once the cap is removed, a sewer snake will be inserted in both directions to locate the blockage and remove it. Powerful streams of water may also be used to remove the source of the clog. When the blockage is removed, the cap is replaced.
Need assistance with your clogged Ruston, LA sink? Give Mark Johnson Plumbing a call today at (318) 257-6167and we would love to help.
