How To Clear a Sink Choke

Sinks in both the kitchen and bathrooms in your home may be utilized numerous times per day, so a sink choke can be a highly inconvenient dilemma to deal with. With some sink chokes, no water will flow out of the drain, and the use of the sink may be prevented until the sink choke is removed. In other cases, the clog may allow water to slowly drain away. However, the basin may easily become full of water when you simply wash your hands or brush your teeth. The good news is that most homeowners can remove a sink choke by following a few simple steps, and these efforts may be made before calling a plumber for assistance.

Items You May Need
Whether your sink choke is in the bathroom or kitchen, you may need to use the same basic tools and supplies. These include drain cleaner, rubber gloves and an unfolded wire clothes hanger. Once you have gathered these items together, you will be ready to attempt to remove your sink choke.

The Snaking Method
An unfolded wire clothes hanger is a great makeshift snaking device. This can be used to gently yet effectively remove debris that is causing a sink choke, or it may break up a clog that is too large to flow through the pipe. As a first step, if your sink has a drain cover, remove this so that you have complete access to your drain. Work the unfolded wire clothes hanger down your drain slowly. In many cases, you may feel it hit the clog in your pipe. You can attempt to pull the cause of the sink choke up and out of the pipe. If this doesn’t work, you may attempt to break up the debris with the end of the clothes hanger. Depending on the type of debris that is causing the sink choke, one of these methods may be more effective for you.

Cleaning the Drain
The snaking method for sink choke removal is highly effective, but if it does not work, you can try to clean your drain. Drain cleaner solutions can be purchased at most stores that sell household cleaner products, and you can easily follow the instructions on the bottle. These products will break down or decompose the material in the clog, so they are effective with many types of debris containing organic material, like food, hair or grease. If you have another item causing your sink choke, such as a kids’ toy, you may need to use a plumber for sink choke removal.

Removing the Pipe
Some people will attempt to remove the pipe underneath their sink if these efforts do not remove the sink choke. Removing the pipe may provide you with easier access to the clog, but this should be handled with great care. Some people will remove the pipe only to discover that they cannot get it on again or that the pipe leaks after it is reinstalled. If you do remove the pipe, you can use your snake device again to try to remove the clog.

Whether you have attempted to remove your sink choke on your own unsuccessfully or have taken the pipe off and cannot re-install it, you will need to call a local plumber for assistance. A plumber can remove more difficult sink chokes with ease with advanced plumbing equipment and techniques. You can request emergency plumbing assistance for stubborn sink chokes that are preventing the use of your sink or if you cannot re-install your pipe. You can schedule an appointment at a convenient time for a sink choke that allows water to slowly drain from the basin.