Removing a drain may be the only way to fix a sink clog
A broken or clogged drain can be a real pain, especially when you’re trying to brush your teeth quickly before heading to work or clean the dishes before bed. Fortunately, though, it’s not a difficult problem to fix. We’ll walk you through how to remove a drain from a sink step by step so you can clear that clog and get things flowing again.
Before you start removing the drain, you'll need to clear some space to work. You may have a fair amount of clutter underneath the sink, like cleaners and spare trash bags, so take all of that out. There’s a possibility some water will escape from your drain in the process, so remove any small appliances or other items that could get damaged. While you’re there, you have a good opportunity to scrub down the area, too.
You might also want to consider carrying out other repairs and maintenance steps while you’re removing your sink drain since you’ll already have access to the plumbing. These include removing your faucet aerator for cleaning and fixing a leaky faucet.
Removing your sink drain is a simple job that you should be able to complete in a few simple steps.
The first step in most plumbing jobs is to turn off your water supply. You can accomplish this by turning off your sink’s shut-off valve, which usually looks like a knob connected to your pipes and water lines under the sink. Turn it clockwise and test to make sure the water stops flowing. This step isn’t totally necessary, as you’ll only be working on the drain lines and not using the supply lines, but it’s good practice and can help avoid mishaps.
If this isn’t working for some reason, you can also use the shut-off valve for your home’s water supply. Keep in mind that if you go with the latter, you won’t be able to use any water fixtures in your home, so always try turning off the water to the sink first.
Remove the trap, or the curved pipe under your sink, by using your hand to loosen up the joints. Place a bucket or tray underneath to catch any water that flows out. Take a minute to clear any gunk or food scraps out of the P trap, as this is a common place for clogs to start.
The tail piece is a small section of metal—usually brass—that extends down from the drain at the bottom of your sink. You will typically see these as part of a kitchen sink faucet and drain system, but they might not appear in your bathroom faucet and sink drain set up.
You can disconnect it by holding your drain in place using a drain wrench, and then, using your channel lock pliers, unscrewing the slip nut that holds the tail piece to the drain. Set these pieces aside.
At the top of the drain in the sink, remove the drain stopper, if you have one. You may be able to do this by hand by grabbing it and twisting it. However, if it doesn't come out this way, you'll need to take a few more steps. Find the horizontal plunger rod underneath your sink, which is attached to the stopper. Remove the metal clip that holds the rod in place, and then remove the rod.
There should be a pivot nut attached to the sink drain. Place a bucket underneath it and then unscrew the nut with a wrench, allowing any water that has collected to drain into the bucket. Then, you should be able to pull out the sink stopper from the top of the sink.
Take off any accessories or covers on your drain, then use a wrench to take off the lock nut that attaches it to your sink.
Place your drain wrench into the top of the drain again to lock it into place, and then use your channel-lock pliers to loosen the nut attaching the drain to the underside of the sink.
Clean the drain hole thoroughly using a gentle cleanser. You may also need to scrape any old plumber’s putty off of the surface using a razor blade or a putty knife. Once the area is clean, roll a chunk of plumber’s putty out and aim for a line that can stretch around the opening of the drain and maintain a thickness of around 1/4-inch. Put the putty around the drain so that it will form a seal. You are now ready to install a new drain (or put the old drain back into place).
While removing a sink drain is a perfectly fine DIY project, it can be tough to know how and where to start with removing a drain unless you have some experience fixing plumbing issues in your home. If you’re not confident or you just want to save some time, call a local drain cleaning service to carry out a professional repair instead. They can walk you through what parts of your plumbing system are causing problems and which may need repair.
Additionally, we recommend calling in a professional if you run into any related plumbing problems, or if you believe frozen plumbing pipes are causing the clog. Drip your faucet with hot water in the interim, and call in a professional to get the issue resolved alongside removing and replacing your drain. A certified plumber will be able to diagnose problems and determine if there’s a hidden issue that’s related.
Your plumber should also be able to answer any questions you have about whether or not a problem is serious enough that you should hire a pro. They may even recommend different courses of action and steps to keep your pipes above freezing temperature to prevent your pipes from freezing in the future.
If you're dealing with a clogged sink drain, you may be able to avoid removing the drain by using a plunger to dislodge the clog. While we most often associate plungers with toilets, they can often do the same job with your sink drain. Be gentle, though, as forceful movements can just push clogs further into your plumbing system and make them more difficult to remove. Additionally, make sure you’re using a sink plunger—with a flat bottom—and not a toilet plunger—which has a smaller bottom protruding from the larger flat piece.
A good option for opening up and cleaning a sink drain yourself is to use a quarter-cup of baking soda and a cup of white vinegar, along with a rubber stopper to cover the drain while those materials work their magic. After about 15 minutes, you can flush the drain with hot water. In many cases, these materials can scrub out minor clogs and get the drain working properly again. If the issue persists, call in a plumber near you to get the problem permanently fixed.
No, vinegar won't hurt PVC pipes. While vinegar is acidic, it’s not caustic enough to damage PVC. In fact, pouring baking soda and vinegar down your drains is a great DIY solution for clearing minor clogs. If the problem doesn’t resolve with vinegar and baking soda, though, it’s likely time to call in a pro. Avoid using more caustic solutions like drain cleaners, as these will damage PVC pipes, especially if there’s a clog.
Yes, drain stoppers do come out. In some cases, you can just twist them counterclockwise to remove them. For some drain stoppers, you can lift them halfway to the raised position and then unscrew them. For others, you will need to lift the drain stopper to the raised position and unscrew the stopper from the stem underneath the top of the stopper.
