How to Remove Your Sink Drain in 6 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).