[SOLVED] My sink drain plunger is stuck in the closed position!

[Julie P.]

I don't know what to do. I closed the bathroom sink plunger for my first time ever, to wash a shirt, and now pushing or pulling the handle doesn't open it! It's like it's not even connected anymore. The sink is old. The water will not drain, except through the emergency drain hole at the top of the sink. And when I use the sink, it overflows, since that hole is too small to drain. I now have a fruit fly infestation.

I don't want to have to contact the landlord to fix this for various reasons. She wouldn't be able to fix it for a few weeks anyway. The water in the sink is disgusting. I don't want to have to open the sink from the bottom pipes either. Is there any way to manually force the plunger open so the sink drains again? I tried a kitchen knife, but it wouldn't fit. I need something strong, yet thin, to fit in.

Thanks!

[I-zheet M'drurz]

(sigh) Blonde?

Back away from the kitchen knife.

You need to open the cabinet door under the sink (if you have one...Oh Deer Lowered, I may have just confused you *more*?) and look for a piece of metal rod or tube sticking out the back of the drain pipe (that's the fat one in the middle, you know, under the hole!) You should recognize this metal rod because it will have one close to it that is likely detached, that would be the one attached to the bottom of "the handle". Anyway, those two need to be *connected* somehow, that's your long-term project, but for now just concentrate on the one sticking out of the drain pipe. You should be able to grab ehe end of it and gently lower it (think one side of a see saw!) and that will move the drain plunger up, out of the hole. Good luck.

[Julie P.]

Thanks! I lowered the rod sticking out of the drain pipe and it worked! The problem is the rods are not detached The drain stop can consistently close the sink, but it won't open it up at all. There is a flexible plastic strip with various holes in it, like a belt, that connects the two rods, and when I push down on the rod behind the faucet to raise drain stop, the this plastic strip merely flexes, and there is not enough rigidity in it to open the drain stop. What should I do?

And btw, I'm not a blonde. :)

Julie

[Hagrinas Mivali]

Since you said you did it for the first time ever, I got the impression that you won't need to do this very often. If that's the case, have the landlord fix it.

Otherwise, see if the strap can go in a lower hole on the rod that goes up to the faucet part.

[I-zheet M'drurz]

Well I'll be. That's not supposed to happen that way!

Under normal conditions, that piece of plastic should stay rigid enough to force the bottom piece to move. Either something has happened to make the drain stop *lots* harder to move, or the piece with the holes is literally "worn out".

I agree with the other reply, either report it to the landlord / significant other / handy friend or try and use another hole.

Very few of them are!

[Punch]

The sink is old. The

your gross, why didn't you take a cup and scoop the water out? yuck....

[Terry]

Struth, give me strength! Use Chlorox/Javex sparingly to kill odour and dump small amount (say less than an egg cup full) down the overflow to kill fruit flies. Repeat, if necessary, while you drain the sink using a piece of tubing into your wash bucket which you then dump down the toilet. (You do have a wash bucket or large pan of some kind?). Maybe even a large saucepan? Bathroom toilet can't be far away? Or; you can wear a pair of rubber kitchen gloves and bale out the sink using any old container! Sorry I'm not close enough to come and do it for you! :-)

[Mars12!]

replying to Terry, Mars12! wrote: The point is not to get rid of the ?ickiness? it is to unstop the plunger which is broken in the sink, not the pipe. People have said to use a plunger or some other kind of sucking mechanism but nothing has worked for me either. Gonna have to undo the sink and pop it out from inside. Have a bucket for the water leackage.

[Mars12!]

replying to Terry, Mars12! wrote: The point is not to get rid of the ?ickiness? it is to unstop the plunger which is broken in the sink, not the pipe. People have said to use a plunger or some other kind of sucking mechanism but nothing has worked for me either. Gonna have to undo the sink and pop it out from inside. Have a bucket for the water leackage.

[Snowbunny]

It worked for me too!

[Caramel Cat]

I agree that guys explanation was very snotty