SINK PLUNGER REMOVAL

[Ron in NY]

I have 3 bathrooms in my house. Occasionally, I have had to snake out the drains in 2 of the bathroom sinks--no problem--lift out the plunger and snake out the hair. Now, my downstairs bathroom sink drain is getting slow. I tried to lift out the sink plunger, and this one is evidently connected to the mechanism that lifts and lowers it--it does not just sit on the lever like the other two. I tried twisting, but I really don't want to break it--it won't disengage from whatever it is connected to. Any suggestions ??? ======================================================== Remove the ZZZ from my E-mail address to send me E-mail.

[DD_BobK]

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If your situation is like all the "captive" stoppers I have encountered. The control rod goes through an open section of the stopper tailpiece.

In order to free it, you need to go under the sink and unscrew the plastic (typically) nut that seals the molded plastic ball on the control rod.

With the nut unscrewed you can withdraw the rod from the open section in the stopper tailpiece. Re-install te control rod (with the stopper removed), re-tighten the nut. The stopper tailpiece can now sit on top of the control rod.

You might have to do some adjusting of the rod connections such that the drain stopper pull rod doesnt come up too high when the drain is closed.

Use ZEP DrainCare and you'll have fewer drain issues....its a preventive rather than a curative.

cheers Bob

[hrhofmann]

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Be sure to have a small bucket handy when you undo the nut that holds the rod in place, just in case. When you reassemble the drain, you can put it back together and then put the sink stopper in, that way it will not be captive and you can remove it just like you do for the other two sinks.

[Jeff The Drunk]

Remove the trap from the sink and snake it from there.

[Noahbuddy]

Jeff The Drunk wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I bought a sink plunger from the hardware store. It's not the plunger you write about. We call them stoppers. I was using the air pressure stuff in a can and then didn't work too well. The Sink Plunger did a fantastic job and the sink drain empties like a charm.

I never use snakes in the sinks or the bathtub, only in the toilet. It won't help you now, but something to remember.

[MLD]

You have to remove the lift linkage in order to free up the stopper. Usually, it's done this way in public bathrooms to prevent the stopper from being stolen. Reassemble with the lift link on the bottom of the stopper instead of through the hole. MLD