slow bathroom sink drain

Jun 06, 2006 7 Replies

I'm sure it's just hair (next time I'll put a hair catcher in) but I can't get the drain cover off so I can stick something down there to pull the hair out. I tried liquid plumber and that helped a little, but not enough.


It's a Delta plug assembly -- where you push a plunger-like lever on top of the sink between the faucets to open and close it. It came with the house. When I've encountered this problem before, I could just lift the drain out...not this time. I've tried twisting it to no avail and I sure don't want to compound my problem by breaking it.



Any ideas before I have to call a plumber for what should be a simple home maintenance task?



Thanks in advance.


Take a look under the sink, most of those mechanisms are very simple. You may have a plastic p-trap under there you can disassemble in a few seconds for a good cleaning.

Try turn> I'm sure it's just hair (next time I'll put a hair catcher in) but I

Just plunge it with the toilet plunger

I found that if you take wire from a coat hanger and bend a very small U into the end with needle-nosed pliers, it makes an excellent drain hair remover. Twist as needed and pull. It's pretty easy.

Along the same lines, I've also seen plastic strips with barbs in them that you insert in the drain and pull out to extract hair. It should be dirt cheap.

plungers dont usually do much unless your able to plug the sink overflow drain usually on the front edge of the sink

Do you have plastic drain pipes? If so just put a bucket under the sink and disassemble one or 2 sections of the drain pipe - 'P' trap. You should be able to undo the fittings with your hands. This will make cleaning things out pretty easy. If you need to you can also pull out the stopper pivot ball/bar thing. Usually just unscrew the fitting just above the 'P' trap on back side of the drain pipe and pull it out. Then the stopper should just lift out. If metal drain pipes then do the same thing but you may need some tools. Kevin

Rather than "stick something up there", try boiling 2 gals of water, pour the boil down the sink, which will disolve, rapidly, hair, gunk, etc, may twice even.

Rick.

If you are sure the problem is hair pour a bottle of ammonia down the drain. Ammonia breaks down hair very well..

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