How-To Booklet: Clogged Drains

Clearing Stoppers. Stoppers may be removed in several different ways, as the illustrations show (Figures. 1-3).
Some stoppers are opened and then removed by turning the stopper with your fingers.

Some come out by unscrewing a pivot rod that is connected to the opener/closer. You may need pliers here. If so, pad the jaws of the pliers with cloth or adhesive bandages so you don't damage the chrome finish.

Traps are the primary drain blockers in most residential drainage systems. The good news is that traps are easier to clean than many mechanical stoppers (Figure 4).

Clean-out plugs. If a trap has a square or hex plug in the base of the bend, you can unscrew it to clean debris from the trap instead of removing this trap itself. Use a ben-out wire coat hanger for this job (Figure 5).

If your house is older, the bathtub drain system may be equipped with a drum trap (Figure 6).

To clear a toilet, first try a plunger to break up tissue clogs. If ineffective, us a closet auger with a corkscrew point on the end to open the toilet. This tool is very flexible and turns easily into the trap in the bowl to snag the object (Figure 7).

You can avoid clogged strainer problems by properly cleaning dishes, glasses, pots, pans, etc., before you put them into the dishwasher for washing. A dishwasher is not a garbage disposal (Figure 8).

If the washer problem is a clogged trap, remove the drain hose, insert an auger in the pipe and run the auger down through the trap and pope (Figure 9).