Is this the right way to go about unclogging a drain pipe?

Question

The drain in our upstairs bathroom sink clogs a lot. Usually we use Draino or stuff like that. Well this last time it didn't work well and it's still draining really slow. Here's what I was thinking of doing, keep in mind I am not a plumber and I just came up with this while looking at the pipes. I was going to take the elbow/trap or whatever it's called off and run a snake through up to the drain and see if anything comes out, if not, then I was going to run it through the rest of the pipe that goes into the wall and see what awaits on that end. So is that pretty much the best way to go about it?

Answer 1

You could take it apart as you said but there's really no need to.  I have found a way that works just as well as when my husband had taken them apart and it's all I have used for years since I found it.  

It's not a liquid or a snake.  It's a long plastic stick with V shaped barbs on it.  It's called ZIP-IT and is made by Cobra Products.  It's plenty long enough to get through the elbow and also works in bathroom sinks just amazing.  Most lever sink stoppers are shaped like a plus sign +, so you just run it down each of the four sides with the stopper in the up position and the barbs hook all of the hair and gunk and pull it right out.  It works so well I never even use anything else.  In fact if I use it every six weeks or so the sink drain never even gets to the point where it is draning slow at all.  Be prepared though as even after using Draino or similar product and thinking you have made your drain work a bit better, this thing will bring out TONS of stuff and it is very gross but it works AMAZING.  When I found it and used it the first time, I SO wished I had known about it years ago.  Others have said they have been around for a long time but I never even thought to look for such a thing!  I got my last one at Wal Mart a couple of years ago and I think it was $3.  I use it in all three of our bath sinks and both tubs.  It even keeps my spare bath tub draining like new with washing two long haired dogs in it.   I do think I have sen it at either Lowe's, Home Depot or Menards and Meijer stores.

I just did an on line search and Amazon.com has it now through Ace Hardware, so your local Ace may have it too.  Just do a search on Amazon for Cobra Zip-It Drain Cleaning Tool.

Trust me even if you don't give me the 10 points as you will LOVE it.  Tip- I use a spray bathroom cleaner to sanitize it once I am done.  Then I just dry it and slip it back into the package.

Answer 2

sounds like you got but i wouldn't suggest running the snake up into the sink all you'll need to do is remove the trap put a bucket under the drain remove the stopper by undoing the nut behind the sink drain before the p trap and run some water if nothing comes out, then proceed with the second step of snaking into the wall.  also if it backs up right away its probably right in the pop up assembly, the part that is attached to the sink before the p trap.  if it takes a while to back up then its in the pipe and you'll have to snake in the wall

Answer 3

Just to add to the excellent advice above: quite often bathroom sinks clog right in the pop-up mechanism, just under the drain. Drano doesn't help that much and even snaking isn't that useful; what does help is to remove the pop-up mechanism and clean it out.

The usual culprits are soap scum and hair melded together into a disgusting crud.

Answer 4

Try the Divine Bubbablue's answer first.

The pop-up usually grabs a lot of hair.

If there is no pop-up then look at the cross bars in the drain.

You will want long nose pliers, or a coat hanger wire or something like that to yank the hair out with.

It is astounding how much hair we shed, if the tub is slow try the same thing.

Answer 5

These are great answers I can add that there are products on the market that you add every couple of weeks that have enzymes in them and they eat all the gross stuff that collects on the walls of your pipes, and slow the drain.  You can also get a hold of muriatic acid this stuff is like magic but not environmentally friendly.

Answer 6

I prefer using enzymes instead of using harsh chemical drain cleaners.

Answer 7

that's actually one of the best ways to snake pipes.  one of the first sections you'll probably want to snake is the elbow it'self.  A lot of times, expecially with bathroom sinks hair can get in the bottom of the trap and cause a clog.  One thing a lot of people don't think about when snaking pipes is a bucket.  Sometimes when a snake tears into a clog, it will kick back some nastyness.  Even after you get what you think is the clog, it's a good idea to go ahead and snake as far as you can with your equipment, that will just act to clear the pipe and save any short term work in the future.  If you do happen to have steel pipes (older home), you'll probably want to rent a "power snake" since rust blockages can be very difficult to get through by hand, also you'll want to get one of the special tips for steel pipes that will break up rust spots much better.