Sooner or later, every homeowner ends up asking us for advice on how to deal with a clogged kitchen or bathroom sink. This is one of the easiest plumbing problems to fix. All you need are a few minutes and a couple of common household tools.

First, open the cabinet under the sink and take a look. See that section of pipe beneath the sink that’s shaped like an “S” or a “P”? That portion of the pipe is called the trap, and it could be at the root of your problem.

Using gravity, the curved section of pipe “traps” water inside to keep sewer gases from seeping back up through the drain into your home. Over time, however, this fundamental force of nature also causes soap, hair and other debris to collect in the trap, creating a greasy mess that can clog your drain and cause no end of frustration. When that happens, it’s tempting to grab a can of chemical drain cleaner, but that may not be the best plan.

It’s usually best to open the trap and see if you can clear the line before using a chemical drain cleaner. Many home drain systems are now constructed of PVC pipe, and some caustic chemicals can damage this material.

Warning: Never remove a sink drain trap after chemicals have been added to the line without wearing protective gloves and eyewear. Always inform a plumber if chemicals have been added to a drain line so he can take proper precautions.

How To Remove The Trap

Removing the sink trap is a simple process. You’ll need a bucket, a pair of slip-joint pliers and a wire brush that’s small enough to fit inside your drainpipe. Then follow these simple steps:

• Clear out the area under the sink and place the bucket beneath the trap.
• Use the pliers to loosen the slip nuts located on each side of the trap. Once the slip nuts are loose, unscrew them by hand and push them to the side.
• As you loosen the trap, the water that is trapped inside will gush out. Let it run into the bucket, along with any debris that has accumulated.
• Once all the water and debris are out of the trap, remove it and use the wire brush to clean it thoroughly. Rinse it with hot water to get rid of accumulated greasy material, but don’t forget – you’ll need to use another water source because you’ve disconnected the drain.
• After the trap has been cleaned thoroughly, set it aside and inspect the slip nut washers. Do they look stiff or cut? If so, replace them. Doing so now will save you a leak later on.
• Once you are satisfied that the slip nut washers are ready, add pipe joint compound to the surface of each washer, and fit the trap back into place, making sure it is seated properly on either end. Holding the trap steady with one hand, slide one of the slip nuts back into place and tighten it. Then, slide the second slip nut back into place and tighten it.
• Use the pliers to make sure the slips nuts are snug, but don’t over tighten.
• Turn on the faucet and check for leaks. You may want to put a sheet or two of newspaper under the trap to help you spot drops of water.

If a leak appears, you may have tightened one of the slip nuts improperly. Loosen each slip nut and try tightening them again, making sure they are aligned properly. Pipe joint compound will be especially helpful in avoiding leaks. It can be purchased at plumbing supply stores for use on certain types of pipe to help form an effective seal.

When the trap is secure and no leaks are apparent, turn on the tap and see if the drain flows smoothly. In most cases, removing the accumulated grease and debris from the trap will solve your problem.

Knowing how to remove a sink drain trap can come in handy in another kind of emergency, as well. Sometimes, items such as rings can fall into the sink and go down the drain. To reclaim your valuables, simply remove the trap.

If your drain problems persist, you may need to contact a professional plumber.

For more information on Mr. Rooter’s services, contact us at 1-877-ROOTER-5.

Avoid late night or holiday calls, and the expense of ruined walls and flooring. Avoid upset tenants or customers and the many other problems associated with backed up drain lines. Mr. Rooter HydroScrub™ services can be scheduled at your convenience, not ours.

Mr. Rooter HydroScrub™ service is the most effective method known to restore old drain lines to a like-new condition. A line choked with years of accumulation of grease, soap and sludge can be restored to near original condition with the skill of your Mr. Rooter technician.

Features:

• Safe on all pipes
• Removes grease, sludge, mud, silt, fibrous material, etc.
• Long lasting results
• Avoids damage from backed-up lines
• Service scheduled for your convenience
• Cleans entire line by high pressure water

HydroScrub™ restores old drain lines to a like-new condition by using water moving through tiny openings located in nozzles, removing grease and sludge from the line. The combination of the high pressure and water volume provides a cleaning system unattainable by conventional methods. For lines with a history of problems, the HydroScrub™ can be used to inject specific amounts of our exclusive Mr. Rooter degreaser which actually enhances the cleaning power of the HydroScrub™. After the initial cleaning, your Mr. Rooter technician will recommend a periodic maintenance program to help insure an uninterrupted flow.

Unlike conventional cable methods, Mr. Rooter HydroScrub™ services are designed to prevent future problems. While conventional machines are effective in opening a blockage, they do not clear the line of problems like grease, soap, and sludge. Conventional cable machines push through the line in the path of least resistance often opening only a small hole. Soft deposits left in the line collect pieces of paper or other material, eventually causing another blockage. Only the power of the Mr. Rooter HydroScrub™ and the skill of your Mr. Rooter technician can help avoid the expense and inconvenience of future blockages. Avoid the expense of ruined walls and flooring from backed up drain lines. Mr. Rooter HydroScrub™ services can be scheduled at your convenience.

Parts of the U.S. have what is commonly referred to as “hard water,” and people who live in these areas battle the problems that hard water creates. The most common defense against hard water, which is a nuisance but not a health hazard, is to install a home water softener.

Water softening involves exchanging calcium and magnesium minerals present in the water – which cause the hardness – with sodium. As the water softener processes gallon after gallon of hard water on a daily basis, the treatment capability of the softener becomes depleted and must be recharged or regenerated.

Regenerating the unit uses a large quantity of sodium-rich water, called “brine”, that must be disposed of. In homes with onsite septic systems, this brine flows into the septic tank and eventually makes its way to the system’s drainfield.

People using home water softeners often wonder whether these units might cause problems for their onsite septic systems. Some common questions consumers ask are:

• Do water softeners hurt the bacteria that work in a septic tank?
• Does the additional amount of water from water softener regeneration affect a septic system’s performance?
• Does the concentrated salt water used in regeneration decrease the drainfield’s ability to absorb wastewater?

Unfortunately, experts don’t all agree on the answers to these questions. Research has been done that resulted in acceptable conclusions to many people in the industry, but some authorities believe that more studies are needed to determine what impact, if any, brine has in a septic system.

What Makes Water Hard — And How Does It Become Soft?

As water flows through layers of rock underground, it picks up loose particles and dissolves minerals from its surroundings. Because of this characteristic, and the kind of rock common in many aquifers, calcium and magnesium minerals are frequently found in household water. Water with substantial amounts of calcium and magnesium is referred to as “hard water.”

Hard water minerals reduce water’s ability to function effectively in our homes. For instance, bath soap combines with the minerals and forms a pasty scum that accumulates on bathtubs and sinks. Homeowners must use more soap and detergent in washing, so expense for these products increases.

These minerals also combine with soap in the laundry, and the residue doesn’t rinse well from fabric, leaving clothes dull. Hard water spots appear on everything that it is washed in and around the home – from dishes and silverware to the family car. Hard water not only affects household cleaning, but the minerals also can build up on the inside of pipes in the plumbing system; and in water heaters, the minerals settle on the heating element, the walls of the tank, in the hot water pipes, and in faucets where they produce a scale (similar to the original rock) that reduces the efficiency and life of the hot water system

Water Softeners Make Water Work Better

Water softeners combat this nuisance by eliminating the minerals that cause hard water. The most common kind of water softener is a mechanical appliance plumbed directly into the home’s water supply intake. The water softener exchanges calcium and magnesium with sodium in a process called ion exchange.

The water softening system consists of a mineral tank and a brine tank. The water supply pipe is connected to the mineral tank so that water coming into the house must pass through the tank before it can be used.

The mineral tank holds small beads (also known as resin) that carry a negative electrical charge. The positively charged calcium and magnesium (called ions) are attracted to the negatively charged beads. This attraction makes the minerals stick to the beads as the hard water passes through the mineral tank.

Eventually the surfaces of the beads in the mineral tank become coated with the calcium and magnesium minerals. To clean the beads, a strong sodium (salt) solution held in the brine tank is flushed through the mineral tank. Sodium ions also have a positive electrical charge, just not quite as strong as that of calcium and magnesium. This large volume of sodium ions overpowers the calcium and magnesium ions and drives them off of the beads and into the solution. The sodium solution carrying the minerals is then drained out of the unit. Some sodium ions remain in the tank attached to the surfaces of the beads.

The Softening Process

The normal water softening cycle operates like this:

Hard water enters the mineral tank. Inside the tank, the calcium and magnesium ions carried in the water attach themselves to the beads. The surfaces of the beads eventually hold their limit of calcium and magnesium and can’t remove any more from the water. At this point the water softener must be “regenerated.” The three-step regeneration cycle can be scheduled according to a timer or by a flow detection meter.

The first step, called the backwash phase, reverses the water’s flow and flushes any accumulated dirt particles out of the tank and down the drain. Next, in the regeneration or recharge phase, the sodium-rich brine solution flows from the brine tank into and through the mineral tank. The brine washes the calcium and magnesium off the beads. In the final phase, the mineral tank is flushed of the excess brine, which now holds the calcium and magnesium, and the solution is disposed of down the drain.

Sodium ions from the previous regeneration cycle cling to the beads. Now, when the hard water flows into the mineral tank, the calcium and magnesium ions change places with the sodium ions on the resin. The displaced sodium ions remain dissolved in the water.

Home septic systems

Knowing how a septic system works helps home-owners understand why adding something like water softener regeneration brine may cause problems.

A conventional septic system consists of a septic tank, a distribution box, and a drainfield, all connected by pipes. When wastewater flows from the house, it is temporarily held in the septic tank where heavy solids (sludge) settle to the bottom. Lighter materials float on the surface of the water in the tank and are called the scum layer. This separation is known as primary treatment.

The solids that collect in the bottom of the tank and the materials that float in the scum layer are partially decomposed with the help of bacteria that occur naturally in human waste. The liquid between the solids and the scum flows out of the tank through a baffle (or a tee) and into a distribution box. The distribution box evenly separates the flow into a network of drainfield pipes. Each pipe has holes in its underside that allow the water to drain into gravel-filled trenches. The water slowly seeps into the soil beneath the trenches where it is further treated. This process is called secondary treatment.

Important Note: As sludge accumulates in the bottom of the tank and its level rises, new wastewater coming from the house has less time for suspended particles to settle into the sludge layer. These suspended particles can flow into the absorption field.

The septic tank must be pumped out periodically to remove the accumulated sludge and scum and to prevent clogging the drainfield.