While you probably clean your bathroom regularly, most people don’t pay attention to the sink drain. It can be a mystery when it clogs. After all, water is the only thing going through those pipes, right? Not always. Continue reading to find out the reason for your clogged bathroom sink.
Trapped in the P-Trap
If you look under your sink at the drain pipe, you’ll see the part that sharply bends or the p-trap. It stops the smell from the sewer stinking up your bathroom and supplies suction to take away incoming water.
Dropping large enough objects into the bathroom sink drain could end up stuck in the p-trap. Such things include soap chunks, rings, and more unusually, household objects such as legos and cat litter. Over time, these objects build-up and the clog will get worse.
Tangles of Hair
A more common reason for your sink clogging is wet hair getting clumped and tangled in the drain pipe. The water flow from the faucet doesn’t help. It actually makes the hair stick together more.
As more hair is sent down, which you may not even notice, it catches onto the hair that’s already there. In addition to hair, other objects can latch on.
You don’t need to have long hair for this to happen. Any length or type of hair will clog your sink once there’s enough accumulated.
Make sure you pick up any hair you spot in the sink with a tissue to avoid a clog.
Soap Scum
Soap scum, or lime soap, results from a chemical reaction between soap and water. Soap reacts with calcium and magnesium ions in water to form the solid substance. It’s sticky and film-like, and it can easily grow mold, mildew, and bacteria.
Soap scum is particularly difficult to remove from a sink drain. Anything else that travels down the sink will probably grab onto the scum.
Why Does My Bathroom Sink Keep Clogging?
Keeping your bathroom sink clear of clogs can be an ongoing battle. Recurring sink clogs can also be indicative of a more serious plumbing issue.
One of the most common root causes is improperly installed drain pipes, which allow debris to build up until it forms a deeper clog.
The pipes could also be old, rusted, unfastened somewhere, or dented. Intense soap scum will lead to pipe corrosion and a layer of rust will build, diminishing water flow. A clog caused by a disconnected pipe means that the pipe has dropped down and blocked the adjacent pipe. A dented pipe will negatively affect water flow and, if it’s serious enough, could stop it entirely.
If you have an old home, you might want to think about replacing your pipes. Regular maintenance like weekly cleaning out of the p-trap or occasional snaking should also help keep your sink flowing with ease.
Another underlying cause, that our team sees less often, is a sewer clog. In the case of a sewer clog, there will usually be more than one drain affected, and you’ll need a more intensive cleaning service.
Preventing a Clogged Bathroom Sink
There are measures you can take to prevent a clogged bathroom sink:
- As said before, remove any hair from the sink with a tissue.
- Don’t let any animals in the sink, because fur can also cause a clog.
- Try to keep small objects at a distance so there’s no chance of them falling down the drain.
- Soap scum can be avoided by making sure excessive amounts of soap aren’t going into the sink. For example, if you use a lot of soap to wash your hands, perhaps use less.
Unfortunately, you can’t avoid damage to your pipes forever, but preventing the aforementioned problems will make your pipes last longer.
Make sure to check out our plumbing services if you're experiencing a clogged sink or other plumbing concerns. Feel free to contact us with any questions by email or call at (631) 234-0687.