Quick Q&A: Dealing with a Troublesome Sink
August 15, 2013 | 7:39 pmQuick Q:
I have two sinks. One is slow draining. I’ve tried Liquid Plumber, but that doesn’t work. Is there anything else I can try before calling a plumber? My other sink has just the opposite problem: it won’t retain any water! Even when I have the stopper closed, it still slowly drains water. Is there anything I can do?
Quick A:
Let’s tackle each sink separately:
Regarding the slow-draining sink…There are stronger products than liquid plumber out there which are available to the general public. If you’re a do-it-yourself type of person, plan a trip to your local hardware store and do some browsing. Make sure to follow the directions on the label. A gentle plunging (yes, you can plunge sinks, too) may alleviate the clog or you may want to remove the trap under the sink to check for obstructions.
Regarding the sink that doesn’t retain water…This is a more interesting problem. It might be just a matter of replacing the stopper in case of a kitchen sink, or a simple adjustment to the stopper in case of a bathroom sink. The gaskets that seal off the drain become brittle over time and fail. Again, do-it-yourselfers can use this as a great opportunity to visit the hardware store.
All that being said, you may not feel comfortable in doing this – or there may be additional issues in the piping or fixture structure that could be causing your problems. If you need assistance with any of these steps – or if you’ve tried these things and are still experiencing an issue – give the expert plumbers at Tuckey Mechanical Services a call: (717) 524-1136. We stand ready to serve 24/7/365.
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