Can I unblock my sink?

[MrsDThaskala]

Any tips or advice on doing this? I'd rather give it a go rather than call someone. I reckon I can unplug it all, but worried about putting it back. And no, something is stuck down there so it's not a bicarb kind of job. Not the drain- the pipes.

I would just unscrew the bottom two connectors to start off with

Of the U Bend

It's easy enough to unblock the trap - the ushaped pipe at tbe bottom right of the photo.
Put a washing up bowl underneath to catch any water, then unscrew the big plastic nuts at either side. Clean out any gunk and screw it back on.

If that's a waste disposal thing and it's that that bunged up, it's probably a specialist job.

Start at the Ubend
You can unscrew the connectors on the joints.
Dont try move the gluded bits

Google videos on plumbing sinks

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I agree. Unscrew the traps. They will have rubber/plastic washers inside though and whatever you do, don't lose them in the washing up bowl or bucket then flush them down the toilet like I did whilst I was looking away, gagging and trying not to look.

A covid/surgical mask may help you here, as your sink will give off a nasty vomiting noise and smell.

If you don't feel like this life enriching experience try caustic soda gel/liquid. It's called Destop in French. Not sure what it's called in English. Just drain cleaner, I think.

Okay. I can do those two bits. Let's see!

Sorry- first- you mean these nuts things? The lower and slightly higher one? Not the one connected to the grey pipe?

Not the one connected to the grey pipe. The two other ones. Get your bucket ready underneath. Deep breath. Be ready to catch the rubber washers. If you have a covid mask around, I advise you to wear it.

Good luck.

The very bottom one is too tight! More water and stuff coming from the top- can I unscrew that?

Try turning the bottom one the opposite way

I think, possibly, you should just live with it for tonight and try caustic soda in the morning.

If you are determined to sort it out right now, try wearing a rubber glove for better grip.

Lefty loosey, righty tighty?

I know it's blindingly obvious, but from bitter personal experience, don't pour anything down the sink while you are doing any of this.

Good luck.

Yes. Projectile vomiting sink. This is why I suggested the mask. Biggest bucket/bowl you've got. Mop handy.

Brace yourself.

As @tippii has noted, the ‘tight’ one might be because it is turned over further down the line - so it unscrews in the opposite direction to the one you have already done. It’s easy to mix up the directions

It could still be genuinely stuck / too tight and if you really must do then you could try the one going to the grey. Be careful as subsequent pipe joints are stuck together - you want to avoid loosening and breaking their seals
(once it’s all finished and put back together leave some old towels in and run the water to look for new leaks)

Idealy you will manage to undo the two ends of the U bend trap - it’s designed to trap the nastys giving you access to clear it up
It won’t be pleasant so mask up where possible and have a bowl / old towels etc ready

Yey! Managed to get the big gloop out! Thank you. Now need to put it back together. Thank goodness you said take photos. The nuts and the washers are causing agro though

Well done you!

Take your time, recheck the above video from @AnSolas
Have a good look over the washers & seals inside to make sure they are aligned back straight - perhaps pop out, wipe and re-seat

Check the threads are clean on all of the joints, and have a wiggle to make sure they go in straight - everything is in an awkward position and angle

If the worst comes to the worst you might need to replace the seals (or the whole trap will be cheap enough and may be easier to get depending on your local DIY/supplies place)

Don’t forget how much you’ve saved by doing this yourself instead of calling out a plumber or paying for various blockage fluids

Also checkout the link below, and remember to run some water into it (both checking it doesn’t leak, and to set a pool of water in the trap to prevent smells coming up the drain)

theplumbingteam.co.uk/u-bend-plumbing-explained/

Thank you so much for that theplumbingteam link, tomikka. You have solved a mystery in our house that was really bothering me. I noticed an appalling smell one day coming from a little-used handbasin and was seriously wondering if a rat had got into the airing cupboard or come up inside the cavity wall or something and died. It was really nasty. And yet it seemed to disappear by the next day. Of course, I realise now that it must have been to do with the water seal evaporating, and I had cured it by washing my hands in the said handbasin after I had used some cleaning fluid around the various fittings in case it helped. Hooray for mumsnet and thanks for posting. .

So far so good. Did a good flush by half filling the sink and then letting it go down.

Thanks mumsnet. What would I do without you!

But did you gag and join in with the sink being sick in sympathy? Did your eyes not even water?

If you didn't, you're either one tough cookie, a nurse or both.

Haha. I pushed from the top down as I could feel the blockage, and then a giant blob of what looks like grass and mud plopped out. Thankfully more stuff than water. Stinky but not horrific. Never thought about it before but yeah I guess I'm not squeamish about that. Don't like creepy crawly things though

Thanks again

Mission accomplished

Well done

We all need advice and a hand hold