Which tool for which clog
Start with the gentlest tool that matches the fixture. Moving up the list too fast can crack a fitting or push the clog deeper.
| Fixture | First try | If that fails | Stop and call when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom sink | Plunger with the overflow blocked | Clean the P-trap | Gurgling from other drains too |
| Kitchen sink | Plunger, one basin at a time | Hand auger through the trap arm | Both basins back up together |
| Shower or tub | Remove the strainer, pull hair | Small drain snake | Water rises in the tub when the washer drains |
| Floor drain | Flush with a hose, then plunge | Auger through the drain opening | Sewage smell or water coming up |
| Several fixtures | Do not plunge | Look at the cleanout cap outside. If water or sewage is standing at it, do not open it and call a plumber | Always. This is likely the main line |
How to clear a sink, shower or tub drain
These steps work for a single slow or blocked drain. Wear gloves and keep a bucket handy.
- 1
Remove what you can see
Lift out the stopper or strainer. In a bathroom sink or tub, a hair clump on the stopper is the culprit more often than anything deeper.
- 2
Plunge with a seal
Use a flat-bottomed cup plunger. Plug the overflow opening with a wet rag, add enough water to cover the cup, and make 15 to 20 firm strokes without lifting the cup.
- 3
Open the P-trap
Under a sink, the U-shaped bend is the P-trap. Set a bucket underneath, loosen the two slip nuts by hand and pull the trap off. Clean out the gunk, rinse it and rebuild with the washers seated flat.
- 4
Run a hand auger
Feed the cable into the open wall pipe until it stops, tighten the thumbscrew, and crank while you push gently. When the cable breaks through, pull it out slowly. Expect a messy tip.
- 5
Flush and test
Run hot water for a full minute. If the drain flows freely and does not gurgle, you are done. If the water backs up again within a day, the clog is deeper than the fixture.
Never use a rigid pipe or a metal coat hanger as a substitute for an auger. They scratch pipe walls and catch on fittings.
The baking soda myth and why chemical cleaners backfire
Baking soda and vinegar fizz, and the fizz looks like work. In practice, that mix is mostly water by the time it reaches the clog, and it has very little power against hair or a grease plug. It can freshen a drain, but it will not clear a real blockage.
Liquid drain openers are stronger, and that is the trouble. They sit in the pipe above a stubborn clog and can soften plastic fittings, damage old metal pipe and burn skin or eyes. They also make the job worse for the next person, because a plumber may open a trap full of caustic liquid. If you have used one, tell the plumber before they start.
Plunger not working?
Call (561) 448-8545 once the plunger and auger have both failed.
Who handles what: the village line and your plumbing
For water and sewer issues or outages on the street side, contact Wellington Utilities customer service at 561-791-4010, or the after-hours emergency line at 561-791-4037. Check your water bill to see which utility serves you. Indoor plumbing, meaning every drain, trap and pipe inside the house, is the homeowner's responsibility.
That split helps you triage. If your neighbors on the street also have backups, or the village is working on the line, call the utility. If only your house is affected, the blockage is most likely in your own drains, and a plumber can clear it. Ask your utility where its responsibility ends.
If sewage is standing at an outdoor cleanout cap, leave the cap closed. Opening it can let sewage surge out.
Signs it is the main line, not a fixture
A single slow sink is a local problem. These patterns point to the line that carries everything out of the house.
More than one drain slow
If the tub gurgles when you flush, or the shower drains slowly after the washer runs, the branch lines are meeting a blockage downstream.
Water at the lowest drain
The lowest fixture in the house backs up first, often a floor drain or a first-floor shower. That is a classic sign of a full main.
Bubbling in the toilet
Air has to go somewhere when water is held back. Bubbles rising in a toilet bowl when you run a sink are a warning.
Backups after heavy rain
A cracked or root-filled line can let ground water in and slow flow. Repeated trouble after storms is worth a camera look.
Keep drains running between clogs
Small habits cut the number of times you need a plunger.
- Wipe grease from pans into the trash, not the sink, and run hot water with a small amount of dish soap after greasy dishes.
- Fit a mesh screen over shower and tub drains and empty it after each use.
- Keep disposals running with cold water for 15 seconds after use.
- Flush every seldom-used drain in a guest bath or vacation home with a few gallons so the P-trap seal does not dry out.
- Never wash coffee grounds, rice, eggshells or paint down a drain.
When to call a plumber for a clogged drain
Pick up the phone when the plunger and auger fail, when several fixtures are affected, or when sewage is coming up anywhere. A plumber uses a longer cable or a camera to find where the blockage sits and what caused it. If tree roots or a collapsed pipe are the cause, clearing alone will not hold.
Our drain cleaning service covers kitchen, bath and floor drains. A recurring or whole-house backup is a sewer line cleaning job. Stop using water in the meantime so the backup does not spread, then ring (561) 448-8545, which stays open around the clock. Readers near Royal Palm Beach can confirm coverage on the service area page.
Questions homeowners ask
It is best to avoid liquid openers. They can damage pipe and fittings, and they leave a hazard for whoever opens the trap next. A hand auger or plunger does the same job without the chemistry.
It can freshen a drain, but it rarely moves a real clog. Hair, grease and soap scum need to be pulled out or broken up with a tool.
If neighbors are affected, or the problem started along with a street-side repair, call Wellington Utilities customer service at 561-791-4010, or the after-hours emergency line at 561-791-4037. Check your water bill to see which utility serves you. If only your house is backing up, the blockage is most likely in your own drains, so call a plumber. Your utility can say where its part of the line stops.
Grease cools and coats the pipe wall, and food bits stick to it. Over time the pipe narrows. A plumber can cable the line or hydro jet it to scrub the walls clean, and the habit changes above will slow it down.
Yes. Most sink traps have plastic slip nuts that unscrew by hand. Use a bucket, keep the washers in order and test for leaks after you rebuild it.
A drain that sits dry can lose the water seal in its trap, which lets sewer odor into the house. Run each fixture for a minute when you return, and check for slow drains that may have dried-out debris.
Yes, if sewage is rising or several fixtures are backing up. Stop using water in the house first. A clog in a main line gets worse with every flush.
Still have a question? Call (561) 448-8545