New Solutions to Unclog Sinks

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey discusses some innovations that can make clearing a clogged sink easier Click here to SUBSCRIBE to the official This Old House YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=thisoldhouse Tools List for Unclogging Sinks: Plunger Drain snake Shopping List: Rags Magnetic pop up drain assembly Steps: 1. There are a couple different ways to unclog a sink and to prevent clogged sinks in the first place. 2. The first method Richard explains includes using a plunger at the base of the sink. Be careful when using this method to block the overflow opening at the front of the sink with a rag or something. Otherwise, you’ll get covered in clogged sink water when the force of the plunger pushes everything up through the overflow. 3. Another method includes using a drain snake. Push the drain snake down the snake as far as possible, then spin it around to catch whatever is clogging the sink. Pull the snake out and dispose of the clog. The most effective snakes will require removing the pop up drain assembly, which can be a hassle, so they also make snakes that can fit underneath the pop up. 4. Another solution to the pop up drain issue is to install a magnetic pop up drain assembly. This makes it significantly easier to remove the pop up in case of a clog, but it also eliminates the pop up lever that causes many clogs in the first place. 5. If the clog is happening further down the drain, they’ve also created a new type of P-trap with a cleanout on the end to make clearing the clog easier, and then you don’t have to touch the pop up assembly. Resources: Richard demonstrated a variety of pop ups and drain clearing devices that can all be found at home centers and plumbing supply houses. The magnetic pop up drain is called the ClogFree No Clog Pop-Up Drain Kit, which is manufactured by PF Waterworks (https://ift.tt/2FZWHnJ). The P-trap with the clean out is the Go Green Drain system, which can be found through IdeaBuyer (https://ift.tt/2Uh5tHG). Ask This Old House TV Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook. This Old House releases new segments every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Keywords: This Old House, How-to, home improvement, DIY, ask this old house, richard trethewey, kevin o'connor, plumbing, sinks, clog, drain Watch the full episode: https://ift.tt/2V98uWQ Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: https://ift.tt/1psm4fC Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisoldhouse https://twitter.com/asktoh Pinterest: https://ift.tt/1psm4fE G+: https://ift.tt/1CtsNjJ Instagram: https://ift.tt/1psm1QZ Tumblr: https://ift.tt/1CtsLbH