Hair, gum, and other debris can easily clog your drain trap if it goes down the drain. Removing and cleaning the trap is pretty simple though and with our easy to follow to steps your pipes will be draining like new soon.

Don’t Go Straight for your Wrench

Sometimes the trap can be cleared without removing anything so try these first.

Run some very hot water down the drain. Sometimes the hot water will clear whatever is blocking the trap.
Try using a plunger. Cover the sink drain with the plunger and slowly move up and down. Sometimes this will push the clog further down the line.
If neither of these worked then it’s time to roll up your sleeves and grab that wrench.

Locate the drain trap – The trap is the “J” shaped section of the pipe filled with water in the image above.
Place a bucket under the trap – This will catch any water that might still be in the trap when you remove it.
Unscrew the slip joint nuts – You might be able to do this by hand, but if they’re too tight you can wrap the pipe in a rag to protect it from damage and loosen the slip joint nuts with a pair of channel lock pliers.
Remove the trap – Make sure the bucket is in place because there is almost always some water left in there.
Put the o-rings in a safe place – Most of the time the o-ring underneath the slip nut will stay in place on the pipe, but if they are loose and falling off make sure to put them somewhere safe for when you reassemble the pipe.
Clean the trap – You can bang the trap against the side of your trash can to get any debris out and then scrub the inside of the trap with a bottle brush to remove build up on the walls of the pipe.
Reassemble the trap – With everything clean you can reassemble the trap. Make sure to get the correct order if you had to remove your o-rings. The slip joint nut goes on first, then the o-rings slips onto the pipe underneath the slip joint, then the trap slips onto the pipe and the slip joint nut is tightened. Make sure not to overtighten the slip joint nuts. They are easy to crack if they’re put under too much pressure.

That’s all there is to it. Sit back and enjoy your handy work! As always, if you feel like you’re in over your head it’s best to call in a professional plumber in San Diego, Escondido & Encinitas to avoid damaging your pipes due to improper repair.