Most slow drains are caused by hair, soap scum, grease or food building up close to the fixture. A plunger, a hand drain snake or cleaning the stopper usually fixes it. Skip chemical drain cleaners. Poison Control warns they can cause serious burns, and they often do not clear the clog. If several drains are slow at once, or a clog keeps coming back, the problem is likely deeper in the main line and needs a plumber.
What causes slow drains
- Bathroom sinks and tubs: hair mixed with soap scum and toothpaste, caught on the stopper.
- Kitchen sinks: grease, oil and food scraps that cool and stick to the pipe walls, plus coffee grounds and eggshells from the disposal.
- Toilets: too much paper, or wipes and other items that should not be flushed, even ones labeled flushable.
- Floor drains and laundry: lint, sand and dirt.
- Main line problems: tree roots, a sagging or broken pipe, or buildup in the line that leaves the house.
Safe fixes to try first
- Clean the stopper. Pull out the bathroom sink or tub stopper and clear the hair. This alone fixes a lot of slow sinks.
- Use a plunger. Use a cup plunger for sinks and tubs and a flange plunger for toilets. For a double kitchen sink, plug the other side first. For a bathroom sink, cover the overflow hole with a wet rag.
- Try a hand drain snake. A small plastic hair snake or a quarter inch hand auger reaches clogs a few feet down. Feed it in slowly and turn it. Pull it back out and clean it.
- Clean the P-trap under the sink. Put a bucket underneath, loosen the slip nuts by hand, remove the curved pipe and clear it out. Put it back and check for leaks.
- Use hot water, not boiling, on a greasy kitchen drain. Very hot water can help move grease. Boiling water can soften some plastic pipes and crack porcelain.
Why to skip chemical drain cleaners
Liquid drain cleaners are sold everywhere, but we do not recommend them. According to Poison Control, many contain strong acids, like sulfuric or hydrochloric acid, or strong bases, like sodium or potassium hydroxide. MedlinePlus lists lye and hydrochloric acid among the poisonous ingredients in drain openers.
- They can burn you. Poison Control warns that drain cleaners can cause serious burns and can splash back out of the drain, especially if poured into a fully blocked drain.
- Never mix products. Poison Control warns against mixing drain cleaners with other products. Mixing chemicals can cause dangerous reactions.
- They often do not work on the real clog. A hair clog or a root in the main line will not dissolve. Then you have a drain full of chemicals.
- They put the next person at risk. When a plumber opens a drain full of caustic cleaner, it can splash on skin and eyes. Always tell your plumber if you used one.
If you already poured a drain cleaner and it did not work, do not add a second product and do not plunge. Plunging can splash chemicals back at you. Call us and let us know what you used.
Signs the problem is in the main line
- More than one drain is slow at the same time.
- Flushing a toilet makes the tub or shower gurgle or back up.
- Water comes up in a basement floor drain when you run the washer.
- You get sewage smells in the basement.
- The same clog comes back every few weeks or months.
Main line clogs need a larger machine and sometimes a camera to find roots or broken pipe. That is not a job for a store-bought snake. See our main sewer line page for how we handle it.
Garbage disposal tips
A lot of kitchen clogs start at the disposal. Run cold water before, during and for a short time after you grind food, so the pieces keep moving down the line. Feed food in a little at a time instead of all at once. Keep fibrous and starchy scraps, like celery, onion skins, potato peels, pasta and rice, out of it, along with coffee grounds and eggshells. If the disposal hums but will not spin, turn it off at the switch and use the hex key that fits the bottom of most units to free it. Never put your hand inside, and do not pour chemical drain cleaner into a disposal.
A few habits that prevent clogs
- Pour cooking grease into a can and put it in the trash once it hardens.
- Scrape plates into the trash before rinsing.
- Use a hair catcher in showers and tubs.
- Flush only toilet paper. Wipes, paper towels and hygiene products go in the trash.
- If you are on a septic system, these habits matter even more.
When to call a licensed plumber
- The plunger and hand snake did not clear it.
- More than one drain is slow or backs up.
- A clog keeps coming back.
- You see sewage, or smell it.
- You used a chemical cleaner and the drain is still full.
Our drain cleaning and slow and clogged drains pages explain what we do on these calls.
Why this happens around Budd Lake and Morris County
Many homes in our area are on septic systems, where grease and wipes can cause backups and trouble in the tank. Older neighborhoods have mature trees whose roots find small cracks in sewer lines. Hard water adds soap scum and mineral buildup inside drain pipes. And homes from the 1970s through the 1990s in Mount Olive, Roxbury, Randolph and Hackettstown are now old enough that original drain lines can start to sag or crack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is baking soda and vinegar safe for drains?
It is much safer than chemical cleaners and will not hurt your pipes, but it rarely clears a real clog. A plunger or snake works better.
Are enzyme drain cleaners OK?
Enzyme and bacteria products are gentler than acid or lye cleaners. They work slowly and are better for upkeep than for a fully blocked drain. Follow the label.
Why does my kitchen sink keep clogging?
Usually grease and food buildup in the line past the trap. A snake pokes a hole through it, but the buildup stays. A plumber can clean the line fully.
Can tree roots really get into my sewer line?
Yes. Roots find small cracks and loose joints, especially in older pipe, and grow inside. A camera inspection shows exactly where.
If you want a second set of eyes on it, call or text us at 862-362-0634 or request service online. We are a family owned shop in Budd Lake, and we will tell you straight what we find and what it needs.
Sources
Micky Cipolla is a New Jersey licensed master plumber (License #13478) with more than 15 years in plumbing and heating. He owns Tucker's Plumbing in Budd Lake and works on homes across Morris County every day. Verify the license.