If you are screaming, “Help! My bathroom sink keeps clogging!”, you are not alone.
Did you know that the bathroom is the largest consumer of indoor water? Brushing teeth and washing hands are likely a major part of your family’s daily routines. If your bathroom sink is clogged, it can disrupt that schedule and cause aggravation. You are not alone. One of the most common plumbing problems we see is when there is a slow-moving or clogged drain in the bathroom sink. If your bathroom sink keeps clogging, there is a reason. We are going to review some of the most common causes below.
Why Does my Bathroom Sink Keep Clogging?
If your bathroom sink keeps clogging, it can be a major frustration, and, because a bathroom faucet generally runs at 2 gallons of water per minute, if it is backing up, it can create serious issues. So why is this happening? Let’s review some of the most common culprits.
Hair Buildup: Hair is the most common reason for bathroom sinks to clog and keep clogging. When hair falls into your sink and goes down the drain, it gets wet, and clumps together. This can create a major blockage. Wet hair in your drain collects more wet hair, creating a gross clump that will fully resist water flow inside the pipe. The clump then continues to collect anything else that goes down the drain, creating a much larger clog.
Soap Scum: Soap is likely being used over and over again in your sink for washing hands, this can lead to soap scum. Soap scum is formed into a solid substance when soap is being used in hard water. Soap scum combines calcium and magnesium particles (ions) that are currently in the water with the soap, which forms into the soap scum substance (the spruce). This substance is gooey and sticky and catches itself and other falling materials (like hair), creating a clog.
Age: If your bathroom sink keeps clogging, it can be due to age and use. Your faucets account for about 16% of the water usage in your home, so that’s a lot of work you are putting on your sink’s plumbing. As with all parts of your home’s plumbing, this can cause the components to wear down over time. Your pipes can rust and corrode, creating a build up on the inner pipe walls that will constrict water flow. Also, pipe joints can wear out or come apart overtime, which could cause pipes to sag and block water flow.
P-Trap Blockage: The p-trap is the bending part of the drain pipe located directly beneath the sink. This connects the sink’s drain to a home septic tank or a municipal sewer system. The bend in the p-trap is there to prevent sewer gas from coming up the drain; however, it also tends to catch other things, such as: chunks of soap, jewelry, pieces of tissue, etc. A clogged p-trap will result in a back flow of water and other grime and your water can be slow to drain or not drain at all.
As mentioned, if you are screaming, “Help! My bathroom sink keeps clogging!”, you are not alone. Reimer Home Services can help.
There’s arguably no room more essential to your home than the bathroom. That’s why our plumbers are bathroom plumbing repair experts, available day or night to help you out.
We repair and install sinks, showers, tubs, toilets, and more. When a faucet, fixture, drain, or shower head in your bathroom needs the attention and care of an expert, we’re here and ready to go.
For everything from sink drain cleaning to new toilet installation in Buffalo, you can count on us. Call us or request service online to get started.
