Clogged drains are a such a common plumbing problem that at times they can seem simply unavoidable. Yet the fact is you can greatly reduce the likelihood of suffering from a clogged drain by practicing a few simple strategies. One of these is to clean your sink pop-up stoppers on a regular basis. Read on to learn more about how and why to perform this basic upkeep.
Pop-up stoppers are used to close off the sink drain, thus allowing you to fill the basin with water. Unfortunately, this useful role is offset by the fact that, when in the open position, a pop-up stopper tends to accumulate a large amount of hair, soap slime, and dental floss. While it is good that these things are not able to progress farther into the drain, a debris-laden pop-up stopper can drastically slow down your sink’s drainage. Not only is this annoying, but the slower force of draining water makes it easier for clogs to develop farther down in the pipes.
To avoid problematic clogs, your best strategy is to clean your pop-up stopper from time to time. In order to do this, you will need to remove it completely from the sink drain. Some pop-up stoppers can simply be lifted out of place, making them easy to remove and clean. Others will require that you first disassemble the pivot rod beneath the sink. Before removing the stopper, you may want to don a pair of rubber gloves, since the gunk that is likely to come out with it is often not for the faint of heart.
If you have a clogged drain that cannot be remedied by cleaning your pop-up stopper, contact the professionals at Aladdin Plumbing. They will be able to help assess and fix this common plumbing problem.