Clogged drain

[dbhost]

Elle,

It all depends on the design of the sink drain. Is this a vanity, a kitchen sink, a utility sink or what? The drain types differ somewhat.

Assuming this is a bathroom sink (vanity) with a rod actuated pop up drain stopper, and assuming the rod doesn't do anything, you could reach under the sink, the pipe that the drain goes down makes a "P" trap, between the drain and the first bend of the P trap should have on the back side a lever that gets pushed and pulled by the rod on the top of the sink. The rod can come loose from there and not work. Try moving the lever down, which should in turn pivot on its fulcrum in the pipe and push the drain stopper up opening it up.

If my assumption is wrong, please post a pic or two of the problem to give us a better idea of what you are referring to.

[jking]

If a drain is completely clogged, I wouldn't bother with drain cleaner. Even on a slow drain, my experience with drain cleaners has been poor. The best solution to a clogged drain that I have found is to disassemble the trap under the sink & check for whether the clog is in the trap or further down in the drain system. If it's beyond the trap, run a snake through to clear the debris. It is usually messy, but, in my experience quicker in the long run.