The drains in our sinks and tubs leads to a largely concealed system of pipes, traps, and cleanouts. Most drains will lead to a trap that keeps waste from washing back up the pipes. These pipes lead, in turn, to branch drains, which connect to the main drain into a sewer or septic system.
If you've ever washed a contact lens or a piece of jewelry down the drain, then you've met the sink trap. Unscrewing a sink trap can reveal lots of sink-clogging hair, in addition to hidden treasures such as your contact lens.
All drains clog occasionally—usually inconveniently and unpleasantly. First, try to remove the clog through the fixture or drain itself. If that fails, most plumbing systems have cleanouts. These are usually Y- or T-shaped fittings set at a 45- or 90-degree angle from the drainpipes and capped with threaded plugs that unscrew. It’s usually relatively easy to run a drain auger into drainpipes from these access points.
Preventing clogged sink, tub, and toilet drains is the best course of action. Strainers placed over kitchen and bathroom drains can help. Even kitchen drains equipped with garbage disposals, however, can get clogged by coffee grounds and grease. And, of course, never flush tampons or disposable diapers down toilets.
--Don Vandervort
