If you have a clogged drain, whether in a kitchen or a bathroom, you don’t need to spend big bucks hiring a plumber. Experts say, plumbers want you to think there is more to the job than there actually is. Here are a few tips that will help you the next time you have a clog.

Dealing with Clogs:

• Clearing a sink may involve nothing more than removing the strainer or stopper from the bowl’s drain opening, a job that is fast and easy! Bits of soap, hair, food, or other debris can be the culprit. Kitchen sink strainer baskets simply lift out. Some bathroom stoppers do too. Keep in mind, some may require a slight turn before lifting, and others may need you to reach under the sink and remove a pivot rod.
• A plunger uses water pressure to blast out obstructions. This means its rubber cup must seal tightly around the drain opening before you begin working the handle up and down. (Water in the bowl helps create this seal.)
• If plunging doesn’t work, fit an auger down the drain. Cranking its handle rotates a stiff spring that bores through a stubborn blockage.
• If this doesn’t get results, dismantle the trap and auger the drainpipe that goes into the wall or floor.

Good luck!