How to fix a slow draining sink?

Question

I have a bathroom sink that has started to drain slowly. There are 2 sinks in that bathroom, and the other sink drains just fine. The pipes and joints are PVC and the construction is fairly new. We are careful not to allow anything except soap and water to go down both drains (well, and whatever the soap is removing, of course, but there are no large particles or grease).

I get dirty a lot, so the slow-draining sink gets a lot of action from me washing my hands. I'm thinking maybe it is soap buildup causing it to drain slowly. Does that sound like a reasonable hypothesis?

I've tried a few soap buildup drain cleaner products, and they all help a little, but not too much. After a month or so, I need to do it again.

How can I make the water drain quickly and prevent this issue from happening again?

Answer 1

It it is a new build, then removing the trap under the sink will not be an issue. Just loosen the nuts, remove the trap (have a pan underneath) and then clean the trap. This is most likely the source of the slow draining. If the trap looks clean, then get a hand auger (snake) to clean the drain line. It is best to do this with the trap out. Hand augers are typically half the cost of a plumber call. If it is still slow, then your drain vent might be clogged. At this point, it is usually cost effective to call a plumber to clear the line.

Answer 2

using a plunger worked for me. After doing some repair work on the pipes right under my kitchen sink, the draining slowed dramatically. No venting hole apparent, seemed to be an air vacuum problem.

At my wife's request just plunged the heck out of it. Somehow fixed the vacuum problem. Hopefully it works for you too!