If after pouring water into the kitchen sink, it starts coming back up instead of going down rapidly, it could be due to a blockage in the drain pipe. Initially the water drains slowly, but with time water starts accumulating in the sink. Usually, this is due to accumulation of small pieces of food, oil, grease and other dirt inside the pipe.

In such a situation, there is no need to call a plumber immediately every time. If the jam is not very serious, then some easy methods can be tried to solve the problem at home.

First find out where the blockage is

When the sink is jammed, first of all it should be checked whether the problem is in the part below the sink. If your kitchen sink has a garbage disposal unit, check that as well. If water is not going down despite the unit running, the blockage may be in the drain pipe ahead of it.

If the unit is just making noise but is not spinning, there may be something stuck inside it. In such a situation, do not try to remove it by inserting your hand. First of all switch off the power supply.

Baking soda and vinegar for minor blockages

If the water has not stopped completely and is coming out slowly, baking soda and white vinegar can be used. This method can especially help with minor blockages.

First remove the water accumulated in the sink. After this, pour about one cup of baking soda into the drain and then add about one cup of white vinegar. Keep the drain covered for about 15 minutes. After this flush the drain with hot water.

However, this method may not be effective in heavily frozen or large blockages. Also, it is not right to add too much boiling water. This may soften the grease for some time, but may further solidify inside the pipe.

If water is still coming up then check P-Trap

If the problem is not resolved by home remedies, then the bent pipe or P-Trap present under the sink can be checked. Food crumbs, grease and other dirt often accumulate in this area.

Before opening the P-Trap, place a bucket or any large container under the pipe. The water accumulated in it may suddenly come out. After this, open the pipe carefully with the help of a wrench and clean the dirt accumulated inside. After cleaning, fit the pipe back properly and check by releasing water.

If the P-Trap is clean then there may be a blockage in the drain pipe.

If no significant debris is found in the P-Trap and water is still coming back from the sink, the problem may be in the drain pipe leading to the wall.

In this situation a drain snake or auger can be used. Through this, an attempt is made to reach the blockage present inside the pipe and remove it. But if you do not have experience in opening pipes or using an auger, it would be safer to take the help of a plumber rather than doing this work yourself.

How to keep your sink from getting clogged again

Installing a drain screen in the sink drain can stop food particles and other dirt before they can enter the pipes. Apart from this, the problem of traffic jam can be reduced to a great extent by adopting some important habits.

Do not pour oil and grease into the sink.
Discard leftover food pieces before they go down the drain.
Keep the drain clean by running water through the sink regularly.
Use a drain screen on the drain.
Do not use strong chemical drain cleaner unnecessarily.

Especially one should avoid putting oil and grease in the sink. In the hot state, after reaching the pipe, they can cool down and freeze and gradually narrow the drain path.

When should you call a plumber?

If the sink is completely clogged, gets clogged repeatedly, multiple drains slow down at once, or water keeps coming back up even after cleaning, the problem may be deep inside the plumbing. In such a case, it is better to take expert help instead of experimenting too much. This can prevent pipe damage and other problems like water leakage.