Sink drain pipe - connection and maintenance

When installing a new sink, a drain pipe is connected to it, connecting it to the sewage system. This detail, as a rule, is a prefabricated structure. Below we consider how to connect the sink to the sink, as well as get acquainted with its maintenance during operation.

Drain connection

How does the drain

Many people who are not familiar with the plumbing device do not know what the name of the pipe under the sink is curved "snake", and why it is needed at all. Therefore, first of all we consider the purpose of the drain and its device.

So, a siphon is surely installed between the sewage system and any sanitary appliance, including the sink.

This part performs two functions at once:

• Provides a water seal that prevents the penetration of odors from the sewer pipe.
• It prevents the penetration of garbage from the sink into the sewer system - due to the siphon design, all the garbage is trapped in it, after which it is usually not difficult to clean it.

Currently, the design of siphons are very different, but more often these devices are of the following type:

• Cup siphon - made in the form of a collapsible plastic cup, which is connected to the sink drain hole by means of a nozzle. A flexible pipe is attached to the side of the glass, which drains from the siphon to the sewer system. The advantage of this design is that it is not difficult to disassemble and clean.

• Shell tubular siphon - is a curved pipe, the bend of which serves as a container for a water seal. The tubular siphon can be made of both metal and flexible corrugated drain pipe. The latter is bent and fixed in the desired position with plastic clips, which allows you to adjust the level of the hydraulic lock.

As a rule, soft pipes for draining the water from the sink are made of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene.

After reviewing the drain device, it is not difficult to connect the sink to the sewage system on your own.

Drain assembly

Depending on the type of siphon design, the process of connecting the drain may differ, however, the general brief instruction is as follows:

• First of all, the branch pipe is fixed on the drain hole of the sink. At the same time the grid with gasket is also attached.
• Next, the main part of the siphon is assembled (if the part is of the glass type) and is attached to the sink with the help of a connecting screw. The pipe with a siphon is connected with a rubber cuff and tightened with a nut.
• After that, the drain pipe is inserted into the sewer bell. A rubber seal can be used to seal the joint.

Note! If a stapled siphon is installed, you should not seal it with a sealant at the junction of its body and lid, since the latter will have to be unscrewed to remove debris.

I must say that the easiest way to do the connection of flexible corrugations with your own hands, however, it is not the best solution, as it quickly clogs and does not tolerate high temperatures.

Prevention of blockages

Maintenance of the sink drain system is reduced to the prevention of blockages, which consists in the following actions:

• Periodically flush pipes with boiling water or hot water. To do this, it is enough several times a week to pour a pan or kettle of hot water into the sink.
• Preventing debris from entering the sink, such as hair, food debris, etc. To do this, you must additionally install a mesh when using a plumbing fixture.

Performing these actions, the probability of blockages of the drain pipe will be significantly reduced.

Elimination of blockages

It must be said that even preventive measures are not always able to prevent the occurrence of blockages. Therefore, below we consider how to clean the pipe in the sink.

As mentioned above, most often a cork is formed in the siphon. Therefore, in some cases, the easiest way to eliminate the blockage is simply by disassembling and cleaning the drain from debris. Depending on the type of construction, this is done as follows:

If a tubular type non-separable siphon is installed under the sink, which is difficult to dismantle, or the blockage did not arise in the siphon, but into sewer pipes, then it can be fixed in two ways:

• Mechanical;
• Chemical.

Below is a detailed look at each method.

Mechanical method

The simplest mechanical method for eliminating blockages is cleaning with a plunger. This is not a tricky device is present in almost every apartment.

The plunger is applied as follows:

• First of all, you need to pour a small amount of water into the bowl so that it hides the drain hole.
• Then you need to plug the overflow hole.
• Next, you should close the drain plug with a rubber pear plunger and make several active strokes.
• If after this water is not gone, the procedure must be repeated.
• After removing the blockage, pour a pot of boiling water or hot water into the drain.

Note! To avoid frequent sewage clogging, the diameter of the sewer pipe for the sink should be at least 40-50 mm.

Not infrequently, the blockage is so serious that it cannot be removed by a plunger. To solve the problem in this case will help plumbing cable.

Work with this device is performed in the following sequence:

• The end of the cable is pushed into the sewer through the drain hole and at the same time slowly turns. In the process of work, the cable should not sag so that it does not twist. Therefore, it is more convenient to engage in cleaning together.
• Upon reaching the stop (plug), several reciprocating movements are performed, which will ensure its destruction.
• Then the cable must be removed and rinsed with water.

Note! If the connection of the sanitary device is made using a corrugated siphon, then before cleaning the pipe in the sink, the corrugation must be disconnected from the sewage system so as not to damage.

Chemical method

If the sanitary cable "at hand" was not there, you can try to eliminate the clogging in the sink by chemical means. For these purposes, there are special chemicals, and their price is usually quite affordable. The only thing before you buy such a tool, you must make sure that it is suitable for your type of pipe.

Among these drugs are the most popular:

• Mister Muscle;
• Tireth;
• Mole, etc.

Means can be sold both in liquid form and in the form of a dry powder, however, the principle of their action is the same.

As a rule, cleaning pipes with these preparations is as follows:

• First of all, you need to draw water from the bowl.
• Then the drain cleaning agent is filled or poured into the drain.
• After that, the shell should be left in this form for a half to two hours. Depending on the type of funds, time may vary.
• After the indicated time it is necessary to collect a small amount of water in the sink and make several active strokes of the plungers. In most cases, after these manipulations, the water forms a funnel and quickly goes down the drain.

Note! When using a chemical agent, you must wear gloves and avoid contact with skin or clothing. If it was not possible to avoid a drop on the skin, this place should be washed with copious amounts of water.

Most of these methods allow you to eliminate the blockage. If the cork turned out to be deeper in the sewer pipes, and it did not work out on its own, then it would be necessary to turn to the help of specialists.

Here, in fact, all the information on servicing the sink drain and removing blockages in it.

Conclusion

A drain pipe connecting the sink to the sewage system is of different types and may include a siphon of complex construction. However, the principle of its connection and further maintenance is the same in all cases.

From the video in this article, you can learn more about this topic.