Overview
1 of 3Photo 1: Pull out the stopper
Tug on the stopper to see if it'll come out.
If so, remove it.
2 of 3Photo 2: Remove the clog
Fish out the hair clog with a bent wire or
other tool. Run water through the drain
and replace the stopper.
3 of 3Photo 3: Unscrew the pivot rod
Unscrew the pivot rod nut and pull out the
rod. Lift out the stopper. Clean out the hair
and reinstall the stopper and pivot rod.
Slow-moving or stopped-up drains
are common in bathroom sinks, but
luckily the fix is usually simple and
takes only about 15 minutes. The
problem is caused by hair and gummy
soap scum that get caught on the stopper
or pivot rod and clogs the drain.
To get at the clog, try lifting out the
stopper (Photo 1). Sometimes it'll come
right out. If it doesn't lift out, it's held
in by the pivot rod. Release the stopper
by removing the pivot rod nut and
pulling out the pivot rod (Photo 3). If
you can't loosen the nut by hand, use pliers. With the pivot rod pulled
out, you'll be able to lift out the stopper.
Then to get the clog out, bend a
wire in a tight hook (a light-duty
clothes hanger or short length of electrical
wire will do) and fish out the
hair (Photo 2). If you didn't have to
remove the pivot rod to remove the
stopper, you can just drop the stopper
back down into the drain. If you
removed the pivot rod, first drop the
stopper into the drain. Then line up
the pivot rod with the slot in the stopper
and reinsert it. Finally, hand-tighten
the pivot rod nut.
Run hot water down the drain to
help clear out any remaining soap
scum and to check that the clog is
gone. Check around the pivot rod nut
to make sure it's not leaking. If you
see drips, tighten the pivot rod nut
slightly with a pliers.
