How To Unblock A Bottle Trap

You’ve realised your kitchen sink is blocked and you’re looking for the best method to clear it. Some blocks can be cleared with a plunger, but more serious blockages can cause further inconvenience. If you’ve tried a plunger but had no success, it’s likely that the block may be located in your kitchen sink trap.

Each sink and toilet will be connected to a water drain and the trap is what fits between the drain and the sink. A bottle trap fills with water constantly, but its main purpose is to stop gasses and smells from escaping into your home. Bottle traps usually get blocked with debris that goes down the sink, such as food waste. Fortunately, they’re easy to unblock and you can get your sink back to its usual state in no time.

Before tackling the blockage, if there is water in the sink you’ll want to put the plug in. That way you can drain the water after you’ve put the kitchen sink trap back into place. Otherwise, it may just drain out onto the floor or you. Place a bucket underneath the bottle trap as this is where you’ll empty the contents blocking your sink.

Get some gloves on to gain good grip as well as protect your hands from the unwanted contents. To unblock the kitchen sink trap, you’ll need to twist the two plastic nuts at each side. Make sure you hold onto the bottle trap, as once your release the nuts it will become completely loose. Once you’ve released the bottle trap, move onto the next step.

Empty the contents into the bucket and also check the pipes for any extra slime, fat, hair or food that may be stuck. Get a wet cloth and clean out the pipe to ensure nothing is restricting the free flow of water. Once that’s completed, you’re ready to clean out the bottle trap.

Hold onto the top and bottom of the bottle trap and begin the twist off the bottom half. This should be simple, but use gloves if you’re struggling to get a good grip. Remove the contents that are causing your kitchen sink bottle trap to block. Pick up the cloth you used to clean the pipes and wipe out both the top and bottom half of the bottle trap.

Once this is completely clean, it’s ready to be reconnected to the drain again.

Twist the top and bottom of the bottle trap back together and align it to the pipes. You’ll need one hand to hold the trap and the other to twist the nuts. Make sure you tighten it properly so that it doesn’t leak and maybe even test it before you pack everything away.

Once secured, remove the plug and the water should now run down at optimal speed.

If you’d like more information on blocked sinks such as what causes sinks to block or how you can prevent it, we have all the information you need. If you’d prefer to get a professional in the tackle your blocked sink, we have various methods for those stubborn blocks.

If you’d like more information on blocked sinks such as what causes sinks to block or how you can prevent it, we have all the information you need. If you’d prefer to get a professional in the tackle your blocked sink, we have various methods for those stubborn blocks.

Step 1 photo by TheMuuj found here and licenced under CC 2.0