While trying to let the water out of your sink, you may have found that it is not going down at all. Because you need your sink for other uses, you may decide to try to clear the clog out yourself. However, while trying to unclog your completely stopped up drain, avoid making the following mistakes that could only lead to worse problems.

1. Trying to Physically Dislodge the Clog

When your sink is stopped up, your first reaction may be to stick a wire coat hanger or other long object into the pipe to try to loosen whatever is causing the clog. While this may work if you can directly see whatever is clogging up the drain because it is close to you, trying to physically dislodge one you cannot see would be a mistake.

If you start poking at the clog, you may wind up either pushing it further down the pipe or lodging it in tighter. Either of these situations will make it more difficult to clear the drain using other methods.

2. Attempting to Flush the Drain With a Hose

Since you know you cannot poke around to dislodge the clog, the next thing you may consider doing is to attempt to push it out with high-pressure water, such as that which comes through a garden hose when turned on high. However, since the drain is completely stopped up, trying to force it loose with force could backfire on you in one of two ways.

If the clog is lodged in tightly, the water will have no place to go, resulting in you having the full force of the water come back and smack you in the face. However, while messy, this is not the worst thing that could happen.

When you put the hose's nozzle directly on the drain, you seal off most of the opening. If you were to try to hold the hose on the opening so that it doesn't come back up, this would create extreme pressure within the pipe. If the clog does not come loose, the pressure against the pipes could crack your drain or the pipe.

When your drain is completely clogged up, making any of the above mistakes can only make the situation worse. Instead of trying to unclog it yourself, contact a drain cleaning service to have them determine the exact cause of the clog and take the necessary action to clear out your drain safely.