Being extremely flexible it can follow the various twists and turns of pipes and fittings and locate the blockage. Once it has found the blockage the drain snake can be manoeuvred so the blockage can be physically forced out, freed and the snake will help remove it. Once you have cleared the blockage, it is advisable to flash the line out by turning on the tap.

Material you'll need:

• Length of flexible wire
• Kettle of boiling water
• Chemical drain cleaner
• Pipe joint compound or petroleum jelly

Tools you'll need:

• Plunger
• Plumber snake
• Adjustable wrench

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It is not really surprising that drains became blocked, considering how careless most of us are what goes down the drain. Food scraps, cigarette butts, peelings, etc. are all regarded as “out of sight, out of mind” until they get together in the trap under the sink and cause a blockage.
Health conscious cooks know that grease is bad for the family so they pour it off down the sink, even though it is just us bad for the sink. When this grease is reach the cold pipes it solidifies and can build up to block the trap completely. If you think grease is the problem, first try to push a long piece of flexible wire down the pipe, wiggling it around once it meats the obstacle. The idea is to make a hole in the grease so you can pour boiling water down it, enlarging it further. It may be enough to move the grease on its way down the drain.
If other rubbish has combined with the grease, you will need a suction cup or plunger, or a plumber’s tool called a snake, to shift it. There are also chemical cleaners designed to unblock drains and keep them clean with regular use.

Chemical Cleaners.
Many chemical products are designed to clear drains, even completely blocked ones. Most such cleaner are potent chemicals, which must be used with great caution and strictly according to directions. If there is water collected in the sink you will have to scoop it out before using the chemicals to protect other surfaces and prevent the chemical becoming diluted. Read the instruction and pour a stated amount down the drain then live for the time as specified. If the cleaner is effective, the sink will be able to drain again and you should run plenty of water down the sink to neutralize the chemicals. Never use plunger until the entire chemical has been flushed away.

Using the plunger.
Section cup or plunger is one of the most basic and useful ways of unblocking a drain. Place the section cup over the sink outlet and ensure the sink is partly filled with water. Pumping up and down on handle creates air pressure that should force the blockage on its way. To obtain full pressure, first ensure that all overflow holes are plugged with rag or your hand. If the sink has a double bowl also cover the plug hole in the anther bowl. Applying a coat of petroleum jelly to the rim of the plunger helps to give a better seal therefore helping to obtain full pressure. Try the plunging action several times. If it works, the water will drain away. Run fresh water to clean away any remaining debris.

If the plunger is ineffective, you will have to open the trap and try to get the blockage manually, or with the plumber’s snake. There is usually a screw-in plug on the underside of the trap. Place a bucket or bowl under the trap to catch stored water and unscrew this plug with a wrench. If the tap has no plug, it may have flanges on its sides so it can be unscrewed in one piece. As the plug is released water and waste should fall in to the bucket. If the blockage is beyond the trap, feed the end of the snake into the pipe. When you feel it reach a turn, slide the handle up nearly to the opening and tighten it, then start turning the snake until you fill it goes around the bend. Loosen the handle and slide it back out of the way. Keep feeding the snake in until it reaches an other turn and reset the handle as before. When it reaches the blockage, work it back and forth while turning the handle until you fill the blockage move. Then pull the snake back and forth a few more times and remove it from the drain. Reassemble the pipes and flash the system with hot water. When replacing the trap or plug, smear the treads with pipe joint compound or petroleum jelly to prevent leaks.