An RV kitchen sink has chances of clogging due to various reasons. It takes around 1 hour to unclog the sink and costs between $100 to $1600.
How to Unclog RV Kitchen Sink? In general, you can unclog an RV kitchen sink by putting a long iron rod in a pipe, addition of caustic-free cleaners, and homemade solutions. First, unclog the sink drain pipe with a spiral tool and discard clogged grease with boiling water and baking soda. Next, discard clog with iron nails from the filter, use a bent hook to bore the material, and unclog the drainpipe with detachment.
You should be careful in this process and do not harm the design of the drain sections while removing the blocked material.
How to Unclog RV Kitchen Sink?
Here are 9 easy methods to unclog the drains, pipes, and other parts of the RV kitchen sink. Few of them are expensive techniques due to the involvement of high-quality equipment.
Insert a long rod in the RV drainpipe
These drains are different than domestic ones due to their purpose and design.
You cannot apply similar techniques that are useful for home kitchen basins. However, using a long rod is efficient in removing the clogged material from the RV kitchen bowl.
It comprises soft material that sticks inside the draining pipe, and water cannot flow through it. Remove the upper small drain filter in the sink bowl.
Adjust a bucket to collect wastewater and other dirty drops. Check the RV waste water tank and observe its capacity to retain more water.
Empty tanks are better in these cleaning procedures. Insert the long rod in the drainpipe through the above filter opening.
Push it slowly but consecutively, and adjust it on the clog. Then, repeat the striking of the rod and push the clog backward.
Add bulk of water in small proportions during this process. For example, the iron rod can unblock the drainpipe of the RV sink in around 20 to 35 minutes.
It keeps the plastic pipe free from damages, and negligence can lead to broken drain pipes.
Addition of cleaning agent
The overall design of the kitchen sinks is delicate and differs from many other sink designs. It has plastic pipelines that get the effect of various surrounding factors.
These are narrow to vast pipes according to the configuration of this system. The ready-made cleaning agents for these clogged RV sinks are the opposite of other products.
They do not have caustic soda in them that can destroy the plastic pipes. Therefore, it is not advisable to use highly acidic cleaning agents in these activities.
Consider the eco-friendly cleaners because the waste tank of RV discards in the dump stations.
Pour it directly through the filter or mix it with fresh water. Mix the cleaner with water and then add bulk quantities to soften the clogged material.
You can remove it through the internal drain system without inserting an extra thing. Add about 1 to 1.2 liters of the cleaning agents in case of extreme clogging conditions.
Wash out the pipelines with plenty of free-flowing freshwaters. It completes in around 15 to 30 minutes, and the kitchen sink drains lose clogged items.
Use Non-commercial cleaners
Non-commercial cleaners are those cleaning solutions that you can prepare at home without any external help. For example, baking soda is a safe powder with excellent cleaning properties.
Take a bowl of warm water and add 3 to 4 spoons of baking soda to it. Mix them thoroughly and leave the mixture for at least 4 to 7 minutes.
The fizzy layer appears, and you can also see soda bubbles. Close the lower end of it so that the solution resides inside it for some time.
Add this solution directly to the sink drain and allow free-flowing through the draining plastic pipes.
It cleans the upper surface of the drains and also discards the clogged material instantly.
Leave it inside for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Add freshwater through a bucket and then open the lower end. It takes the clogged material and soda solution in the wastewater tank.
The process is beneficial when the clogged material is not hard enough and conveniently removable.
Washing of RV pipes with salt and vinegar
The pipes of the RV kitchen sink are vulnerable to food and another filth clogging. However, you can fix it with a simple solution of salt and vinegar in warm water.
Take a bucket and add 3 to 4 gallons of warm water. Next, add 5 to 7 spoons of salt and 1 to 1.5 liter of white vinegar. Mix it through any long tool and leave it for some time.
Add this solution in proportions inside the sink drains and pipelines. Keep the flow slow because it takes time to breaks the clogged stuff.
Wash it thoroughly and check the draining of water in the RV waste water container. If the flow is according to the standard parameters, stop the flow of solutions through the pipes.
Discard the material in the tank and dump container in the relevant station.
Clean through drain fitting tool
These have specific designs to open the kitchen sinks. These are expensive items and require accurate handling.
If you have no idea about its use, then take expert help. The tools have spiraling property at the dead ends of the RV sink drain pipes.
There is a cable inside the equipment, and you can bring it out around 7 to 9 inches.
Insert the cable inside the clogged section and then move it until it stops. It offers a sign that there are clogs at this end of the pipe.
Fold it back around 2 to 3 inches, and then push it on the clog until it breaks. It also makes holes in the clogged stuff through the sharp end.
It moves spirally in the pipe where the pipe bends. Allow the cable to reach the other clogged end and repeat the same striking process.
Make holes and then add bulk levels of freshwater. Allow free-flowing of liquid to clean and wash the clogged material.
Everything that has restricted the water passage gets open, and the clean and soapy water moves freely to the end container of waste material.
Detach RV kitchen sink drain pipe and clean it
It happens when the cleaning person has no idea about the position of clogging. As a result, the other techniques fail and lead to complete detachment of the drain pipe.
Cut off the water supply to the sink. Then, rotate the valves with the faucets and allow them to dry.
Disconnect the link of the draining area from the waste container. Add a suitable bucket under the pipe and then detach it from the fixed points.
Discard the retaining pipe water in this bucket and empties it into the tank. See-through the long pipe and then decide about the unclogging procedure.
You can add a cleaning agent and also break the clogs through rods. Then, wash it throughout the process with clean and constant water.
You can alter the pipe’s position in these conditions, and the removal of clog gets convenient.
Clean the drain valve and opening manually
The manual cleaning of the upper drain is suitable for those problems when the clogging occurs only in the filter section.
There is a drain valve in the RV that tends to get clogging. Open the valve through efficient tools and place it at one corner.
Use the long iron nails or any other sticks that can penetrate the filter openings. Push them downwards to remove clogs.
If the material sticks with the opening, then add material to soften it. Push it until you see a clean and open surface.
Follow the similar activity for all openings of the upper drain. Open the faucet and allow the fresh water to flow through it. Collect the dirty water in the container.
Use a hook to unclog the RV kitchen sink
You can use a steel or metal hook to open the RV sink sections. The steel hook already has a bent part, but it cannot go through the openings mostly.
Use pliers to mold the other side of the hook and then insert it inside the pipe. It can remove the upper material and also moves inside the pipeline.
When it settles on the clogged material, then change the position and twist it accordingly. Move it up and downwards and break the parts of the material.
Discard the obstruction by adding a lot of water through these pipes.
Use boiling water, salt, and baking soda to remove clogged grease
The drains of the kitchen sinks have chances to accumulate greasiness during to washing of oily utensils.
The water starts flowing backward and assembles near the upper sink opening. Add 2 to 3 cups of baking soda directly to the pipe.
Pour around 1 to 1.5 cups of portable salt and leave for at least 10 to 12 minutes. Next, take one bucket of boiling water and pour it directly into the drain.
The baking soda and salt combine with the boiling water. It detaches the clogged grease from the draining pipes, and the sticky material falls in the RV waste tank.
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