How to Fix a Stopped-Up Sink

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Fixing a stopped up sink yourself has two big advantages: You save time and you save money.

After all, who has the leisure - or the inclination - to wait all day for an expensive repair person to stop by?

When sinks in the kitchen or bathroom back up, pouring liberal doses of very hot water down the drain will often help by melting greasy clogs away.

If that doesn't work, place a plunger over the drain opening, and perform three or four swift pumps.

On tub and bathroom drains, you need to cover the overflow valve near the rim. As you gently push the plunger down, hold a slightly damp cloth over the overflow valve.

Wait a moment to see if the drains. If it doesn't, try again.

As a last resort before calling that busy plumber, pour in a liquid drain opener.

If the drain opener or several short sessions with the plunger won't dislodge the blockage - or if you've noticed that several of your home's other drains are also draining sluggishly - the problem is likely to be deep inside your main house drain and well out of your reach.

If your garbage disposal stops working, the good news is that most disposals have a built-in reset button.

Heavy loads will sometimes cause the motor to overheat. Switch off the disposal and wait a minute or two, then press the reset button (usually red) near the bottom of the unit. Restart the disposal.