How to Fix a Clogged Sink With Leaking Pipes

Tightening the trap connections should stop the drain pipes from leaking.

Tightening the trap connections should stop the drain pipes from leaking.

It's bad enough when your kitchen sink drain gets clogged and water overflows into the sink, but it adds insult to injury to look under the sink to find that water is leaking from the drain pipes. The good news is that the leaking pipes provide a clue about the location of the leak -- it must be beyond the trap. The repair isn't difficult, but it's going to be messy. Dismantling the P-trap will give you better access to the clog, and you'll be able to tighten the trap when you reinstall it.


Put a bucket under the sink to catch water and unscrew the nuts connecting the P-trap to the garbage disposal or the sink tailpiece, which is the pipe extending down from the drain, and the wall drain with adjustable pliers. Pull the trap off the garbage disposal or tailpiece first, then pull it off the wall drain. Turn it upside down and empty the water into the bucket, then set the trap aside.


Excavate inside the wall drain with a screwdriver. Clogs are often situated near the point where the pipe bends downward, which may be just a few inches from the opening. If so, you should be able to clear it.


Snake the drain with a plumbing auger if you can't find any obstructions near the opening. Insert the head of the auger into the drain, push it in as far as it will go and crank the handle to work the head through the obstruction. If it's a large blockage, you may have to work through it in stages, pulling the auger back out of the drain every so often to clear debris off the head.


Prepare to replace the P-trap once you're sure the drain is clear. Take it outside and clean it out with a garden hose. Inspect the outlet of the garbage disposal or tailpiece and pull out any debris you find there.


Slide off the plastic collars from the ends of the tailpiece or disposal outlet and the wall drain and replace them with new ones. Fit them onto the ends of the pipes and slide them about 1/2 inch from the ends.


Fit the trap inlet around the tailpiece or disposal outlet, slide the compression nut down to meet it and tighten the nut as much as you can by hand. Fit the outlet around the wall drain pipe and tighten the nut on that fitting the same way.


Tighten all the nuts on the trap, including the swivel nut in the middle, with adjustable pliers. Test the trap by filling the sink with water and then letting it drain all at once. If any fitting leaks, tighten it more.

Things You Will Need

  • Bucket
  • Adjustable pliers
  • Screwdriver
  • Plumbing auger
  • Garden hose
  • 2 P-trap collars


  • If the P-trap has a clean-out plug, remove the plug with adjustable pliers and let the trap drain before you disassemble it.
  • You can't improve the seal formed by the compression nuts on a P-trap by wrapping them with plumbing tape.
  • Prevent clogs from forming in the first place by watching what you put down the drain and regularly pouring down an enzyme-based drain cleaner.


  • P-trap compression fittings will leak if the pipes that enter them aren't straight.
  • If your sink has a garbage disposal, unplug it before you begin clearing the drain.

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