Place the plunger directly over the drain hole. Press down firmly to squish the rubber against the bottom of the sink. You want air escaping.
A plunger works by hydraulics. It cannot push air. If your sink is nearly empty, you are just slapping rubber against porcelain.
Twenty minutes later, he flushed the drain with hot water. The basin filled again. The chemicals had done nothing but make the water smell like a swimming pool mixed with sulfur.
Before you begin plunging, you must address air vents to ensure all the pressure goes toward the clog. How to Use a Plunger!
However, if you have plunged for 5 minutes and the water hasn't budged—or if water starts backing up into the other sink or the bathtub— You have a clog deep in the main line. Call a plumber. You’ve earned your try, but it’s time to bring in the snake (the plumbing kind, not the reptile).
He picked up his phone, thumb hovering over the "Call" button for a local plumber. The service fee alone would be a hundred dollars before the first minute of labor. Elias sighed. He was a capable man. He could figure this out.
This is the step everyone forgets.
Have a plunging war story? Drop it in the comments below. We’ve all been there.