One of the most bothersome experiences in your bathroom is when your bathroom sink stopper gets stuck.
No, we aren’t talking about the stopper being stuck open. If your sink stopper is stuck, stopping water from draining away, you know you’d need to get it open if you wish to use the sink at all.
If you have a similar problem and looking to open the stopper, you’re at the right place.
Is Your Bathroom Sink Stopper Stuck?
The sink stopper of your bathroom sink may get stuck in the closed position. This could mainly be caused by one of the loose or broken parts of the drain or pop-up plug. Problems with the spring clip or pivot rods are also common reasons for a bathroom sink stopper to get jammed.
Table of Contents
It is fairly easy to understand the mechanism of a bathroom sink stopper. The basic mechanism involves a few important components, among which the lift rod and pivot rod are the most important ones that are connected.
On the far end, you would find clevis straps that are connected to one of the rods with the help of spring clips. Together, these parts work to move the stopper up and down.
Hence whenever there is a loose connection or overtightened nut, this movement including all the parts is disrupted, causing the blip of the stopper. This malfunction can also be triggered if the drainage area is not cleared of clogging.
Although it is possible to remove a stuck sink stopper from above, you may have to go under and check the drain and stopper mechanism.
You may try to get a magnet or even a smaller suction cup to attempt to remove the stopper from above. But more commonly, you would need to clear out the area underneath the basin.
You can start with a check on the spring clips, followed by the horizontal pivot rod. Pop-up plugs are also to blame for stuck stoppers and need to be checked for repair or replacement.
What to do when your sink stopper is stuck?
If your sink stopper is stuck, rendering your basin useless, you may need to find a way to quickly remove the stopper.
You can attempt to remove the stopper from above by either using a suction cup smaller than the diameter of the stopper. It’s a good idea to use one with a grip. You can also use an earth magnet to remove the stopper.
If none of that works, duck down and remove all the items from the sink area. First, you would need to find out if the issue is with the rod, clip, spring, or bolts.
Once you have figured out the problem causing the hassle, you can fix or repair the part that is disconnected or broken.
Why is my sink stopper stuck?
If your sink stopper is stuck and you want to untick it as soon as possible, you would first have to know why your sink stopper is stuck. Here are a few possible explanations for why your sink stopper is stuck:
The problem with pop-up plugs:
One of the most common types of sink stoppers that can be seen in any bathroom today is pop-up sink stoppers.
While these stoppers are most convenient if you wish to open and close the stopper in the sink, these are also problematic due to the many components that they comprise.
When one of the vital components is either disconnected or broken, your sink stopper would most likely be stuck closed.
There might be a clog in the drain:
Another reason why your sink stopper is stuck could be gunk accumulation in the drain.
This is often associated with the buildup of hair along with frothy soap remains. One of the components of the most common type of sink stoppers pop-up stopper is a pivot rod.
The issue starts to magnify when this pivot rod attracts hair every day to form gunk. In the pivot rod, if the retaining nut is loose or broken, the same problem could result in the stopper.
You might have rust in the pivot rod:
Pivot rod is the metal rod that connects through the drainpipe to the bottom of the sink stopper. It also comprises a plastic ball that moves on as the nut remains on the spot.
Since this rod is made of metal, it can rust due to contact with water. Leaky sink pipes are common and cause the pivot rod to wear away.
Unfortunately, this also causes other parts to malfunction, hence having an effect on the sink stopper to be stuck.
Spring clips may cause the stopper to be stuck:
Spring clips are also one of the most important as well as problematic parts of the sink stopper.
If it’s not the pivot rod, you would have to go under the sink to check if the spring clip is attached, loose or detached. Sometimes a worn-out and depreciated spring clip may cause the sink stopper to remain stuck.
How to fix a bathroom sink stopper that is stuck?
If your bathroom sink stopper is stuck, you wouldn’t need to worry too much since there are a few ways to unstick the stopper and let the water drain. Here are methods to fix a stuck sink stopper
Remove spring clip:
If you have diagnosed the problem and found out that the sink stopper is stuck due to a clogged drainpipe, you would have to start the work with the spring clip.
You would first have to remove the spring clip by sliding it away from the rod. Next, you also need to detach the pivot rod, allowing yourself to be able to take off the stopper. Once disassembled, you can easily clean the drain clog.
Fix the setscrews:
If by moving the lift rod, you notice that the stopper is still stuck, you would need to fix the setscrew attachment between the clevis and lift rod.
This happens when the screw becomes lost. First, you have to adjust the pivot rod by lowering its position till you can open the stopper. Once done, use pliers to fix the screw and tighten it as much as possible.
Replace the pop-up plug:
If you think that the problem in pop-up plug is beyond repair, you may want to replace it completely.
As you assemble the new stopper to the drain, it is important to take care of the retaining nut. A loose or overtightened retaining nut can cause the sink stopper to shut close.
As long as the pivot rod moves smoothly, you would not that the tightening is enough.
Test fixed setup:
It is also crucial to test out the new assembly. Whether you have fixed a screw or cleared a clog, make sure to run water for some time and see if the sink stopper is still stuck.
How to remove the stuck bathroom sink stopper?
To remove the stuck bathroom, sink stopper, you can either remove it from above or below. Here is what you would need to do.
Use a suction cup:
If you plan to remove the stopper from above, you could first attempt to use a suction cup. Since the suction cup would need to untick the stopper, you have to get a cup that is smaller than the stopper size.
In most typical bathroom sinks, the diameter of sink stoppers area about 1.25 inches. If you have a cup with a grip, you can also submerge it in the water and get it done.
Use magnets:
If you have seen strong magnets that stick to kitchen utensils, you can use them to pull up a sink stopper. These are generally earth magnets with a stronger pull than the normal magnets.
Identify horizontal rod:
If removing it from the above doesn’t work, you need to go under the sink and reach for it. By clearing out the area below, you would first have to identify the horizontal rod, when the stopper is closed stuck.
Pull the rod downwards:
Next you would just have to pull the rod as downwards as it goes so that the water is released. As the water is drained, your sink stopper should come out the other way easily.
Check under the sink basin:
If you have not been able to locate the horizontal rod, you can hover your finger under the sink right where the sink basin is. You would know that the object is the rod if it has an outward extending metal.
Final Thoughts
Your sink stopper may get stuck in the closed position due to several reasons including disconnected or broken components of the pop-up plug. Hair and gunk clogging the drain can also cause the stopper to get stuck. It is possible to remove a stuck stopper by moving the lift rod accordingly.