reattaching a PCV p-trap

[clogged_columbus]

Two knives recently went down the kitchen sink drain. Now of course it's becoming clogged. I have never cleaned or removed a p-trap but it seems simple/straight forward.

My problem is the pipes are PVC. I'm not sure how they will go back together. The side of the trap that exits the house has a fitting that can be unscrewed. The other end of the trap that connects to the sink just seems to fit over a smaller pipe and may have some kind of glue at the joint.

What will happen after I take the trap off? Can I simply reattach the trap? Do I need glue? Do I have to replace the trap? I have no idea. Can anyone advise me? Thanks.

[Gary Swart]

Sink traps should be assembled with slip nuts and washers so they can be easily disassembled for the very reason you have described. I say. "should be assembled with slip nuts," but it would be possible to use a trap that was intended to be embedded in concrete, like a basement shower. It would be totally wrong, but it would work until you needed to remove it. The trap nuts should be little more than hand tight, so removal is quite simple.

[clogged_columbus]

Gary, thanks for trying to help but I'm not sure if I have the concrete kind of the easy adjustable kind. I attached a picture. Can you tell from this?

[plumber1]

The quick fix is to cut the pvc on the side of the trap that drops down from the sink drain and use a 1 1/2' no hub band to put it together again.

Like Gary says, you should have compression fittings all the way back to the sink and disposal. That way you have flexibility with any work that you may have to do in the future.

[clogged_columbus]

Thanks! I'm on my way to becoming easy drain columbus. Gotta go to the hardware store now.