bathroom sink stopper stuck shut

[PADawn]

Hi,

My sink stopper in my bathroom is stuck in the shut position and the rod that goes through the pipe and into the stopper to make it go up and down doesn't seem to be catching it. Does anyone know how to fix this?

[16x80]

PADawn

Welcome to the Home Repair Forums

The rod you pull on to raise and lower the drain goes down behind the drain. The clamp you said that does not catch is what you have to bend a bit to get it to catch. Reach under the sink and squeeze it. you then will be able to pull out the rod that sticks out the top. Once you have the rod out you and bend the clamp apart, after you do this you squeeze it back together just enough to insert the rod back in. The spring steel will the hold the rod enough to make the plunger go up and down.

You can adjust the amount of rod you have sticking up above your faucet by just slightly squeezing the clamp enough to make the rod move.

Hope this helps..

16x80

[millay]

My bathroom sink stopper is stuck (Moen faucet), and although I read the reply to the problem submitted before, I did not understand what to do. Could someone explain it more clearly to me?

Thanks so much!

[Jimmer]

Millay,

Welcome to the forum. Please see the picture below. You can adjust the 'throw' of the popup by using the adjustment bolt and/or the u-shaped spring (compress it and slide it on the rod).

The popups sometimes come off the rod that sticks into the drain pipe. You need to backoff the nut that is on the backside of the drain pipe, fit the rod end into the loop on the bottom of the popup shaft and then tighten the nut again.



Hope this info helps, Jim

'Just a handyman trying to help'

[presleyt5]

Is there an easy way to remove my sink stopper in order to clean the hair out of it? Maybe without getting under the sink and taking the whole thing apart?
Teresa

[HayZee518]

the rod that goes through the nut and gland has a ball fixed to the rod. there's an "o" ring seal that makes it water tight. the stopper mates with this rod through a notch in its lower end. you may be able to rotate the stopper enough to dis-engage it from the rod end, if not then you'll have to loosen the nut and pull the rod out of the hole to get the stopper out.

[sunshine65]

I am having the same problem. When I take the nut off I can't find the part of the stopper to hook the rod into. It's very hard to see because there is very little room under the sink. Also the ball on the rod seems to be making it hard to connect them. Is there a trick to this I am missing. I've been messing with it for a while and not getting anywhere. Thanks!

[HayZee518]

in the top center of the spout is a chromed knob connected to a chromed rod that goes down to the underside back part of the bowl. on the rod is a sprung out U shaped spring clip that fits onto the rod that goes into the waste pipe. at the waste pipe T is a chromed gland nut. this unscrews counter clockwise and is backed off exposing a rubber O ring. once this is removed the ball and rod can be withdrawn from the T. the stopper has a chromed top onto a white plastic extension with an open hook formed in the plastic. with the drain rod pushed all the way down, the drain plug can be rotated 90 degrees and pulled out. sometimes you need to jimmie it a little but it will come out!

[sunshine65]

Sorry- I may not have been specific enough. The problem I'm having is that the stopper is stuck shut. I took the rod out but have not been able to see the hook at the bottom of the stopper. It's really tight under the sink - I was trying to use a flashlight and a mirror just to see inside the pipe. So I haven't been able to find the hook at the bottom of the stopper and reconnect it with the rod. The white plastic ball on the end of the rod also makes it hard to get the rod in any further -- I'm assuming it's there to make it watertight??

[mrcaptainbob]

"The white plastic ball at the >end< of the rod" sounds like the key here. There should be enough rod sticking past that plastic ball to catch the stopper. Apparently it's rusted away. To get the stopper out, use a vacuum hose. Place a nylon over the end so it and the stopper won't get sucked down the hose. Insert that white ball again and look down into the trap to see how much is sticking into the pipe. Then check the stopper to see if it could reach that rod. Caution....it gets grundgy in there!!