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November 10, 2006

Front Page Forum: Feeling a Little Backed Up

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Our kitchen sink has gotten clogged over the last couple of days and a double dose of Drano didn't do the trick so we're casting about for other DIY options. Any suggestions?




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:42 AM | Comments (23)
Categories: Forum

Comments

"Commercial" drain cleaners have a way of building up, so stop.

Tried a plunger? Trick is to make sure you've got water under the cup, not air: air won't force anything through, but pressure and water will.

If that doesn't work, many sink traps have something you can unscrew at the bottom. Put a bucket underneath first.

If that doesn't work, remove the trap and make sure the problem isn't further on.

If that doesn't work, snake.

Posted by: Frank at November 10, 2006 10:57 AM

The recent rain and leaves from the trees have clogged a bunch of drains and reacted a back up... u may have to snake main drains going into the street.

make sure your drain and sewage lines dont feed into same lines as could create a nastier backup.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 10, 2006 10:58 AM

snake it. assuming you've opened up and cleaned out the trap.

stop with the Drano.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 10, 2006 11:00 AM


Try plunger idea above first.

If that doesn't work, pick up a $25.00 hand snake (probably no need to get a more expensive electronic one)and open the trap underneath the sink and snake away.

I also suggest buying a 99 cent wire mesh strainer and using it in the future so solid food doesn't enter the drain line.

I always give them to me tenants after something like this happens and as long as they use the strainer it doesn't happen again.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 10, 2006 11:07 AM

after you get it fixed, consider having a plumber install a gargage disposal .. they are now legal in NYC.

Posted by: OE at November 10, 2006 11:11 AM

I had a bad clog that was the result of a build up of cooking grease that had been poured down the drain over the years. If all of the above doesn't quite do it. Boil a large pot of water and pour it into the sink with a bit of liquid dish detergent (to cut the grease). That combined with plunging and unsrewing the trap, should do it.

Posted by: MBH at November 10, 2006 11:22 AM

plunger usually does the trick for me. what's this about garbage disposals? why were they illegal here?

Posted by: Jimmy Legs at November 10, 2006 11:40 AM

Actually, a plumber from Aladdin once told me that the only drain cleaner I should use is Liquid Plumber - according to him, that's the only one that won't hurt the pipes.

Posted by: petunia at November 10, 2006 11:59 AM

Try using a wet/dry shop vac.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 10, 2006 11:59 AM

I was also told that pouring bleach down the drain and then running the hot water immediately afterwards for a couple of minutes helps (same effect as drano).

Posted by: Anonymous at November 10, 2006 12:26 PM

More on plunging: this works better in a bath tub (where you're unlikely to resort to opening up a sink trap), but you may need to add more water to the sink/tub in order to make sure you can submerge the plunger under the water.... remember, you want to minimize the amount of air under the bell of the plunger, and it's easier if the water level is higher. Once the bell is under water, gently rock the plunger back and forth to release the air.

Another point: I don't know if you own your entire building, but sometimes you're vulnerable to your neighbors' accumulations.

Let us know how you fare...

Posted by: Frank at November 10, 2006 1:06 PM

Treehugger.com had a tip about pouring baking soda and vinegar into the drain then plugging it with a cloth for several minutes. Follow with hot water.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 10, 2006 1:34 PM

Once you get this broken, practice Sink Hygiene: Whenever you think of it, pour a boiling water 'cocktail' right down into the drain, a big teakettle's worth. Keeps crud from building up. For some reason, pasta water doesn't count.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at November 10, 2006 1:54 PM

Snakes and drano hurt your pipes. I suggest going to the hardware store and buying an air gun. You put it over the drain, pump it up like a bee bee gun and then it shoots pressurized air down the drain. Very fast and effective. It's what plumbers use now instead of snakes. It's not a cheap item, but then you'll never need to buy all this other stuff again.

Posted by: Sean at November 10, 2006 2:47 PM

We recently had this problem and tried all of the above-referenced methods to clear it, to no avail. If you find yourself in the same situation, I found old Roto Rooter the most reliable and cheapest fix (other plumbers, including some recommended on this site, would not tell me how much it might cost without a $90 service call, and then a $400 estimate). The guy from Roto Rooter showed up the same day (late, but with calls to let me know he would be late), spent over an hour on snaking out my pipes, and still charged me the quoted price (around $250 if I recall).

Posted by: Anonymous at November 10, 2006 3:04 PM

Please, please, never ever use Drano, Mr. Plumber or any other liquid, chemical, or other "declogging" product. They only have the potential to exacerbate any clogs in the drain and they are truly horrible for the environment - professionals never ever use those products. Any plumber that tells you they recommend those products is a hack (or quack, if they go by the moniker "Dr. Plumber")

I agree with Frank, and just wanted to add that using a hand snake is much wiser for an amateur - electric snakes can easily break old cast iron waste pipes.

My advice? If the plunger and hand snake fail, call a professional. And do pour 2 gallons of boiling water down the drain once a month or so. It definitely helps break down the grease.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 10, 2006 4:07 PM

thanks for the air gun tip, poster! my vote is for the trap, otherwise, you might find other drains in the house acting sluggish.

Posted by: suzy at November 10, 2006 5:18 PM

Fill the sink until the water backs up into the sink again. Place the shop vac nozzle tightly in drain, flick switch, presto. You can also reverse the hose so the air is now blowing out if you want to try and force the drain clog into the 4 inch main. Flatbush Brenda is right about a little prevention. They also have drain cleaners that use enzymatic bio-safe products instead of caustic lye or acid.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 11, 2006 12:05 AM

A plumber sold me on buying a jar of that enzyme stuff (for $50!) back when it first appeared on the scene, and it did NOTHING. Though perhaps they have improved the enzymatic products now. I also prefer to do prevention, with vinegar. And/or boiling water.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 11, 2006 3:13 PM


I fix leaks clogs in tenant's apartments all the time with a hand snake. I can recall the last time I had to call a plumber to use an electric snake.

Don't go to the expense of getting an air pump or calling a plumber unless you are too lazy open the trap and snake it yourself.

A hand snake CANNOT hurt your pipes. The poster who claimed this doens't know what he's talking about.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 11, 2006 4:00 PM

Hand snake after opening trap.

Posted by: David in NY at November 13, 2006 10:58 AM

Plunger's and air-guns are quite possibly the worst thing you can do. Remember, drain pipes don't hold compression. They are sealed with either oakum, string or in a very few cases PVC glue. But the last thing you want to be doing is forcing the clog by pressurizing the water behind it. I agree that the drano should stop. and that David has the most useful tip, using a hand snake after opening the trap. But for the love of god, abandon the plunger!

Posted by: Ken at November 13, 2006 4:43 PM

it depends on what you've got gunked down there, but if you have 3 dollars, I've never found anything to be as effective as the zip it:

http://www.zipitclean.com/

There are certain companies that I should work for because I give them so much free publicity. Zip it and Commerce Bank are in those camps. It doesn't hurt your pipes either because it's really rather thin but it's excellent at clearing the gunk out of your sink (though I support the vinegar and water thing as maintenance)...admittedly the chances that you're going to blow chunks at seeing what was lurking in your sink is high.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 14, 2006 7:33 PM

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