Front Page Forum: Feeling a Little Backed Up
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?
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?
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.
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!
Hand snake after opening trap.
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.
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.
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.
thanks for the air gun tip, poster! my vote is for the trap, otherwise, you might find other drains in the house acting sluggish.
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.
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).