Slow bathroom sink drain

Author
Discussion

DonkeyApple

54,929 posts

168 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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There is a chance that the issue may not be the ubend getting blocked but claggy goo building up on the tube wall from the sink drain to the ubend.

Over the years I've learned that it actually tends to be this build up that slows down water as opposed to ubend blockages. A kebab skewer down the plug holes to scrape the sides can remove loads of muck.

Mr_J

354 posts

46 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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I think I tried every product under the sun to clear a slow draining kitchen sink. Some made minor improvements but they didn't last long.

This fixed the issue in 30 minutes at a fraction of the cost of other products I tried.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B09MPKKDTG?psc=1&...


Sideways Tim

Original Poster:

808 posts

185 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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Thanks all - lots to try. Will report back on what works...

austinsmirk

5,597 posts

122 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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Take the trap apart. That’s why it’s there, to strip and remove muck

I live with 3 women. Everything clogs up !!!

bennno

11,513 posts

268 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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austinsmirk said:
Take the trap apart. That’s why it’s there, to strip and remove muck

I live with 3 women. Everything clogs up !!!
Yep, just don't then try and clean it by running it under the taps in the same sink wink

Whoozit

3,583 posts

268 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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bennno said:
austinsmirk said:
Take the trap apart. That’s why it’s there, to strip and remove muck

I live with 3 women. Everything clogs up !!!
Yep, just don't then try and clean it by running it under the taps in the same sink wink
Shhh. Everyone needs to make that mistake at least once.

ZedLeg

12,278 posts

107 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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crankedup5 said:
dontlookdown said:
Mr Muscle Drain Gel is surprisingly effective. Has to be the gel stuff. Leave it overnight.
+1 but must leave overnight to work effectively.
Aye the drains in our bathroom are ste but this always clears them out.

pquinn

7,167 posts

45 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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I don't like using positive pressure to unblock the pipes, makes me wary something will push apart or start leaking.

The bigger wet & dry vac does a really good job of sucking all the crap out though, stick it down the plughole & it'll pull anything out that's in there or anywhere along the pipes.

ridds

8,192 posts

243 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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Hot water and a plunger.

If not, then plain ass bleach will clear most things. Just keep it off the chrome.

CoolHands

18,496 posts

194 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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I had a 90 bend on a kitchen waste, the only solution was to cut the pipe and sort the problem. Hopefully bathroom gunk won’t be as solid as kitchen waste I suppose.

sospan

2,469 posts

221 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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Where does it drain to? Few years ago Mrs sospan reported a funny noise/slow draining kitchen sink. I checked under it and ok. Followed the drain to the sewer and on lifting the inspection cover......
Sewer was blocked and backed up nearly to the top. Hence slow drainage from the sink. No smell coming back.
Called out emergency who found a fat berg further down the street. Cleared it and the sewer drained. It was a close call as the level was just a few inches below overflow. No cost as the blockage was in the “public” section of the sewer. An inspection cover in the road was at a chamber connection point. Watching the thing fill up as the sewer cleared was informative! Smelly!

NextSlidePlease

6,095 posts

140 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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Boiling water half full the basin, use a plunger to plunge the waste but put your thumb over the overflow as otherwise plunging will be pointless.

Slowly press the plunger but then pull it up fast, that will pull the blockage up rather than pushing it down, I find that more effective at dislodging. Make sure the plunger forms a tight seal around the waste


NextSlidePlease

6,095 posts

140 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
quotequote all
sospan said:
Where does it drain to? Few years ago Mrs sospan reported a funny noise/slow draining kitchen sink. I checked under it and ok. Followed the drain to the sewer and on lifting the inspection cover......
Sewer was blocked and backed up nearly to the top. Hence slow drainage from the sink. No smell coming back.
Called out emergency who found a fat berg further down the street. Cleared it and the sewer drained. It was a close call as the level was just a few inches below overflow. No cost as the blockage was in the “public” section of the sewer. An inspection cover in the road was at a chamber connection point. Watching the thing fill up as the sewer cleared was informative! Smelly!
Off topic but had a nightmare about 6 months ago, manhole for a row of 10 houses was on the drive of one of my rentals, the manhole cover had cracked and fallen in, but instead of removing old bits out of drain the tenant just put new cover on top (he had offered to replace it so thought fair do's)

Cue a month later the drains are backed up, poo water seeping out of man hole. I had to use a rare earth magnet like what they go magnet fishing with to pull the bits up. As I pulled up a large piece the drain started to clear and I can only describe the flow as a freight train of people's logs. It was rough on the senses.

Calza

1,979 posts

114 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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NextSlidePlease said:
but put your thumb over the overflow as otherwise plunging will be pointless.
I must admit my last blocked sink stumped me for longer that it should have done because I wasn't doing this biglaugh