Slow bathroom sink drain

[Sideways Tim]

My sink is really slow to empty, due I think to a build up of the Gillette shaving gel that I use. I've tried HG drain cleaner and baking soda and white vinegar and both help a little, but it soon clogs again. I can't rod the pipes out as they're behind a wall.

Have you come across any product that might do a better job?

[Bannock]

Gotta be caustic soda.

[dontlookdown]

Mr Muscle Drain Gel is surprisingly effective. Has to be the gel stuff. Leave it overnight.

[Bannock]

dontlookdown said:

Mr Muscle Drain Gel is surprisingly effective. Has to be the gel stuff. Leave it overnight.

User name checks out.

[crankedup5]

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.

[bigandclever]

I go mad on mine with a toilet plunger and a sink full of hot water. Always works.

[Riff Raff]

You could try one of these. Pump action Drain Blaster.

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Pump-Action-Drain-...

[Sideways Tim]

Riff Raff said:

You could try one of these. Pump action Drain Blaster.

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Pump-Action-Drain-...

I've tried one of those a few times. Will give Mr Muscle a shot.

[Baldchap]

As an aside, have you considered shaving in the shower? I'd imagine the additional hot water would stop the gel from furring up the pipes and you don't get a stubbly sink.

[Gin and Ultrasonic]

Pro Kleen Sink and Drain blitz is by far the best stuff I've used for doing this. Leave overnight and pour a kettle of boiling water down the plughole the next day.

[Wildfire]

Bannock said:

Gotta be caustic soda.

Yep. That's what I use.

[rewild]

Remove and clean everything you can get to. Pipes might be in the walls, but is the u-bend/bottle trap underneath not accessible? Stick a bucket under, unscrew everything and scrape it all out. If nothing else it'll make your chemical gels more effective further along the pipes.

[3george]

Try one of these >

https://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberger-pipe-drain...

[Sideways Tim]

Baldchap said:

As an aside, have you considered shaving in the shower? I'd imagine the additional hot water would stop the gel from furring up the pipes and you don't get a stubbly sink.

I've tried, but it just doesn't work for me.

[Sideways Tim]

rewild said:

Remove and clean everything you can get to. Pipes might be in the walls, but is the u-bend/bottle trap underneath not accessible? Stick a bucket under, unscrew everything and scrape it all out. If nothing else it'll make your chemical gels more effective further along the pipes.

Done that, it's further along I think where there's an almost horizontal section.

[Sideways Tim]

3george said:

Try one of these >

https://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberger-pipe-drain...

Chemicals first, but that might just do it!

[Bannock]

Wildfire said:

Bannock said:

Gotta be caustic soda.

Yep. That's what I use.

Glad it's not just me. No need for heavily branded, marketed and over-priced products and devices.

https://www.onlinepoundstore.co.uk/product/essenti...

[Fallingup]

Try 4 or 5 full kettles of boiling water first.

[Sideways Tim]

Fallingup said:

Try 4 or 5 full kettles of boiling water first.

[IJWS15]

Sideways Tim said:

Done that, it's further along I think where there's an almost horizontal section.

There's your problem then, I had one and the "horizontal" section wasn't, it had a dip in it, getting the pipe straight fixed it.