Slightly blocked drain

[mph999]

Guys,

Hi, can someone help - my kitchen sink drain is (I think) slightly blocked (or at least getting that way). The water seems to run freely enough, but as it goes down you hear a glug glug after a few seconds.

I have tried a curtain wire, and a drain springy thingy, various chemicals but no real improvement.

Now, I could wait and see if it gets worse, shove some drain unblocker daown and see what happens, but that'll be inconvenient, so I'd rather fix the problem now if I can.

Not really a plumbing type, but is there anything I could try.

thanks, in advance,

Martin

[mybrainhurts]

Get a kettle.....big as possible......boil some water.......pour down plug hole.

If it clears.....good. If not, try again.

[JoolzB]

I used caustic soda on mine as a last resort as nothing else cleared it. It's nasty stuff so be ing careful if you do end up using it.

[NiceCupOfTea]

plunger?

something I used before that was quite good was an aerosol of compressed air with a collar on it - push it into the plughole and the air blows the blockage away (be careful to cover the overflow though or you end up with caustic sode / sludge / drain cleaning products all over the kitchen. How do I know? How do you think....

[mybrainhurts]

[Parrot of Doom]

Half fill the sink with water.

Get a mop.

Put mop over plug hole, and repeatedly plunge up and down, well, like a plunger really. Do it hard, splash water around!

Keep at it until the blockage clears (might take a few goes).

[mybrainhurts]

Holy strewth......BOILING WATER

How many times do you need to be told...?

Sheeesh.

[dilbert]

If you decide to take the trap off, the U bend will be full of water. Don't do what I did the first time I attempted the full unblocking action, and pour the contents of the U bend down the sink. You'll quickly realise that you have the U bend in your hand!

I probably shouldn't have admitted to that!

[4WD]

Go to a caretaker suppliers and buy a couple of bottles of sulphuric acid specifically designed for unblocking drains. Pour a litlle down the drain chased up by a kettle of boiling water. The resultant smell and noise may be a tad shocking but it should clear in 30 seconds. Theres a stockist down clerkenwell road in london.

[Fer]

4WD said:

Go to a caretaker suppliers and buy a couple of bottles of sulphuric acid specifically designed for unblocking drains. Pour a litlle down the drain chased up by a kettle of boiling water. The resultant smell and noise may be a tad shocking but it should clear in 30 seconds. Theres a stockist down clerkenwell road in london.

My local Robert Dyas (sp) keeps some scary chemicals in stock for just such a task, just don't drop the bottle on the way home. (You might need a funnel too, to stop it eating the metalwork round the plug).

[BliarOut]

NiceCupOfTea said:

plunger?

Still the best way to clear a blocked sink IMO

[4WD]

Not as much fun as a chemistry experiment down the sink though

Yes, my metal plug turned a touch black. Careful pouring required.

[tiga84]

dilbert said:

If you decide to take the trap off, the U bend will be full of water. Don't do what I did the first time I attempted the full unblocking action, and pour the contents of the U bend down the sink. You'll quickly realise that you have the U bend in your hand! I probably shouldn't have admitted to that!

[mybrainhurts]

tiga84 said:

dilbert said: If you decide to take the trap off, the U bend will be full of water. Don't do what I did the first time I attempted the full unblocking action, and pour the contents of the U bend down the sink. You'll quickly realise that you have the U bend in your hand! I probably shouldn't have admitted to that!

.....durrrrrr

[4WD]

I once came in filthy drunk at 3am and immediately filled the sink with sick. Unfortunately it blocked right up and I still had to take out my contacts, so it had to be repaired there and then. I took off the u-bend, full of water and mostly sick, and poured it down the sink. It fell all over my jeans and carpet. I then had to scrape it all up and put it in the loo. I also put the u-bend in the loo so I could flush it and hence clean it out. Took me a good our to get it all back together, feeling very dizzy and rough. Woke up with my face glued to the loo carpet the next day. Which was nice.

[diddyman]

Easy. Open window. Pour a load of caustic soda crystals around the plug hole. Pour a kettle of boiling water on it. Stand back.

[Code Monkey]

Does the drain flow out to an outside drain and can you get to the drain it goes to, older houses all pipes (sink and bath) go to one drain this in time gets blocked with things like hair specially if you or partner has long hair. this is likely to have become blocked with time and is easier to remove the solid blockage than trying the chemicals

[ATG]

kin ell. Didn't realise you could buy conc sulphuric acid over the counter. Oh what fun! In the past I have used conc Hydrochloric Acid (often sold under its old name Spirit of Salts) to burn its way through many things including the crap that accumulates in the drains. To be honest, the kitchen sink is most likely clogging up with stringy stuff bound together in a mighty dollop of grease. You need something to dissolve or melt the grease. If you're lucky boiling water might shift it. If you're really lucky, it won't and then you can play with the nasty chemicals. Caustic soda is your best bet for grease. For the love of god, if you decide to try some conc acid after trying caustic soda, flush the thing out with water first. Mixing caustic soda with conc acid, although entertainingly lively, can't really be described as safe.

[simpo two]

I'd take the U-Bend off; that' sprobably where the crud is.

But battery acid (sulphuric acid) certainly shifts limescale, so don't throw your old batteries away, drain them into a large glass bottle for those tedious household chores

[4WD]

Hardcore acid is a proper blokes way of cleaning.