Clogged drain pipes
Tony Max
drain pipes?
Phisherman
wrote:
>Does anyone know of an environemtally friendly way to clean clogged
>drain pipes?
What are we talking about? A toilet? A sink? Bathroom? Kitchen?
Landscape drainage pipe?
A funnel-shaped plunger, auger, stiff wire may be useful. Block
any overflows with a wet rag when using the plunger. I have never
had to use harsh chemicals, and that would be my last resort before
the expense of calling a plumber.
Keep your drains clean with regular maintenance. After your drain
runs free: Put a few spoons of baking soda down your drain, add a
cup of vinegar, wait 30 minutes and follow up with a gallon of
boiling water. Just running hot tap water for a minute will help
clear a drain, but don't try it in a toilet (you could crack the
porcelain).
Kim
> Does anyone know of an environemtally friendly way to clean clogged
> drain pipes?
Shaklee has a non-polluting, biodegradable enzyme product called
"Biodegreat!" that has no caustic fumes. You use a couple of teaspoons
in each drain once a month. It eats the gunk in your pipes while you
sleep. If your pipes are badly clogged, I'd apply it, let it sit
overnight, then use a plunger to unclog. Reapply if needed. Once
your pipes are clear, monthly applications should keep them that way.
You can find a dealer in your area at www.shaklee.com.
seah...@qwest.net
soda on vinegar in the sink to watch the show !!
Cindi
(still a kid - and STILL buying myself bubble blowing solution to play
with in the back yard)
seah...@qwest.net
I wonder if I would sleep better knowing my drains were being cleaned while I snoozed.
I think the world needs more products that work while we sleep.
Where can we go with this thought?
Cindi
melvalena
>I love mixing baking soda and vinegar. Sometimes I just sprinkle baking
>soda on vinegar in the sink to watch the show !!
>Cindi
>(still a kid - and STILL buying myself bubble blowing solution to play
>with in the back yard)
>
me too!!
Tony Max
>
> On Fri, 13 Jul 2001 19:19:33 GMT, Tony Max <to...@design-write.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Does anyone know of an environemtally friendly way to clean clogged
> >drain pipes?
>
> What are we talking about? A toilet? A sink? Bathroom? Kitchen?
> Landscape drainage pipe?
Sorry, Phisherman; I forgot to write that I was referring to a bathroom sink.
> A funnel-shaped plunger, auger, stiff wire may be useful. Block
> any overflows with a wet rag when using the plunger. I have never
> had to use harsh chemicals, and that would be my last resort before
> the expense of calling a plumber.
>
> Keep your drains clean with regular maintenance. After your drain
> runs free: Put a few spoons of baking soda down your drain, add a
> cup of vinegar, wait 30 minutes and follow up with a gallon of
> boiling water. Just running hot tap water for a minute will help
> clear a drain, but don't try it in a toilet (you could crack the
> porcelain).
I don't think a plunger would work on a bathroom sink because the hole
is so small. Isn't that right?
I tried putting into my sink half a cup of baking soda, half a cup of
vinegar and then almost immediately a cup of hot water, but that has
worsened the problem; the water takes even longer to drain now.
What should I do?
Phisherman
Remove the stopper, block the overflow with a wet rag, put about 3
or 4" of water in the sink, position a plunger over the drain, tilt
the cup to release most the trapped air, and plunge up and down
forcefully 10 to 20 times. The plunger will work fine on a bathroom
sink.
If the above procedure does not work, unscrew the clean out plug at
the bottom of the trap and catch the water using a bucket. Fish a
coat hanger wire with a hook on the end into the trap and remove the
clog. If there is not clean out plug, remove the entire trap.
If the problem persists use an auger from the drain opening and from
the clean-out plug.
Bathroom sinks typically clog up with hair. A strong lye (sodium
hydroxide) chemical will dissolve the hair (and skin!) if you decide
to go that route.
Samantha Monroe
Oh dont clean it out in the bathroom sink as the water will drain on the
floor :-)
--
齯滌`偕爻,,,,齯滌`偕爻,,,,齯滌`偕爻,,,,齯滌`偕爻內躬偕爻
"If the world didn't suck, We'd all fall off"
mixing business with pleasure at
www.taylormaid.org.uk
齯滌`偕爻,,,,齯滌`偕爻,,,,齯滌`偕爻,,,,齯滌`偕爻內躬偕爻
<seah...@qwest.net> wrote in message news:3B50BFB0...@qwest.net...
seah...@qwest.net
Samantha Monroe wrote:
> Why dont you just take the u bend off and clean it???
>
> Oh dont clean it out in the bathroom sink as the water will drain on the
> floor :-)
>
> --
> 鴢喊`昂€�,,,鴢喊`昂€�,,,鴢喊`昂€�,,,鴢喊`昂€鴢喊`昂€�> "If the world didn't suck, We'd all fall off"
> mixing business with pleasure at
> www.taylormaid.org.uk
> 鴢喊`昂€�,,,鴢喊`昂€�,,,鴢喊`昂€�,,,鴢喊`昂€鴢喊`昂€�>
Hey Sam - that is soo cool. It looks like a mattress. Are you using a Mac�Cindi
Tony Max
>
> clogged bathroom sink ...
>
> Remove the stopper, block the overflow with a wet rag, put about 3
> or 4" of water in the sink, position a plunger over the drain, tilt
> the cup to release most the trapped air, and plunge up and down
> forcefully 10 to 20 times. The plunger will work fine on a bathroom
> sink.
I tried that several times but it didn't work. I got some pieces of gunk
that rose to the surface so I scooped them out of the sink and repeated
the plunger/scooping procedure, but it hasn't helped the clog much.
> If the above procedure does not work, unscrew the clean out plug at
> the bottom of the trap and catch the water using a bucket. Fish a
> coat hanger wire with a hook on the end into the trap and remove the
> clog. If there is not clean out plug, remove the entire trap.
>
> If the problem persists use an auger from the drain opening and from
> the clean-out plug.
I don't know anything about plumbing and don't even have a wrench and I
don't want to mess with it because might make things worse.
> Bathroom sinks typically clog up with hair. A strong lye (sodium
> hydroxide) chemical will dissolve the hair (and skin!) if you decide
> to go that route.
I'm going to try to get something biodegradeable from a health food
store or the Shaklee Biodegreat because they're non-toxic to the
environment. If those aren't feasible, would Liquid Plumr be a good choice?
Tony Max
Thanks, Kim.
How much does the Biodegreat cost?
Tony
Tony Max
>
> Why dont you just take the u bend off and clean it???
>
> Oh dont clean it out in the bathroom sink as the water will drain on the
> floor :-)
I don't know how to do that.
Tony
Kim
Hi Tony,
7 oz. Biodegreat costs $14.40 (Member price) to 16.95 (Retail price),
depending on the dealer Shaklee directs you to. Although this is
expensive, it only takes 2 teaspoons per month in each drain, so a
container lasts pretty long, and it is non-toxic, biodegradable, and
kid-safe. If you've ever seen a child who has accidentally consumed
drain cleaners, you'll never have them in your house again.
I've also used Biodegreat on pet accidents (mixed with water) as an
enzyme product. Test inconspicuous spot on carpet first. Mix a
couple of teaspoons with water and apply on spot (after you've removed
the organic matter). Let sit for 24 h and then clean with a carpet
machine, etc. Get's rid of the odor.
melvalena
wrote:
>Samantha Monroe wrote:
You should go to the library and check out a book on household
repairs, might be a good idea at this point. Get one with step by step
pictures. Go to your hardware store and ask for a monkey wrench and
some plumbers' tape. Explain what you are doing and they will be able
to help you too.
Then look under your sink...see where the pipe does a bend? That's the
U people are talking about.
Its got to be screwed on at 2 points, either side of it. Remove
everything from under the sink and place a bucket under the pipe (to
catch the water that escapes) then loosen the threaded deal that holds
the U shaped pipe to the other pipes. Now loosen the other one.
Remove the U shaped part allowing the water to fall into the bucket.
it will in all likely hood smell pretty bad.
You can then clean out the U part and replace it using the plumbers'
tape to secure the seal on the threaded parts of the pipes.
TADA! that's all there is to it.
I'm sure someone will come along and correct my terminology. I'm not
very exact, but I think you can understand what I'm explaining,
especially if you go get a household repair book from the library.
Diane Wirth
<to...@design-write.com> wrote:
> Phisherman wrote:
> >
> > clogged bathroom sink ...
> >
> > Remove the stopper, block the overflow with a wet rag, put about 3
> > or 4" of water in the sink, position a plunger over the drain, tilt
> > the cup to release most the trapped air, and plunge up and down
> > forcefully 10 to 20 times. The plunger will work fine on a bathroom
> > sink.
>
> I tried that several times but it didn't work. I got some pieces of gunk
> that rose to the surface so I scooped them out of the sink and repeated
> the plunger/scooping procedure, but it hasn't helped the clog much.
I've had good luck with Draino Max clearing my slow sinks and shower.
I only need to use it about 3-4 times a year to keep the drains running
fine.
I pour about 2 cups down the drain, wait 30 minutes and then rinse
with hot water for about 2 minutes. That has always worked for me.
Diane
--
Diane Wirth
diane...@yahoo.com
Tony Max
Thanks, Diane.
I was looking for something that wouldn't kill fish and other marine
life in the process of clearing my drain.
I found a good solution with Plumber One, a canister of compressed,
non-toxic gases. The manager of my building held the canister over the
sink drain opening while I blocked the overflow with my fingers.
The manager pressed the button on what he calls 'the bomb' and a
powerful burst of the gases shot into the drain pipe. The second such
blast got the clog out.
I wasn't prepared for the force of 'the bomb', and a bunch of mucky,
stinky brown water pushed my fingers away from the overflow and splashed
all over my pants and the bathroom.
But it was worth it and I didn't have to buy a snake, as was
recommended, and an expensive plumber didn't have to be called.
The manager said he got Plumber One at a Home Depot hardware store.
Tony Max
Thanks, Melavena.
I would have tried your suggestion, but I had a guest over recently
who's a handyman and he volunteered to try to fix the problem.
He showed me how to do what you've explained above. Plus he took a coat
hanger, straightened it and stuck that into the pipe that leads to the
wall. He jiggled that around to loosen debris, but it didn't clear the drain.
Anyway I learned how to do what you've explained and I found that it's
quite simple and easy, so I'll know how to do it next time.
Then I found a good solution with Plumber One, a canister of compressed,
non-toxic gases. The manager of my building held the canister over the
drain while I blocked the overflow with my fingers.
The manager pressed the button on what he calls 'the bomb' and a
powerful burst of the gases shot into the drain pipe. The second such
blast got the clog out.
I wasn't prepared for the force of 'the bomb', and a bunch of mucky,
stinky brown water pushed my fingers away from the overflow and splashed
all over the place.
But it was worth it and I didn't have to buy a snake, as was
recommended, and an expensive plumber didn't have to be called.
The manager said he got Plumber One at a Home Depot hardware store.
Thanks for your help, Melvalena.
Tony Max
Thanks, Kim.
I'd rather use Biodegreat than those toxic drain cleaners.
melvalena
I'm glad you got the problem fixed. Thanks for telling us about the
product you found. I didn't know such a thing existed. I'll have to go
get some to have on had should I ever need it.
On Fri, 03 Aug 2001 04:02:12 GMT, Tony Max <to...@design-write.com>
wrote:
>Thanks, Melavena.
>
>I would have tried your suggestion, but I had a guest over recently
>who's a handyman and he volunteered to try to fix the problem.
>
>He showed me how to do what you've explained above. Plus he took a coat
>hanger, straightened it and stuck that into the pipe that leads to the
>wall. He jiggled that around to loosen debris, but it didn't clear the drain.
>
>Anyway I learned how to do what you've explained and I found that it's
>quite simple and easy, so I'll know how to do it next time.
>
>Then I found a good solution with Plumber One, a canister of compressed,
>non-toxic gases. The manager of my building held the canister over the
>drain while I blocked the overflow with my fingers.
>
>The manager pressed the button on what he calls 'the bomb' and a
>powerful burst of the gases shot into the drain pipe. The second such
>blast got the clog out.
>
>I wasn't prepared for the force of 'the bomb', and a bunch of mucky,
>stinky brown water pushed my fingers away from the overflow and splashed
>all over the place.
>
>But it was worth it and I didn't have to buy a snake, as was
>recommended, and an expensive plumber didn't have to be called.
>
>The manager said he got Plumber One at a Home Depot hardware store.
>
>Thanks for your help, Melvalena.
--------
Remove the 2X to reply
k
For prevention, best tip I found was in a Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair book (one
of the most useful things I've ever bought).
Combine 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of cream of tartar in a bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of
it down each drain followed by 2 cups of BOILING water. I've been doing it weekly since I moved in
almost two years ago, and the drains are still running fine.
For a clogged drain, pour 1 cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by 1 pint of vinegar. In
fifteen minutes pour 2 or 3 cups of boiling water into the drain.
Actually, it's surprising what just plain old boiling water will do for speeding up a slowing drain --
must melt the soap scum out or something.