A sodium hydroxide (lye) crystal drain opener is better than anything else, in my experience. I was introduced to Thrift by a plumber and haven't needed to call him since.
how often does your sink clog?
- Thread starter anoop
- Start date
If it's an older home, it could be several things. I raised 6 children in an older home before selling it after they all were grown and gone, so I have a bit of experience with drains and plumbing.
1. Are there any females, using the same bathroom?
2. If there are, do they comb or brush their hair over the sink?
3. Many older homes in older neighborhoods, the plumbing structures could be a 2"-4"-6" instead of a 3"-6"-9". So the drain pipes from your sink to your underground plumbing is only 2" diameter. The underground could going out to the cities main might only be 4" and if it's older city plumbing structure, the cities main running underneath your neighborhood street, could only be 6" in diameter. More modern plumbing is 3-6-9.
4. some older home plumbing also use an S-trap over a P-trap. An S-trap holds so much water that the water and solids coming into the trap will not be pulled directly through, which can allow for the accumulation of solids in the bottom of the trap. This makes s-traps more prone to, while appearing to be clogged, it just never really drains thoroughly enough to push waste and debris thru. Especially in older homes with older plumbing and weaker pressures. So add a few head of hairs and the smega mixture of a good, fatty shave lather with some whiskers? It can and will come back up because it can't get past all the water in the s-trap.
5. Lets only hope it isn't a Drum Trap. Drum Traps have alot in common with s-traps by having to much water sitting in the trap in order to push thru more semi solid wastes. Drum traps are also impossible to snake, unless the cover to the trap is exposed and removed, which generally means tearing into the wall behind the sink.
If I had to tear into a wall to remove the cover on a drum trap, I would just remove the trap instead.
I'm not a plumber, my laymans knowledge comes directly from spending many years, keeping the wife and daughters from brushing their hair over the sinks, making sure female teenagers aren't flushing feminine products and reminding teenage boys to dump, then flush, then wipe, then flush again.
simon1
Self Ignored by Vista
^^^ What these guys said. I usually use baking soda and vinegar. Then flush the drain with hot tap water; I've never used boiling water.
Taking the trap out and cleaning it manually every once in awhile can help also. Easy to do.
How to Unclog Drain with Baking Soda and Vinegar | Liquid-Plumr®
Baking soda and vinegar offer a natural diy drain cleaning solution for everyday clogs and routine cleans. For tougher cases, use Liquid-Plumr® drain cleaner.
When I was a kid Dad showed me how to put a little vinegar in the bottom of a glass pop bottle, wrap some baking soda in a piece of tissue paper and twist the ends, then drop the baking soda in the bottle and put a cork in the top. In a few seconds the pressure would blow the cork out. Good times.
I have not had any problems that a Zip-It did not fix, but I think the vinegar and baking soda approach is good. I have read that pouring a cola, something with phosphoric acid and letting it sit in the drains can be a preventative approach, but I have not tried it and it might be too dilute to have much effect.
If you did not see this thread, you might find it interesting:
www.badgerandblade.com
If you did not see this thread, you might find it interesting:
Can shaving soap clog your sink?
This may sound like a stupid question but I ask it because since I've taken up shaving as a hobby and use only quality soaps, my bathroom sink blocks up about every 2 years. Two years ago I ran a snake thru it and now here I am again with the water draining very slow. I don't get hairs or other...
www.badgerandblade.com
Not sure if this was the one I saw but it's something like this.
REGALMIX Bathroom Sink Drain, Vessel Sink Pop Up Drain With Detachable Basket Stopper, Anti-Explosion And Anti-Clogging Drain Strainer, Sink Drain Assembly Without Overflow Polished Chrome, RWF082A. - - Amazon.com
REGALMIX Bathroom Sink Drain, Vessel Sink Pop Up Drain With Detachable Basket Stopper, Anti-Explosion And Anti-Clogging Drain Strainer, Sink Drain Assembly Without Overflow Polished Chrome, RWF082A. - - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I try to do a full sink rinse at least one a week, which helps keep the pipes flushed. I do have long hair, and have a pair of pliers for keening the plughole clear of hairs that have looped over the drain. Maybe once or twice a year, I need to put something else down to shift something more stubborn than a hot water rinse will shift. I usually start with baking powder and vinegar, and have had to go for a chemical drain cleaner maybe four times in the last seven years.
Hard water leads to a lot more clogs than soft water.
Getting a water softener for our home was one of the best things we've ever done. It seemed expensive at the time, but it's saved us a bundle by extending the lives of our appliances and clothing as well as avoiding plumbing issues (not the least of which are clogged drains). It also just happens to feel nice.
In 21 years, the toughest maintenance we've had to do on the thing is fill the salt bin, and that's only every several months or so. If I ever let the salt get very low, I might take the opportunity to rinse out that bin. That's about all there's been to it.
Getting a water softener for our home was one of the best things we've ever done. It seemed expensive at the time, but it's saved us a bundle by extending the lives of our appliances and clothing as well as avoiding plumbing issues (not the least of which are clogged drains). It also just happens to feel nice.
In 21 years, the toughest maintenance we've had to do on the thing is fill the salt bin, and that's only every several months or so. If I ever let the salt get very low, I might take the opportunity to rinse out that bin. That's about all there's been to it.
I have had success with Green Gobbler Enzyme drain cleaner. Biodegradable. Easy on the environment and pipes. Didn't want to mess with Draino. Has aluminum and reacts to heat up in your pipes. Plus heavy with other chemicals.
Similar threads
