Plumbing!!! (Page 2): Vinegar is an acid. Baking soda is a base. They neutralize each other with no net effect. A worthless waste of time and materials. A straight acid (hydrochloric...

Wyantry Loc: SW Colorado

jerryc41 wrote:

The kitchen sink was draining slowly, so I began t... (show quote)

Vinegar is an acid. Baking soda is a base. They neutralize each other with no net effect. A worthless waste of time and materials.

A straight acid (hydrochloric or sulfuric) or a straight base (sodium hydroxide [lye]) dissolve organic materials yet do not attack most plumbing.

Be careful. Take precautions. Or call a professional.

Bret P Loc: California

I use a rubber gizmo that connects to a garden hose and swells up to fit the drain pipe and the pulses and shoots a stream of water to push the clog along. Any hardware/home depot etc should have them.

Works great when a plunger isn't enough. You put it in the pipe until it meets the clog, turn on the water and it pulses for a few minutes (you can feel it vibrate the floor). Then turn off the water and see if will go farther in, repeat. I've gone 50ft (my longest two hoses) and it did the trick.

Most kitchens have a clean-out outside that you can open to get better access to the drainpipe.

cruise4two

Bret P wrote:

I use a rubber gizmo that connects to a garden hos... (show quote)

The device you describe is often referred to as a plumber's "blow bag". Available in sizes to suit range of pipes. Places like Menards sell them. Work great especially if you can only access clog from one end of pipe.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

Jerry said that his kitchen sink was plugged, not his toilet. Any references to drain unblockers maybe reaching to 30' and weighing a 100lb or so are irrelevant. Our sink has an outside drain so all up there is maybe 2m (approx 7' for you oldies) with a U joint in the middle. It shouldn't take too much to unblock this depending on what the outside drain looks like (in our case you will know whether it is the kitchen drain or the main drain which is blocked depending on which is overflowing but no way has it anything to do with the long tube heading into the sky from your toilet). I have made an assumption that we are talking about a drain no older than say 50 years.

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

If the mains are cast iron (not the 4" main) I'm talking the 2" which dumps into the 4", that your 1.5" sink drain is draining into. Nickles to dimes if it is in fact cast, the opening (ID) is probably down to 1" if your lucky. Cast over time rusts and begins to scale, yes just like our arteries with plaque. I had one down to about 1/2" (the cast not my arteries) before replacing everything to PVC you could try what I did, ( Being a GC for 40+ yrs it wasn't a big deal being on a roof) was to buy time before the change over, up on the roof there should be a 4" vent (depending on the age of the house). Grab a few pieces of 18'-20' (whatever it is) metal pieces of electrical conduit, from above feed one down the vent, as you go Use Gorilla tape to connect the next, depending on the height of you house, two , maybe 3 is all you'll need, Scrape off the scaling as you go down. Worked for me till I was able to have it all replaced. Good luck Jerry, keep smiling to reduce stress.

Ollieboy

jerryc41 wrote:

The kitchen sink was draining slowly, so I began t... (show quote)

I've had good results with an enzyme cleaner called "Green Gobbler" sold at Home Depot, Lowes and Amazon.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Ava'sPapa wrote:

I had great success with this method a number of years back, Jerry. Hook up your garden hose outside and ( I used a nozzle as illustrated here ) place the nozzle into the drain and tightly pack the circumference with a towel and hold the towel down with one hand. After turning the water on, the pressure cleared the obstruction in both cases. I passed this on to friends and as far as I know it worked for all of them too.

Unfortunately, I have two 90° turns before getting to the main line. I ran 24' of snake through it last night several times. I think it's clear because I was able to pour several glasses of water into it. I'm afraid to test it for real, though.

The sink drain line is plugged, and that runs to the main line out of the house after passing through the laundry room/bathroom. All of that drains fine, so it must be plugged between the kitchen and the laundry room.

For $100, I can get a high-pressure flexible hose which I would have to connect to a pressure washer. Not interested!

I love the drill-powered snakes! I can hold it steady with the drill and the handle while I spin it fast, moving it back and forth in the pipe. Most of them come with a nice pair of gloves, something you definitely want to use.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Ollieboy wrote:

I've had good results with an enzyme cleaner called "Green Gobbler" sold at Home Depot, Lowes and Amazon.

The problem with chemicals is that they don't go beyond the opening in the pipe. I tried the baking soda/vinegar thing, and it just foamed all over the floor. The snake is the only thing I can use. I'm accumulating quite a collection of them. My next step is to order a 50' drill-powered snake.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

OnDSnap wrote:

If the mains are cast iron (not the 4" main) ... (show quote)

Clever idea. You're talking about running conduit down the vent pipe to clear that?

The pipe that runs into the septic tank is free flowing, as I've had to uncover it several times.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Bret P wrote:

I use a rubber gizmo that connects to a garden hos... (show quote)

I have two 90° turns right away and another 90° shorty after that. A garden hose would never make those turns.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

jerryc41 wrote:

The kitchen sink was draining slowly, so I began t... (show quote)

Jerry I used an old speedometer cable that was about 25 feet long with one frayed, but sadly it has disintegrated,
I now use muriatic acid making sure I don't spill any on the SS sink I use a funnel made from an empty vinegar bottle. and flush for at least twenty mins. with water
The blockage is usually built up grease that hardens almost like concrete.
The last time my sink drain stopped up I called the plumber $125 he had it open two week later SOS, after I got the line open (I had found my old snake (50fter ), I used the acid now I give the drain a drink of the acid once a year.

And if you have to be told to take precautions for your own safety DON"T TRY IT!!!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Manglesphoto wrote:

Jerry I used an old speedometer cable that was about 25 feet long with one frayed, but sadly it has disintegrated,
I now use muriatic acid making sure I don't spill any on the SS sink I use a funnel made from an empty vinegar bottle.
And if you have to be told to take precautions for your own safety DON"T TRY IT!!!

One thing I wonder about when pouring anything into a clogged drain. The clog is ten feet from the sink drain, so there is ten feet of water between the drain and the clog. How can anything get through the water to the clog? Except a snake.

Ava'sPapa Loc: Cheshire, Ct.

jerryc41 wrote:

Unfortunately, I have two 90° turns before getting... (show quote)

The hose just has to be inserted at the opening to the drain and then you cram a towel ( and hold it ) around the remaining opening so that the water pressure pushes the obstruction out. So, the 90 degree turns are of no consequence. Might be worth a try. If that doesn't work, I'd call a professional. But, I'd bet...

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Ava'sPapa wrote:

The hose just has to be inserted at the opening to the drain and then you cram a towel around the remaining opening so that the water pressure pushes the obstruction out. So, the 90 degree turns are of no consequence. Might be worth a try. It's free.

Be prepared to get a bath with this method!!

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

jerryc41 wrote:

One thing I wonder about when pouring anything into a clogged drain. The clog is ten feet from the sink drain, so there is ten feet of water between the drain and the clog. How can anything get through the water to the clog? Except a snake.

I updated my post