Plumbing question

[thunderchicken]

Longhair - is it available at local hardware stores or only available through plumbing supply houses?
Just curious as some supply houses don't sell to the public

 

[woowoo2]

Personally, I would never use a chemical to clean drains.
I use a mechanical device, go slow, and prevent damaging my pipes.
On a slab, busted drain pipes are a big deal.

This is my favorite type of medium duty snake.
https://express.google.com/product/...campaign=gsx&dclid=CICPv7WC6tsCFcNCAQodW0IH2g

 

[Expat]

I have to snake out my drain lines every 4-5 years (I shouldn't wash my garden stuff in the kitchen sink). I was having some gurgling and slowness this year and ran some green gobbler down the drain. Cleaned it right up this time.

 

[1911ly]

If you have a septic tank try to a avoid the chemicals. If you are hearing gurgling sounds then you have a blockage to the vent. Air has to go somewhere. Back out the drain signals a blockage or lack of a vent.

I don't know how old your house and or plumbing is, but you might want to look in the attic to see if it has a vent in to the attic. They are prone to fail (stick). Every sink should have a vent if the house is new enough.

My house is old and I have one vent and because of it I am prone to gurgles in the addition. And clogs on that end of the house. The air needs a place to go as the water flows.

 

[Mgderf]

Gurgling is a symptom of either partially clogged drains or vent pipe.
If the problem is only in the sink area, then chances are that's also where the problem is.

One other solution I have not seen mentioned here is a wet-vac.
Some will scoff, but I've cleared dozens of clogs over the years using a wet-vac.

Fill both sides of the sink with water. This is to create sufficient suction.
Wrap a wet towel or dishcloth around the wet-vac hose to seal it to the rain as much as possible.
Someone actually makes a device that does this. It looks like a plunger with a hole in the middle.

Once the sink is full, shove the hose into the drain side (not disposal side. It's harder to seal to) and turn on the wet-vac.
You may or may not retrieve whatever the obstruction is, but may very well pull it loose enough for it to wash down the drain.

You can also solve some drain issues by running a snake (full sized, like 3") directly down the vent pipe from the roof.
It takes more cable, but may prevent a terrible mess in the house.

I've use both methods above with great success, but not 100%.

Good lluck.

 

[Longhair]

Longhair - is it available at local hardware stores or only available through plumbing supply houses?
Just curious as some supply houses don't sell to the public

I don't think so but I think you can buy online at like Amazon, I work for a plumbing company and get it from a supply house.

It works great as you can see if you read the reviews in the link I posted. You must use hot tap water and it generates heat thru chemical reaction and boils thru grease and soap scum.
Amazes me every time I use it!

I would also recommend you install a quick vent if you live in an older home lacking proper venting. > https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/plumbing/how-to-install-air-admittance-valve/

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I don't think so but I think you can buy online at like Amazon, I work for a plumbing company and get it from a supply house.

It works great as you can see if you read the reviews in the link I posted. You must use hot tap water and it generates heat thru chemical reaction and boils thru grease and soap scum.
Amazes me every time I use it!

I would also recommend you install a quick vent if you live in an older home lacking proper venting. > https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/plumbing/how-to-install-air-admittance-valve/

It looks like it's for sale on the link you posted, or do you have to be a licensed plumber to buy from them?

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

You can also solve some drain issues by running a snake (full sized, like 3") directly down the vent pipe from the roof.
It takes more cable, but may prevent a terrible mess in the house.

My MIL's house has ductile iron waste pipes. There was a recurring clog problem in the bathroom plumbing that I'd fix by running a snake down the toilet or bathtub from inside. It was always a dirty job and even though I could get it running, it never seemed to run as well as it should.

Last time, I got a heavy duty snake, like a 1/2" or 5/8" coil spring type, and I got on the roof and snaked it down the bathroom vent stack. I put a garden hose going full blast down the top of the stack as I rodded the snake up and down, advancing a bit at a time, until I knew the tip of the snake was in the pipe outside the house. That was three years ago, and those drains are still running fine (knocking on wood).

 

[Longhair]

It looks like it's for sale on the link you posted, or do you have to be a licensed plumber to buy from them?

Not sure never bought from them, I wouldn't think so. It's drain cleaner not anthrax they just try to discourage stupid people from using it.

Follow the directions it can mess you up if it gets in your eyes.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Not sure never bought from them, I wouldn't think so. It's drain cleaner not anthrax they just try to discourage stupid people from using it.

Follow the directions it can mess you up if it gets in your eyes.

I wish I'd have seen it sooner. Had a nasty clog in our kitchen sink last week and my little cheapo snake wouldn't touch it. Wound up paying to have it snaked. I've never had any luck with "supermarket" drain openers, so this looks promising if I get another clog. I did find it on Amazon. Prices vary from 12 bucks and change to 30 bucks and change. Still a lot cheaper than having it snaked by a plumber! I'm starting to use Bio-Clean now as preventive maintenance, so hopefully it will stay clear.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I had a problem with the plastic P-trap under the kitchen sink seeping brownish black stuff at the joints. I'd replaced it several times and it always came back after a year or so. Looking at it, I had wondered if the really hot water from the dishwasher might be causing the slip-joint connectors of the P-trap to expand and contract and loosen over time. So, I finally added a Tee on the PVC line that the P-tap hooked into and I added a separate line, with it's own pvc trap and an air vent, and I hooked the dishwasher drain into that line, instead of the P-trap, where most of them are connected. That was 5 or 6 years ago and it turns out it's fixed the problem. The P-trap still looks like it's brand new, and the hot, hot water from the dishwasher goes into it's own PVC line.