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#1
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands
overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? |
#2
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On 7/9/2012 10:38 AM, Ray wrote:
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? I've used boiling water, with Dawn dish detergent added after heating it, and poured slowly into the drain. This was not a totally clogged drain. |
#3
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 9, 10:38*am, "Ray" wrote:
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? My experience has always been that none of the drain cleaners, whether liquid or dry type, have been effective at clearing blocked drains. At most, they made it a little better and it was soon back to where it was again. Only a snake has worked for me. As for soft drinks working, forget about it. Most of the drain cleaners are based on alkalines, not acids. But whether acid or base, the cleaners are orders of magnitude more powerful than a soft drink like soda. |
#4
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On 7/9/2012 9:38 AM, Ray wrote:
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Like most all generalities/home remedies "yes and no" There are any number of drain cleaners on the market that are more or less effective depending on just how badly and what a clogged drain may be clogged with. One problem w/ many of the more aggressive cleaners is the conditions of the pipes themselves; particularly if metal. The cleaner can be the final straw that eats through a thin point... Carbonated drinks are dilute acids so indeed do have some of the same properties. Whether they're strong enough to do any good for any given case depends on the above conditions. Being much less aggressive than the stronger commercial products they are safer in the sense of being unlikely to cause a failure--otoh, being weaker they're less likely to be successful in a hard case or at least not w/o either a very long time to work (which means can't use the sink for anything else for that same long time) or many applications (which tends to wipe out any cost differential) So, "all depends" -- |
#5
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 9, 7:38*am, "Ray" wrote:
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? As per the other posts......once the drain is completely blocked, liquid cleanser seldom work, mechanical intervention is typically needed. The overnight stuff is DrainCare enzyme / bacteria powder but you have to to have some flow to distribute the stuff. I use this & highly recommend it as a preventative measure. http://www.amazon.com/Enforcer-DC16-...zep+drain+care cheers Bob |
#6
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
Ray wrote:
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/01...13_500X500.jpg |
#7
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 9, 10:38*am, "Ray" wrote:
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? My long haired wife and daughters clog up our shower and sink drains at least twice a year. I've settle on a non-chemical fix: I dismantle the drains, pull out the dead-rat looking mass of hair and soap scum and then put the drains back together. It takes about a half hour and I know that the drain is perfectly clear until next time. No chemicals and no cost other than my time. Oh yeah...one more step: I bitch at the ladies telling them that if they'd remove the hair instead of washing it down the drain, I wouldn't have to take the drains apart twice a year. |
#8
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Mon, 9 Jul 2012 09:09:11 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote: On Jul 9, 10:38*am, "Ray" wrote: A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? My long haired wife and daughters clog up our shower and sink drains at least twice a year. I've settle on a non-chemical fix: I dismantle the drains, pull out the dead-rat looking mass of hair and soap scum and then put the drains back together. It takes about a half hour and I know that the drain is perfectly clear until next time. No chemicals and no cost other than my time. Oh yeah...one more step: I bitch at the ladies telling them that if they'd remove the hair instead of washing it down the drain, I wouldn't have to take the drains apart twice a year. From my experience, you are better off talking to the wall !!!! |
#9
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
That's what I need.
The immediate blockage has been dislodged. I want something to prevent future blockage. Thanks, Ray "DD_BobK" wrote in message ... On Jul 9, 7:38 am, "Ray" wrote: A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? As per the other posts......once the drain is completely blocked, liquid cleanser seldom work, mechanical intervention is typically needed. The overnight stuff is DrainCare enzyme / bacteria powder but you have to to have some flow to distribute the stuff. I use this & highly recommend it as a preventative measure. http://www.amazon.com/Enforcer-DC16-...zep+drain+care cheers Bob |
#10
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 9, 7:38*am, "Ray" wrote:
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Don't know about the solution, but about using carbonated beverages... Back in the student days when one was forced to live in accomodations less than one would put up with today; four of us lived in a rented house [to save money it still took all four of us]. The landlord did not really clean up too well after the previous tenants, so we had one upstairs sink that was so clogged with some type of gunk [could be seen looking down through the overflow] it seemed to drain faster with the plug in than with the plug out. We tried every process we could think of, hot water, pumping, etc, every chemical we could find, including gasoline and paint thinner - after all we were desparate to get this sink cleaned up for use. Absolutely nothing touched the sludgy, ?? gunk. In an act of frustration and desparation I poured my bottle of Pepis into the overflow. The reaction was incredible. Foaming, billing out, then suddenly 'flump' like sound as everything just went down the drain. I continued to pour the remaining soda down the overflow to watch foaming completely clean the view. Until voila! the sink was totally brought back to original draining operation - fixed! Plus, much of the metal was shiney again. |
#11
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 9, 7:38*am, "Ray" wrote:
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? just remembered... kitchen of the private club in downtown San Jose, CA on the top floor of the tallest building went for about one year before the grease buildup in the drain systems caught up to them. Then the drains clogged big time, backing up several 'lower' tenants' drains, visibly running water down stairwell! - causing $1000's ++ damages the club was liable for! After that experience they started adding enzymes to the drains and then have gone for over 15 years without another problem. Don't know which product, but suspect it's well known among restarants and pubs. |
#12
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 9, 7:38 am, "Ray" wrote:
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? First thing I always do is pour a few pots of boiling water down the drain. If that doesn't work, I disconnect the drain pipe at the wall connection, and clean it out with metal coat hander or short snake ($10 or so at Home Depot). My experience is that drains tend to plug up in the horizontal runs. If that doesn't work, call a rooter service - typically $50-100 max to do a whole small house. Well worth the money. They are pros and carry insurance. One comment about Drano.... If you use it, be sure to follow the directions and don't experiment with it. Too much could make it spew hot gases back up into the room and if you breathe it or get it on your skin or eyes, it's big trouble. And especially don't pour soda into a drain that already has Drano or other chemicals in it. That's an acid-base reaction and is likely to do serious damage. I'm a chemist by education and would never do this. |
#13
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
The wall won't withhold sex?
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "Doug" wrote in message ... Oh yeah...one more step: I bitch at the ladies telling them that if they'd remove the hair instead of washing it down the drain, I wouldn't have to take the drains apart twice a year. From my experience, you are better off talking to the wall !!!! |
#14
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
Sounds like you had a lime / calcium scale problem, if Pepis cleared it.
Some drain cleaners have hydrochloric acid, which will have similar effect to Pepis, but some what stronger. Well, the old formula Pepis might have been stronger than now days. Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "Robert Macy" wrote in message ... Don't know about the solution, but about using carbonated beverages... Back in the student days when one was forced to live in accomodations less than one would put up with today; four of us lived in a rented house [to save money it still took all four of us]. The landlord did not really clean up too well after the previous tenants, so we had one upstairs sink that was so clogged with some type of gunk [could be seen looking down through the overflow] it seemed to drain faster with the plug in than with the plug out. We tried every process we could think of, hot water, pumping, etc, every chemical we could find, including gasoline and paint thinner - after all we were desparate to get this sink cleaned up for use. Absolutely nothing touched the sludgy, ?? gunk. In an act of frustration and desparation I poured my bottle of Pepis into the overflow. The reaction was incredible. Foaming, billing out, then suddenly 'flump' like sound as everything just went down the drain. I continued to pour the remaining soda down the overflow to watch foaming completely clean the view. Until voila! the sink was totally brought back to original draining operation - fixed! Plus, much of the metal was shiney again. |
#15
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
"Ray" wrote in message ... A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Ray... A quick and easy way. Buy a Zip It at Home Depot or Ace Hardware about $2. This is a plastic thing about 2 feet long with saw looking teeth. Very flexible and will bend to go around the pea trap. Fast and drags out hair and crud. Check it out on Google. This saves my taking the trap apart and works in a couple minutes of my time. WW |
#16
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Mon, 9 Jul 2012 21:50:13 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote: The wall won't withhold sex? Not if you make a hole in the wall for the right size and include a few dirty mags just in case the hole isn't enough. I don't recommend this but perhaps only as a last resort. |
#17
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which
stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. I've settle on a non-chemical fix: I dismantle the drains, pull out the dead-rat looking mass of hair and soap scum and then put the drains back together. It takes about a half hour and I know that the drain is perfectly clear until next time. No chemicals and no cost other than my time. We're on a private septic system, so we try not to pour chemicals down our drains. Like you, we simply pull the trap assemblies apart a couple times a year and clean them out. The vast majority of the hair and gunk is within the first foot or so of the drains, so this gets us free flowing pipes again. My wife actually takes ours apart and cleans them out. She thinks it's "fun". Saves me the messy job. Anthony |
#18
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 9, 6:52*pm, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote: Sounds like you had a lime / calcium scale problem, if Pepis cleared it. Some drain cleaners have hydrochloric acid, which will have similar effect to Pepis, but some what stronger. Well, the old formula Pepis might have been stronger than now days. Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus *www.lds.org . "Robert Macy" wrote in message .... Don't know about the solution, but about using carbonated beverages... Back in the student days when one was forced to live in accomodations less than one would put up with today; four of us lived in a rented house [to save money it still took all four of us]. The landlord did not really clean up too well after the previous tenants, so we had one upstairs sink that was so clogged with some type of gunk [could be seen looking down through the overflow] it seemed to drain faster with the plug in than with the plug out. We tried every process we could think of, hot water, pumping, etc, every chemical we could find, including gasoline and paint thinner - after all we were desparate to get this sink cleaned up for use. Absolutely nothing touched the sludgy, ?? gunk. In an act of frustration and desparation I poured my bottle of Pepis into the overflow. The reaction was incredible. Foaming, billing out, then suddenly 'flump' like sound as everything just went down the drain. I continued to pour the remaining soda down the overflow to watch foaming completely clean the view. Until voila! the sink was totally brought back to original draining operation - fixed! Plus, much of the metal was shiney again. "Pepis"?! ...three times?....yeah, just rub it in. |
#19
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 9, 4:34*pm, Robert Macy wrote:
On Jul 9, 7:38*am, "Ray" wrote: A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Don't know about the solution, but about using carbonated beverages... Back in the student days when one was forced to live in accomodations less than one would put up with today; four of us lived in a rented house [to save money it still took all four of us]. The landlord did not really clean up too well after the previous tenants, so we had one upstairs sink that was so clogged with some type of gunk [could be seen looking down through the overflow] it seemed to drain faster with the plug in than with the plug out. We tried every process we could think of, hot water, pumping, etc, every chemical we could find, including gasoline and paint thinner - after all we were desparate to get this sink cleaned up for use. Absolutely nothing touched the sludgy, ?? gunk. In an act of frustration and desparation I poured my bottle of Pepis into the overflow. The reaction was incredible. Foaming, billing out, then suddenly 'flump' like sound as everything just went down the drain. I continued to pour the remaining soda down the overflow to watch foaming completely clean the view. Until voila! the sink was totally brought back to original draining operation - fixed! Plus, much of the metal was shiney again. It was probably the foaming action of the soda, not the acidic reaction that cleared the drain. |
#20
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
Yes, I can be a bit of a jerk, at times.
Inherited, from the male line of my family. Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "Robert Macy" wrote in message ... "Pepis"?! ...three times?....yeah, just rub it in. |
#21
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On 7/9/2012 9:26 PM, WW wrote:
"Ray" wrote in message ... A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Ray... A quick and easy way. Buy a Zip It at Home Depot or Ace Hardware about $2. This is a plastic thing about 2 feet long with saw looking teeth. Very flexible and will bend to go around the pea trap. Fast and drags out hair and crud. Check it out on Google. This saves my taking the trap apart and works in a couple minutes of my time. WW I want to second, third, and fourth this recommendation. The Zip-its are dirt cheap so they're disposable if you don't feel like cleaning them after use. The backwards-facing teeth hold onto the crud and gunk while you yank the Zip-it back up through the drain. Pull all the junk off it, then run it through the drain one more time to make sure. Problem solved in less than five minutes and for about two dollars. No chemicals, no snake, no disassembling the plumbing. Whoever invented these deserves a medal. |
#22
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 11, 11:09*am, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 7/9/2012 9:26 PM, WW wrote: "Ray" wrote in message ... A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Ray... A quick and easy way. *Buy a Zip It at Home Depot or Ace Hardware about $2. This is a plastic thing about 2 feet long with saw looking teeth. Very flexible and will bend to go around the pea trap. Fast and drags out hair and crud. Check it out on Google. This saves my taking the trap apart and works in a couple minutes of my time. WW I want to second, third, and fourth this recommendation. The Zip-its are dirt cheap so they're disposable if you don't feel like cleaning them after use. The backwards-facing teeth hold onto the crud and gunk while you yank the Zip-it back up through the drain. Pull all the junk off it, then run it through the drain one more time to make sure. Problem solved in less than five minutes and for about two dollars. No chemicals, no snake, no disassembling the plumbing. Whoever invented these deserves a medal. Before I'll agree with your "no disassembling the plumbing" claim, I'll have to try it on my pedestal sink. How long is the tool? This issue might be the length of the tool vs. the location of the recurring clog. The pedestal sink has an extension before the trap, then after the trap the drain continues into the wall and then makes a 90 degree turn down the stud bay toward the floor. The clog typically occurs at the connection for that 90 degree turn. If the zip-it isn't long enough to reach that point, I'll still have to disassemble the drain in order to access the clog that is just inside the wall. I love the look of the pedestal sink, but working on the drain/trap assembly is a major pain since you can't easily get a wrench on anything inside the pedestal. Unfortunately, there's wainscoting with it's associated cap and base moulding behind the sink, so opening the wall to see if I can reconfigure the 90 in some manner as to prevent the clog isn't feasible unless I plan to redo the wall. |
#23
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On 7/11/2012 10:51 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Jul 11, 11:09 am, Hell Toupee wrote: On 7/9/2012 9:26 PM, WW wrote: "Ray" wrote in message ... A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Ray... A quick and easy way. Buy a Zip It at Home Depot or Ace Hardware about $2. This is a plastic thing about 2 feet long with saw looking teeth. Very flexible and will bend to go around the pea trap. Fast and drags out hair and crud. Check it out on Google. This saves my taking the trap apart and works in a couple minutes of my time. WW I want to second, third, and fourth this recommendation. The Zip-its are dirt cheap so they're disposable if you don't feel like cleaning them after use. The backwards-facing teeth hold onto the crud and gunk while you yank the Zip-it back up through the drain. Pull all the junk off it, then run it through the drain one more time to make sure. Problem solved in less than five minutes and for about two dollars. No chemicals, no snake, no disassembling the plumbing. Whoever invented these deserves a medal. Before I'll agree with your "no disassembling the plumbing" claim, I'll have to try it on my pedestal sink. How long is the tool? 20 inches, 18 of that is usable. See http://zipitclean.com/faq/ The company says they recommend using a snake for blockages that are further down the drain than that. But using the Zip it on an occasional basis in the future will greatly reduce the odds of such a blockage recurring. I see one of the customer comments is about using these to clean out vacuum cleaner hoses. I hadn't thought of that. I'd cobble two together to make an extra-long one for fishing through a vacuum cleaner hose. At any rate, it's cheap, it's simple to use, so you're out very little money or effort to try it first. |
#24
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 11, 12:38*pm, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 7/11/2012 10:51 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote: On Jul 11, 11:09 am, Hell Toupee wrote: On 7/9/2012 9:26 PM, WW wrote: "Ray" wrote in message ... A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Ray... A quick and easy way. *Buy a Zip It at Home Depot or Ace Hardware about $2. This is a plastic thing about 2 feet long with saw looking teeth. Very flexible and will bend to go around the pea trap. Fast and drags out hair and crud. Check it out on Google. This saves my taking the trap apart and works in a couple minutes of my time. WW I want to second, third, and fourth this recommendation. The Zip-its are dirt cheap so they're disposable if you don't feel like cleaning them after use. The backwards-facing teeth hold onto the crud and gunk while you yank the Zip-it back up through the drain. Pull all the junk off it, then run it through the drain one more time to make sure. Problem solved in less than five minutes and for about two dollars. No chemicals, no snake, no disassembling the plumbing. Whoever invented these deserves a medal. Before I'll agree with your "no disassembling the plumbing" claim, I'll have to try it on my pedestal sink. How long is the tool? 20 inches, 18 of that is usable. Seehttp://zipitclean.com/faq/ The company says they recommend using a snake for blockages that are further down the drain than that. But using the Zip it on an occasional basis in the future will greatly reduce the odds of such a blockage recurring. I see one of the customer comments is about using these to clean out vacuum cleaner hoses. I hadn't thought of that. I'd cobble two together to make an extra-long one for fishing through a vacuum cleaner hose. At any rate, it's cheap, it's simple to use, so you're out very little money or effort to try it first.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I've used all of these methods to clean out a vacuum hose at one time or another: 1 - Connect the hose to the "output" end of the vacuum cleaner and blow the blockage out. 2 - Drop a weight down the hose and shake it so the weight pounds the blockage and dislodges it. 3 - Put a garden hose in the vacuum hose and use water pressure to dislodge the blockage. Yes, the last one is a bit extreme, and you should let the hose dry out before you use it, but trust me, it works. |
#25
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 11, 12:38*pm, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 7/11/2012 10:51 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote: On Jul 11, 11:09 am, Hell Toupee wrote: On 7/9/2012 9:26 PM, WW wrote: "Ray" wrote in message ... A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Ray... A quick and easy way. *Buy a Zip It at Home Depot or Ace Hardware about $2. This is a plastic thing about 2 feet long with saw looking teeth. Very flexible and will bend to go around the pea trap. Fast and drags out hair and crud. Check it out on Google. This saves my taking the trap apart and works in a couple minutes of my time. WW I want to second, third, and fourth this recommendation. The Zip-its are dirt cheap so they're disposable if you don't feel like cleaning them after use. The backwards-facing teeth hold onto the crud and gunk while you yank the Zip-it back up through the drain. Pull all the junk off it, then run it through the drain one more time to make sure. Problem solved in less than five minutes and for about two dollars. No chemicals, no snake, no disassembling the plumbing. Whoever invented these deserves a medal. Before I'll agree with your "no disassembling the plumbing" claim, I'll have to try it on my pedestal sink. How long is the tool? 20 inches, 18 of that is usable. Seehttp://zipitclean.com/faq/ The company says they recommend using a snake for blockages that are further down the drain than that. But using the Zip it on an occasional basis in the future will greatly reduce the odds of such a blockage recurring. Why do you say that? If the hair never gets hung up within the reach of the Zip It, what purpose would using it "on an occasional basis" serve? You must be assuming that some hair remains within reach of the tool for a period of time and then suddenly, or perhaps over time, moves its way farther down and out of reach. I'm not sure why you would make that assumption. It has certainly never been my experience to find some small amount of hair in the trap or above when I disassemble the drain to get to the section inside the wall. I see one of the customer comments is about using these to clean out vacuum cleaner hoses. I hadn't thought of that. I'd cobble two together to make an extra-long one for fishing through a vacuum cleaner hose. At any rate, it's cheap, it's simple to use, so you're out very little money or effort to try it first.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
#26
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On 7/11/2012 3:28 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Jul 11, 12:38 pm, Hell Toupee wrote: On 7/11/2012 10:51 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote: On Jul 11, 11:09 am, Hell Toupee wrote: On 7/9/2012 9:26 PM, WW wrote: "Ray" wrote in message ... A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Ray... A quick and easy way. Buy a Zip It at Home Depot or Ace Hardware about $2. This is a plastic thing about 2 feet long with saw looking teeth. Very flexible and will bend to go around the pea trap. Fast and drags out hair and crud. Check it out on Google. This saves my taking the trap apart and works in a couple minutes of my time. WW I want to second, third, and fourth this recommendation. The Zip-its are dirt cheap so they're disposable if you don't feel like cleaning them after use. The backwards-facing teeth hold onto the crud and gunk while you yank the Zip-it back up through the drain. Pull all the junk off it, then run it through the drain one more time to make sure. Problem solved in less than five minutes and for about two dollars. No chemicals, no snake, no disassembling the plumbing. Whoever invented these deserves a medal. Before I'll agree with your "no disassembling the plumbing" claim, I'll have to try it on my pedestal sink. How long is the tool? 20 inches, 18 of that is usable. Seehttp://zipitclean.com/faq/ The company says they recommend using a snake for blockages that are further down the drain than that. But using the Zip it on an occasional basis in the future will greatly reduce the odds of such a blockage recurring. Why do you say that? If the hair never gets hung up within the reach of the Zip It, what purpose would using it "on an occasional basis" serve? Because stuff could be getting hung up initially within the reach of the Zip it, so removing it before it has a chance to move farther on down, lodge and accumulate more would be prudent. You must be assuming that some hair remains within reach of the tool for a period of time and then suddenly, or perhaps over time, moves its way farther down and out of reach. Hey, you know what? That's actually been known to happen! I'm not sure why you would make that assumption. It has certainly never been my experience to find some small amount of hair in the trap or above when I disassemble the drain to get to the section inside the wall. So that's been your experience with your plumbing. Many other people have had different experiences. A lot of clogged traps have been disassembled over the years. It's a shame that your setup is somehow making it harder for you to clear blockages. |
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Cleaning sink drain? ? ?
On Jul 11, 4:52*pm, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 7/11/2012 3:28 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote: On Jul 11, 12:38 pm, Hell Toupee wrote: On 7/11/2012 10:51 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote: On Jul 11, 11:09 am, Hell Toupee wrote: On 7/9/2012 9:26 PM, WW wrote: "Ray" wrote in message ... A friend tells me that there is a cleaning solution available which stands overnight in sink drains to clear away grease build-up. He also said that he had learned through some "tip sheet" that carbonated soft drinks accomplish the same thing and are cheaper when you get them on sale. Is this correct? Ray... A quick and easy way. *Buy a Zip It at Home Depot or Ace Hardware about $2. This is a plastic thing about 2 feet long with saw looking teeth. Very flexible and will bend to go around the pea trap. Fast and drags out hair and crud. Check it out on Google. This saves my taking the trap apart and works in a couple minutes of my time. WW I want to second, third, and fourth this recommendation. The Zip-its are dirt cheap so they're disposable if you don't feel like cleaning them after use. The backwards-facing teeth hold onto the crud and gunk while you yank the Zip-it back up through the drain. Pull all the junk off it, then run it through the drain one more time to make sure. Problem solved in less than five minutes and for about two dollars. No chemicals, no snake, no disassembling the plumbing. Whoever invented these deserves a medal. Before I'll agree with your "no disassembling the plumbing" claim, I'll have to try it on my pedestal sink. How long is the tool? 20 inches, 18 of that is usable. Seehttp://zipitclean.com/faq/ The company says they recommend using a snake for blockages that are further down the drain than that. But using the Zip it on an occasional basis in the future will greatly reduce the odds of such a blockage recurring. Why do you say that? If the hair never gets hung up within the reach of the Zip It, what purpose would using it "on an occasional basis" serve? Because stuff could be getting hung up initially within the reach of the Zip it, so removing it before it has a chance to move farther on down, lodge and accumulate more would be prudent. You must be assuming that some hair remains within reach of the tool for a period of time and then suddenly, or perhaps over time, moves its way farther down and out of reach. Hey, you know what? That's actually been known to happen! I'm not sure why you would make that assumption. It has certainly never been my experience to find some small amount of hair in the trap or above when I disassemble the drain to get to the section inside the wall. So that's been your experience with your plumbing. Many other people have had different experiences. A lot of clogged traps have been disassembled over the years. It's a shame that your setup is somehow making it harder for you to clear blockages. So how about we change the words "*will* greatly reduce the odds of such a blockage recurring" to "*might* greatly reduce the odds of such a blockage recurring"? That was the only point of my response. In my case, I do not believe it will. |
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