I have an issue with the kitchen sink. The water won't drain away. I
have had a look at the plumbing under the sink and it is a U bend as
follows.

\
\ \\\\\\\\\\\\----
\ \
\ \
\\\\\

There is a step as shown above after the u-bend but no trap. there is
an elbow attached to the u-bend which means the water has to rise
further before falling. Is this causing problems or is this OK.

What actually happens with a full sink is that water only drains away
very slowly indeed.

The washing machine is also connected under the sink to share this same
drain.

Anyone have any comments as to my next steps to try and solve this
problem or anythink i should be doing?

Many thanks for any assistance.

lavenders19 wrote:
I have an issue with the kitchen sink. The water won't drain away.

Has it ever run away properly? If it has, it's probably
now bunged up with something. Try pouring some boiling
water down it, using a plunger, or dismantling the pipe,
if possible.

"Chris Bacon" wrote in message
...
lavenders19 wrote:
I have an issue with the kitchen sink. The water won't drain away.

Has it ever run away properly? If it has, it's probably
now bunged up with something. Try pouring some boiling
water down it, using a plunger, or dismantling the pipe,
if possible.

Also - check outside if it goes into a drain. It could be full of grease.
Hot water there would also help.

On 16 Dec 2005 05:54:43 -0800, wrote:

I have an issue with the kitchen sink. The water won't drain away. I
have had a look at the plumbing under the sink and it is a U bend as
follows.

\
\ \\\\\\\\\\\\----
\ \
\ \
\\\\\

There is a step as shown above after the u-bend but no trap. there is
an elbow attached to the u-bend which means the water has to rise
further before falling. Is this causing problems or is this OK.

What actually happens with a full sink is that water only drains away
very slowly indeed.

The washing machine is also connected under the sink to share this same
drain.

Anyone have any comments as to my next steps to try and solve this
problem or anythink i should be doing?

Many thanks for any assistance.

Hi,

This is my usual method for unblocking a sink:

http://groups.google.com/group/uk.d-i-y/msg/1d58d58946c4b711

Once unblocked I slowly pour a kettle of boiling hot water down the
sink to soften any remaining blockage, then half fill the sink again
and repeat the above to help ensure it gets totally unblocked.

cheers,
Pete.

Hi, thanks for the comments so far. Not sure if it has ever been ok, i
know it's been a problem for a while. it is in a rented house. the
problem is that they treat it like a bin and put all sorts down there.
I have dismantled the ubend etc and it seems clear all the way way till
the pipe goes outside.

Once outside, the problem is the pipe goes straight to the floor, i
think it is concreted in, therefore difficult to isolate what is
causing the problems.

I will go this weekend and try the milk carton and boiling water
suggestions.

Many thanks.

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 13:59:54 +0000, Chris Bacon
wrote:

| lavenders19 wrote:
| I have an issue with the kitchen sink. The water won't drain away.
|
| Has it ever run away properly? If it has, it's probably
| now bunged up with something. Try pouring some boiling
| water down it, using a plunger, or dismantling the pipe,
| if possible.

There are also lots of drain cleaners which will probably work.
After you have cleared it put boiling water down it every month or
three, and then let the hot tap run for a few minutes.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Sick of Premium SMS scams,
SMS marketing, Direct marketing phone calls, Silent phone calls?
Register with http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/
IME they work :-)

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 13:59:54 +0000, Chris Bacon wrote:

lavenders19 wrote:
I have an issue with the kitchen sink. The water won't drain away.

Has it ever run away properly? If it has, it's probably
now bunged up with something. Try pouring some boiling
water down it, using a plunger, or dismantling the pipe,
if possible.

I simply fill the plughole up with neat dry caustic soda, and dribble a
kettle of hot water on it.

Usual nanny state precautions taken of course according to your paranoaia
level, but do at least wear glasses.


This usually fixes it.
Then copious flushing with more hot water, followed by gallons of cold, and
maybe a bit of vinegar to neutralise the alkali,..

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 14:07:09 +0000, Pete C
wrote:

Hi,

This is my usual method for unblocking a sink:

http://groups.google.com/group/uk.d-i-y/msg/1d58d58946c4b711

Once unblocked I slowly pour a kettle of boiling hot water down the
sink to soften any remaining blockage, then half fill the sink again
and repeat the above to help ensure it gets totally unblocked.

BTW if you have a washing machine standpipe or similar, which is
between the sink plug hole and the blockage, it'd be a good idea to
block it off with strong tape or similar before squirting half a
gallon of water down the plug hole!

cheers,
Pete.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Then copious flushing with more hot water, followed by gallons of
cold, and maybe a bit of vinegar to neutralise the alkali,..

Sorry, not having a pop at you, but it always makes me laugh when this idea
is given as a 'trick of the trade' on DIY makeover shows, usually in
connection with stripped pine doors.

Apart from the presenters invariably not knowing their acid from their
alkali and getting it the wrong way round.

You can have no idea of how alkaline the residue is, therefore you can have
no idea how much acidity is required to neutralise it. Caustic soda having
a pH of around 13 and vinegar about 2 probably means you would have to soak
the door in vinegar for a fortnight - which could leave an alkali residue
you would have to neutralise with........

Show me a TV presenter with some Litmus paper or some indicator solution and
it might make sense.

Dave

wrote:


The washing machine is also connected under the sink to share this same
drain.


Washing machines can bung up the waste pipe good and proper with their
detergent waste. I've dismantled many waste pipes that were just
solidly packed with it.

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:03:50 GMT, "david lang"
wrote:

You can have no idea of how alkaline the residue is, therefore you can have
no idea how much acidity is required to neutralise it. Caustic soda having
a pH of around 13 and vinegar about 2 probably means you would have to soak
the door in vinegar for a fortnight - which could leave an alkali residue
you would have to neutralise with........

Wonder what door stripping places use?

cheers,
Pete.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
I simply fill the plughole up with neat dry caustic soda, and dribble a
kettle of hot water on it.

weary sigh

Take advice on this, from the Internet at large if need be.

Hint: you might have complete success, or block up your
plughole, or cause yourself permenant physical disability
by blindly (cf) following this advice.

another weary sigh

Hi all.

When i poured boiling water down the plughole, it simply drained away
without a problem. Thought this was strange so filled with hot water
from the tap which again got stuck.

This led me to boil up 3 large pans of water and bring to the boil. i
put in the plughole and filled the sink with boiling water, removed the
plug and it drained away easily. I then filled it with hot tap water
and it drained away fine a couple of times, then got stuck on the 3rd
time again.

Any ideas as to this strange behaviour??? I will try the caustic soda
this weekend.

In article .com,
says...
Hi all.

When i poured boiling water down the plughole, it simply drained away
without a problem. Thought this was strange so filled with hot water
from the tap which again got stuck.

This led me to boil up 3 large pans of water and bring to the boil. i
put in the plughole and filled the sink with boiling water, removed the
plug and it drained away easily. I then filled it with hot tap water
and it drained away fine a couple of times, then got stuck on the 3rd
time again.

Any ideas as to this strange behaviour??? I will try the caustic soda
this weekend.


I guess something with a melting point somewhere between 60 & 100
Celsius is lodged in the trap. IME cooking fats, which are a common
cause of blocked drains, melt at lower temperatures, but it might be
something like candle wax.

Rob Morley wrote:

I guess something with a melting point somewhere between 60 & 100
Celsius is lodged in the trap. IME cooking fats, which are a common
cause of blocked drains, melt at lower temperatures, but it might be
something like candle wax.

Try adding some detergent to the water - this should emulsify whatever it is
and stop it setting again as it cools down.

Dave

On 19 Dec 2005 01:20:37 -0800, wrote:

Hi all.

When i poured boiling water down the plughole, it simply drained away
without a problem. Thought this was strange so filled with hot water
from the tap which again got stuck.

This led me to boil up 3 large pans of water and bring to the boil. i
put in the plughole and filled the sink with boiling water, removed the
plug and it drained away easily. I then filled it with hot tap water
and it drained away fine a couple of times, then got stuck on the 3rd
time again.

Any ideas as to this strange behaviour??? I will try the caustic soda
this weekend.

Hi,

Try pouring a load of boiling water and some detergent _slowly_ down
the plughole then fill sink half full of hot with more detergent and
use full 4pt milk container to flush a load of water down followed by
the half sink full of water.

cheers,
Pete.

Pete C wrote:
On 19 Dec 2005 01:20:37 -0800, wrote:


Hi all.

When i poured boiling water down the plughole, it simply drained away
without a problem. Thought this was strange so filled with hot water

from the tap which again got stuck.

This led me to boil up 3 large pans of water and bring to the boil. i
put in the plughole and filled the sink with boiling water, removed the
plug and it drained away easily. I then filled it with hot tap water
and it drained away fine a couple of times, then got stuck on the 3rd
time again.

Any ideas as to this strange behaviour??? I will try the caustic soda
this weekend.


Hi,

Try pouring a load of boiling water and some detergent _slowly_ down
the plughole then fill sink half full of hot with more detergent and
use full 4pt milk container to flush a load of water down followed by
the half sink full of water.

Wouldn't it be simpler to remove the trap and investigate?
Douglas de Lacey

In article , says...
snip

Wouldn't it be simpler to remove the trap and investigate?

But smellier :-)

On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 14:24:43 GMT, wrote:

On 19 Dec,
Douglas de Lacey wrote:

Pete C wrote:
On 19 Dec 2005 01:20:37 -0800, wrote:


Hi all.

When i poured boiling water down the plughole, it simply drained away
without a problem. Thought this was strange so filled with hot water

from the tap which again got stuck.

This led me to boil up 3 large pans of water and bring to the boil. i
put in the plughole and filled the sink with boiling water, removed the
plug and it drained away easily. I then filled it with hot tap water
and it drained away fine a couple of times, then got stuck on the 3rd
time again.

Any ideas as to this strange behaviour??? I will try the caustic soda
this weekend.


Hi,

Try pouring a load of boiling water and some detergent _slowly_ down
the plughole then fill sink half full of hot with more detergent and
use full 4pt milk container to flush a load of water down followed by
the half sink full of water.

Wouldn't it be simpler to remove the trap and investigate?
Douglas de Lacey

And then pour the drainings down the sink?

You've done that too then?

--
Frank Erskine

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:03:50 GMT, david lang wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Then copious flushing with more hot water, followed by gallons of
cold, and maybe a bit of vinegar to neutralise the alkali,..

Sorry, not having a pop at you, but it always makes me laugh when this idea
is given as a 'trick of the trade' on DIY makeover shows, usually in
connection with stripped pine doors.

Apart from the presenters invariably not knowing their acid from their
alkali and getting it the wrong way round.

You can have no idea of how alkaline the residue is, therefore you can have
no idea how much acidity is required to neutralise it. Caustic soda having
a pH of around 13 and vinegar about 2 probably means you would have to soak
the door in vinegar for a fortnight - which could leave an alkali residue
you would have to neutralise with........

Show me a TV presenter with some Litmus paper or some indicator solution and
it might make sense.

Dave


I think yiouy are unfair.
Firstly this is a drain, not a door. One really simply wants to reduce
localised PH from dangerous (to plastisc) levels..not neutralise the PH of
th whole sewage system. Theres enough awtaer coming in from toilets and
showers and baths to dilute teh alkali to very high degrees.

Seecondly, when using caustics, on wood you wash off the bulk of the alkali
with water. The vinegar is simply to neutralised the very little that is
left.

If you are worried about realtive Ph, Use brick acid instead.

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 21:52:26 +0000, Chris Bacon wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
I simply fill the plughole up with neat dry caustic soda, and dribble a
kettle of hot water on it.

weary sigh

Take advice on this, from the Internet at large if need be.

Hint: you might have complete success, or block up your
plughole, or cause yourself permenant physical disability
by blindly (cf) following this advice.

another weary sigh


Well I have used it vonsisten;ty over 30 years or so and have not blinded
myself, or blocked up a plughiole, yet, ever.

I guess doing A level chemistry, when an A level meant you actually did
something of practical use, has something to do with it.

I realise that today, tehe education system is specifically designed to
terrify people away fom real knowledge into those who would rather expose
themselves to the dangers of blidndly fdllowing rules designed by lawyers
(or ad men seeling expensive products) to prevent possibility of being
sued, than thee ultra small chance of being blinded by failing to follow
them

Fort tjose of this ilk, tye correct proecuder when umnblockingh a sink is

(i) get quotes from registerd health and safety designated wate clearnec
executves
(ii) erect scaffoliding and a tent over the entire house to contain
possible nuclear and bilogical contaminants. Just because there is no
evidence of WMD or bioliogical agents there, doesn't mean it ain't so. The
PM told me so.
(iii) using grade 3 high density plastic protective garmentst, dismantle
the entire plumbing system, and as much of the house as you need to, to
gain access to it
(iv) replace any bits that smell even remotely whiffy.
(v) dispose of all removed bits in triple sealed plastic bags at your
neatrest nuclear waste and asbestos reporocessing clinic.
(vi) get all your childrens inhjections up to date, viles disease, cholera,
tyhphoid and tetanus, as well as anthrax are all recommended when dealing
with drains.
(vii) ensure that they eat a meal of out of dateTurkey Twizzlers, and then
sue the company doing the drains or at least £400,000 for 'endangering the
lives of your chilldrunn-ah' when they go down with gastro enteritis. Lie
about the turkey twizzlers
(viii) get the house demolished and totally rebuilt by the insurance
company,on the grounds that it is contaminated beoind health and safety
standards.

I still think my way is quicker and cheaper and more environmentally sound
:-)

On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 12:06:20 GMT, david lang wrote:

Rob Morley wrote:

I guess something with a melting point somewhere between 60 & 100
Celsius is lodged in the trap. IME cooking fats, which are a common
cause of blocked drains, melt at lower temperatures, but it might be
something like candle wax.

Try adding some detergent to the water - this should emulsify whatever it is
and stop it setting again as it cools down.

Dave

Thats' what the caustioc soda is for.

On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 14:24:43 GMT, wrote:

On 19 Dec,
Douglas de Lacey wrote:

Pete C wrote:
On 19 Dec 2005 01:20:37 -0800, wrote:


Hi all.

When i poured boiling water down the plughole, it simply drained away
without a problem. Thought this was strange so filled with hot water

from the tap which again got stuck.

This led me to boil up 3 large pans of water and bring to the boil. i
put in the plughole and filled the sink with boiling water, removed the
plug and it drained away easily. I then filled it with hot tap water
and it drained away fine a couple of times, then got stuck on the 3rd
time again.

Any ideas as to this strange behaviour??? I will try the caustic soda
this weekend.


Hi,

Try pouring a load of boiling water and some detergent _slowly_ down
the plughole then fill sink half full of hot with more detergent and
use full 4pt milk container to flush a load of water down followed by
the half sink full of water.

Wouldn't it be simpler to remove the trap and investigate?
Douglas de Lacey

And then pour the drainings down the sink?

How did you find out??

I thought I had eliminated everyone that saw it!!

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:

I simply fill the plughole up with neat dry caustic soda, and dribble a
kettle of hot water on it.

weary sigh

Take advice on this, from the Internet at large if need be.

Hint: you might have complete success, or block up your
plughole, or cause yourself permenant physical disability
by blindly (cf) following this advice.

another weary sigh

Well I have used it vonsisten;ty over 30 years or so and have not blinded
myself, or blocked up a plughiole, yet, ever.

But it's knackered your brain/finger co-ordination, by the look.

If lavenders19 should try to use this method, which has nothing to
commend it over using a made-up solution of "caustic soda", then
if I were him I'd take precautions, such as using eye protection,
having a couple of full pails of cold water at hand to wash in
if necessary (the sink being a no-go area), as well as a good supply
of vinegar to finish washing in. Oh, I'd read the instructions on
the container, too.

No - cancel that. I'd ask you, with your 30 years or so of experience
to come and do the job, after getting you to sign a disclaimer.

On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 14:00:37 +0000, Douglas de Lacey
wrote:

Hi,

Try pouring a load of boiling water and some detergent _slowly_ down
the plughole then fill sink half full of hot with more detergent and
use full 4pt milk container to flush a load of water down followed by
the half sink full of water.

Wouldn't it be simpler to remove the trap and investigate?
Douglas de Lacey

OP has already done that:

On 16 Dec 2005 06:48:47 -0800, wrote:

Hi, thanks for the comments so far. Not sure if it has ever been ok, i
know it's been a problem for a while. it is in a rented house. the
problem is that they treat it like a bin and put all sorts down there.
I have dismantled the ubend etc and it seems clear all the way way till
the pipe goes outside.

Once outside, the problem is the pipe goes straight to the floor, i
think it is concreted in, therefore difficult to isolate what is
causing the problems.

I will go this weekend and try the milk carton and boiling water
suggestions.

Many thanks.

Sounds like the tenants could have been pouring fat down the sink, in
which case it may have solidified in the drain where the surrounding
concrete keeps the pipe cold.

Pouring lots of boiling water and detergent slowly down should heat
the pipe up and help soften grease, then a blast of water should flush
it away into the sewer.

cheers,
Pete.

On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 15:26:43 +0000, Chris Bacon wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:

I simply fill the plughole up with neat dry caustic soda, and dribble a
kettle of hot water on it.

weary sigh

Take advice on this, from the Internet at large if need be.

Hint: you might have complete success, or block up your
plughole, or cause yourself permenant physical disability
by blindly (cf) following this advice.

another weary sigh

Well I have used it vonsisten;ty over 30 years or so and have not blinded
myself, or blocked up a plughiole, yet, ever.

But it's knackered your brain/finger co-ordination, by the look.

If lavenders19 should try to use this method, which has nothing to
commend it over using a made-up solution of "caustic soda", then
if I were him I'd take precautions, such as using eye protection,
having a couple of full pails of cold water at hand to wash in
if necessary (the sink being a no-go area), as well as a good supply
of vinegar to finish washing in. Oh, I'd read the instructions on
the container, too.

No - cancel that. I'd ask you, with your 30 years or so of experience
to come and do the job, after getting you to sign a disclaimer.

Fine. I've had boiling casutic on my hands a few times. It stings, it
washes off - no need for soap :-)

It is of course deadly for eyes, so glasses are handy, or look the other
way.

My first experience of it was in the chem lab, where a dumb 16 year old
sucked a burrette full up into his mouth. Despiet warnings.

Talk about washing his mouth out with soap..:-)

The chem teacher made him rinse for 15 minutes, packed him off home via the
doctors, and he was in school the next day looking sheepish, but otherwise
undamaged.

Ive doine more damage to my clothes - etches through jeans quite nicely.
But again, one gets to use it carefully - first a trickle of hot water,
then as it goes exothermic, wait a little, the add a little more...the idea
is to get it all up to a nice boiling point and as concentrated as
possible. That etches through the fats quite well.

Once you have the flow rate up. generally running the hot tap flushes the
muck away.

I'd far rather have hot caustic on my skin than eg, trichorethylene..done
that twice, taking stuff out of baths of it with bare hands. felt totally
sick for half the day, and distinctly unfit to drive.

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:03:50 GMT, david lang wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Then copious flushing with more hot water, followed by gallons of
cold, and maybe a bit of vinegar to neutralise the alkali,..

Sorry, not having a pop at you, but it always makes me laugh when this
idea
is given as a 'trick of the trade' on DIY makeover shows, usually in
connection with stripped pine doors.

Apart from the presenters invariably not knowing their acid from their
alkali and getting it the wrong way round.

You can have no idea of how alkaline the residue is, therefore you can
have
no idea how much acidity is required to neutralise it. Caustic soda
having
a pH of around 13 and vinegar about 2 probably means you would have to
soak
the door in vinegar for a fortnight - which could leave an alkali residue
you would have to neutralise with........

Show me a TV presenter with some Litmus paper or some indicator solution
and
it might make sense.

Dave


I think yiouy are unfair.
Firstly this is a drain, not a door. One really simply wants to reduce
localised PH from dangerous (to plastisc) levels..not neutralise the PH of
th whole sewage system. Theres enough awtaer coming in from toilets and
showers and baths to dilute teh alkali to very high degrees.

Seecondly, when using caustics, on wood you wash off the bulk of the
alkali
with water. The vinegar is simply to neutralised the very little that is
left.

If you are worried about realtive Ph, Use brick acid instead.


I used to have a chart given out with one of the process plant magazines
each year which showed a selection/suitability chart for materials used with
various reagents. AFAICR it showed pvc pipe to be perfectly suitable for use
with 36% HCl and (not at the same time) 40Twaddle Caustic soda so your
dangerous to plastic comment seems a long way from the mark

Hi guys. Thanks for the info so far. I think I better go back tonight
as I have a couple of things to try. I will try the caustic soda. It
does say to "leave for 30 minutes" and use cold water. Add soda to the
water and not the other way round. Is the leaving for 30 mins
necessary?

Secondly what type of detergent should i add to the boiling water? Will
normal washing up powder do the trick or should I use something else?

Many thanks everyone.

In article .com,
says...
Hi guys. Thanks for the info so far. I think I better go back tonight
as I have a couple of things to try. I will try the caustic soda. It
does say to "leave for 30 minutes" and use cold water. Add soda to the
water and not the other way round. Is the leaving for 30 mins
necessary?

Secondly what type of detergent should i add to the boiling water? Will
normal washing up powder do the trick or should I use something else?

I reckon bio washing powder is the stuff to use.

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 03:41:27 +0000 (UTC), John wrote:

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:03:50 GMT, david lang wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Then copious flushing with more hot water, followed by gallons of
cold, and maybe a bit of vinegar to neutralise the alkali,..

Sorry, not having a pop at you, but it always makes me laugh when this
idea
is given as a 'trick of the trade' on DIY makeover shows, usually in
connection with stripped pine doors.

Apart from the presenters invariably not knowing their acid from their
alkali and getting it the wrong way round.

You can have no idea of how alkaline the residue is, therefore you can
have
no idea how much acidity is required to neutralise it. Caustic soda
having
a pH of around 13 and vinegar about 2 probably means you would have to
soak
the door in vinegar for a fortnight - which could leave an alkali residue
you would have to neutralise with........

Show me a TV presenter with some Litmus paper or some indicator solution
and
it might make sense.

Dave


I think yiouy are unfair.
Firstly this is a drain, not a door. One really simply wants to reduce
localised PH from dangerous (to plastisc) levels..not neutralise the PH of
th whole sewage system. Theres enough awtaer coming in from toilets and
showers and baths to dilute teh alkali to very high degrees.

Seecondly, when using caustics, on wood you wash off the bulk of the
alkali
with water. The vinegar is simply to neutralised the very little that is
left.

If you are worried about realtive Ph, Use brick acid instead.


I used to have a chart given out with one of the process plant magazines
each year which showed a selection/suitability chart for materials used with
various reagents. AFAICR it showed pvc pipe to be perfectly suitable for use
with 36% HCl and (not at the same time) 40Twaddle Caustic soda so your
dangerous to plastic comment seems a long way from the mark

Well, I had a plastic sink, and it used to pickup up a LOT of tea stains,
and I used caustic to remove em.

After a few years it was brittle and flaky on the surface. Like non U PVC
gets in sunlight.

It may not have been PVC, but it definitely degraded.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 01:28:39 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

I used to have a chart given out with one of the process plant magazines
each year which showed a selection/suitability chart for materials used with
various reagents. AFAICR it showed pvc pipe to be perfectly suitable for use
with 36% HCl and (not at the same time) 40Twaddle Caustic soda so your
dangerous to plastic comment seems a long way from the mark

Well, I had a plastic sink, and it used to pickup up a LOT of tea stains,
and I used caustic to remove em.

After a few years it was brittle and flaky on the surface. Like non U PVC
gets in sunlight.

It may not have been PVC, but it definitely degraded.

Hi,

Probably depends on the plastic, I've found liquid dishwasher
detergent can etch microscopic lines in clear hard plastics, which
catch the light and are quite noticable.

It is sodium silicate and not hydroxide, but comes in an HDPE bottle.
Ideal for softening baked on crud, but makes the pump squeak which is
a bit worrying. Might be good for unblocking drains though

Anyway, I wonder if the OP has unblocked their sink yet...

cheers,
Pete.

Re drain cleaning, what worked for me was Buster drain cleaner,
http://www.challs.com/?busterprod=kd...=93&image2.y=2
Bought from www.tesco.com.
Was very pleased with it, saved me the cost of a plumber.

Nice video of it in action here
http://www.busteronline.co.uk/produc...ideo_high.html


Lyndsay Williams

In message .com,
writes


Re drain cleaning, what worked for me was Buster drain cleaner,
http://www.challs.com/?busterprod=kd...=93&image2.y=2
Bought from www.tesco.com.
Was very pleased with it, saved me the cost of a plumber.

Nice video of it in action here
http://www.busteronline.co.uk/produc...lashvideo/vide
o_high.html

Of course, you're nothing to do with the aforementioned product, are you

Sounds like another heap of crap not to fill next years stocking with

--
geoff

Frank Erskine typed


Wouldn't it be simpler to remove the trap and investigate?
Douglas de Lacey

And then pour the drainings down the sink?

You've done that too then?

Haven't we all, ONCE?

Methinks that the trap is probably clear, given the volume of water that
flows freely initially anyway.

BBC websites are all full of dire warnings about cooking fat at the moment.

A washing-up bowl ful of hot tap water can be useful, combined with a
plunger...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Hi Geoff,you say
"raden
Dec 26, 2:55 pm show options

Newsgroups: uk.d-i-y
From: raden - Find messages by this author
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 14:55:50 GMT
Local: Mon, Dec 26 2005 2:55 pm
Subject: Sink drain giving trouble - water not draining.
Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show
original | Report Abuse

In message .com,
writes


Re drain cleaning, what worked for me was Buster drain cleaner,
http://www.challs.com/?busterprod=kd...=93&image2.y=2
Bought from www.tesco.com.
Was very pleased with it, saved me the cost of a plumber.


Nice video of it in action here
http://www.busteronline.co.uk/produc...lashvideo/vide
o_high.html



Of course, you're nothing to do with the aforementioned product, are
you"

No I'm not anything to do with product! , I'm just an engineer.
Lyndsay Williams
http://research.microsoft.com/users/lyn/