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 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,..

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

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.

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.

"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

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.

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.

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
:-)

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 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 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.

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.