Loosening plastic waste water trap
 

Hi,

The water from my hand basin is draining really slowly. I think the
waste trap is clogged with hair. the trap is white plastic and slightly
"hidden" behind a tall, porcelain pedestal beneath the bowl.

I have tried to unscrew the trap using my hands but it is difficult
to get an effective grip - and the trap seems jammed tight. How can I
loosen the retaining nut on the water trap? The space beneath the bowl
and behind the pedestal is quite tight and I can only get one hand
round about one hald of the external surface of this plastic nut. Once
it has moved half a turn I am sure the trap will unscrew easily.


Thanks

Clive

Loosening plastic waste water trap
 

Clive wrote:
The water from my hand basin is draining really slowly. I think the
waste trap is clogged with hair. the trap is white plastic and slightly
"hidden" behind a tall, porcelain pedestal beneath the bowl.

I have tried to unscrew the trap using my hands but it is difficult
to get an effective grip - and the trap seems jammed tight. How can I
loosen the retaining nut on the water trap? The space beneath the bowl
and behind the pedestal is quite tight and I can only get one hand
round about one hald of the external surface of this plastic nut. Once
it has moved half a turn I am sure the trap will unscrew easily.

Use water pump pliers or a "strap wrench" - once you've "cracked"
it, it should be OK. Check the trap hasn't got a small cap at the
bottom which you can unscrew more easily!

Loosening plastic waste water trap
 

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 15:54:27 +0100, Chris Bacon wrote:

Clive wrote:
The water from my hand basin is draining really slowly. I think the
waste trap is clogged with hair. the trap is white plastic and slightly
"hidden" behind a tall, porcelain pedestal beneath the bowl.

I have tried to unscrew the trap using my hands but it is difficult
to get an effective grip - and the trap seems jammed tight. How can I
loosen the retaining nut on the water trap? The space beneath the bowl
and behind the pedestal is quite tight and I can only get one hand
round about one hald of the external surface of this plastic nut. Once
it has moved half a turn I am sure the trap will unscrew easily.

Use water pump pliers or a "strap wrench" - once you've "cracked"
it, it should be OK. Check the trap hasn't got a small cap at the
bottom which you can unscrew more easily!

Or if you do not have a strap wrench try getting a broad screwdriver against one
of the projections on the nut and tap it gently with a small hammer .make sure
you are trying to turn it the right way ..

Stuart

Loosening plastic waste water trap
 

Hi,
The water from my hand basin is draining really slowly. I think the
waste trap is clogged with hair. the trap is white plastic and slightly
"hidden" behind a tall, porcelain pedestal beneath the bowl.
I have tried to unscrew the trap using my hands but it is difficult
to get an effective grip - and the trap seems jammed tight. How can I
loosen the retaining nut on the water trap? The space beneath the bowl
and behind the pedestal is quite tight and I can only get one hand
round about one hald of the external surface of this plastic nut. Once
it has moved half a turn I am sure the trap will unscrew easily.
Thanks
Clive

What about trying to fill it with very hot but not boiling water?

Then if that works remember to flush with cold water before removing
completly

Loosening plastic waste water trap
 

On 21 Apr 2006 07:49:35 -0700, "Clive" wrote:

|Hi,
|
| The water from my hand basin is draining really slowly. I think the
|waste trap is clogged with hair. the trap is white plastic and slightly
|"hidden" behind a tall, porcelain pedestal beneath the bowl.
|
| I have tried to unscrew the trap using my hands but it is difficult
|to get an effective grip - and the trap seems jammed tight. How can I
|loosen the retaining nut on the water trap? The space beneath the bowl
|and behind the pedestal is quite tight and I can only get one hand
|round about one hald of the external surface of this plastic nut. Once
|it has moved half a turn I am sure the trap will unscrew easily.

Use a strap wrench. BoaConstrictor ones with a rubber strap are commonly
available. A real tool shop will sell you a better one. A strap wrench
is a very useful tool and IMO should find a place in every tool box.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

Loosening plastic waste water trap
 

On 21 Apr 2006 07:49:35 -0700, "Clive" wrote:

Hi,

The water from my hand basin is draining really slowly. I think the
waste trap is clogged with hair. the trap is white plastic and slightly
"hidden" behind a tall, porcelain pedestal beneath the bowl.

I have tried to unscrew the trap using my hands but it is difficult
to get an effective grip - and the trap seems jammed tight. How can I
loosen the retaining nut on the water trap? The space beneath the bowl
and behind the pedestal is quite tight and I can only get one hand
round about one hald of the external surface of this plastic nut. Once
it has moved half a turn I am sure the trap will unscrew easily.


Thanks

Clive

If you haven't got the pipe wrench for this, an alternative can be
made from a length ot leather belt and a piece of wood. There is a
proper name for it but I have forgotten it, and although simple in
operation, is damn difficult to describe.

The wood can be a short bit of 1"x1".

The idea is to nail/screw the belt at one end of the wood. You then
wrap the belt around the nut and then hold the stick and belt end
together as tightly as possible while turning the stick causing the
belt to tighten around the nut, giving good grip to turn it around.

Loosening plastic waste water trap
 

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 17:01:32 +0100, Dave Fawthrop
wrote:

Use a strap wrench

Thanks for that. I had tried to describe this to the OP but forgotten
what it was called. :))

A very useful piece of kit.

Loosening plastic waste water trap
 

Clive wrote:
Hi,

The water from my hand basin is draining really slowly. I think the
waste trap is clogged with hair. the trap is white plastic and slightly
"hidden" behind a tall, porcelain pedestal beneath the bowl.

I have tried to unscrew the trap using my hands but it is difficult
to get an effective grip - and the trap seems jammed tight. How can I
loosen the retaining nut on the water trap? The space beneath the bowl
and behind the pedestal is quite tight and I can only get one hand
round about one hald of the external surface of this plastic nut. Once
it has moved half a turn I am sure the trap will unscrew easily.


Thanks

Clive

chuck some powdered caustic soda down it followed by some hot water and
stand well back.

This is a lot easier than fixing the leaks you will ineviutably get when
reassembling a trap in a tight place.

Usually its a matrix of hair AND soapy scums that is the problem. The
soda well get rid of the scums and allow the rest to wash away.