Which method is more effective at clearing blockage ?
Which method would produce longer interval before a repeat plungering?
upwards power stroke, downwards power stroke , equal up and down

--
General electronic repairs, other than TVs and PCs
http://www.divdev.fsnet.co.uk/repairs.htm

Diverse Devices, Southampton, England

"N_Cook" wrote in message
...
Which method is more effective at clearing blockage ?
Which method would produce longer interval before a repeat plungering?
upwards power stroke, downwards power stroke , equal up and down

My understanding is that the vacuum on the up stroke clears the blockage, by
lifting the compacted material that's blocking the waste. A powerful down
stroke would (I think) only serve to compact the blockage.


--
PeterMcC

If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:44:01 +0000, N_Cook wrote:

Which method is more effective at clearing blockage ? Which method would
produce longer interval before a repeat plungering? upwards power
stroke, downwards power stroke , equal up and down

--
General electronic repairs, other than TVs and PCs
http://www.divdev.fsnet.co.uk/repairs.htm

Diverse Devices, Southampton, England

Several comments:
1) Sinks which are correctly plumbed will go a long time perhaps even
indefinitely between problems. I.e always down hill (trap excepted), 40mm
or bigger pipes, avoid unnecessary joints and use half bends if possible.

1a) A strainer waste removes the problem before it occurs.

2) The best way to clear out stuff is to dismantle and then clean the
bits, (not always possible).
2a) Don't use the sink you are working on to clean the bits!

3) A drain augur (sp?) is better than plungers which are better than
chemicals.

4) The bellows type plungers are far better than all other types, IME.

5) No plunger works well if the other holes are not blocked up (overflow,
dishwasher, washing machine etc.)

6) If you really must use chemicals use the right one.
H2SO4 - grease and fat.
NaOH - hair & other organics.
HCl - grout, mortar, plaster, concrete etc.

7) Domestic grade chemicals
Ha ha ha.


--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:21:32 +0000, Ed Sirett wrote:

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:44:01 +0000, N_Cook wrote:

Which method is more effective at clearing blockage ? Which method
would produce longer interval before a repeat plungering? upwards power
stroke, downwards power stroke , equal up and down

--
General electronic repairs, other than TVs and PCs
http://www.divdev.fsnet.co.uk/repairs.htm

Diverse Devices, Southampton, England

Several comments:
1) Sinks which are correctly plumbed will go a long time perhaps even
indefinitely between problems. I.e always down hill (trap excepted),
40mm or bigger pipes, avoid unnecessary joints and use half bends if
possible.

1a) A strainer waste removes the problem before it occurs.

2) The best way to clear out stuff is to dismantle and then clean the
bits, (not always possible).
2a) Don't use the sink you are working on to clean the bits!

3) A drain augur (sp?) is better than plungers which are better than
chemicals.

4) The bellows type plungers are far better than all other types, IME.

5) No plunger works well if the other holes are not blocked up
(overflow, dishwasher, washing machine etc.)

6) If you really must use chemicals use the right one.
H2SO4 - grease and fat.
NaOH - hair & other organics.
HCl - grout, mortar, plaster, concrete etc.

7) Domestic grade chemicals
Ha ha ha.

Good advice; to add that chemicals even if of the correct type for the
blockage leak away as soon as they have dissolved a hole through the
blockage and leave a constricted pipe that is ripe to be re-blocked very
quickly! Good news for chemical companies!

Strong plunging and if that fails, mechanical cleaning as Ed says.



--
SteveE

Ed Sirett wrote:
H2SO4 - grease and fat.
NaOH - hair & other organics.


Ed, what's the chemistry of H2SO4 + fat? I understood NaOH was best for
grease, through saponification.

(just curious; I've only ever had to clear about 2 in my life, which is
probably what you do in a week!)

Andy

PeterMcC wrote in message
...
"N_Cook" wrote in message
...
Which method is more effective at clearing blockage ?
Which method would produce longer interval before a repeat plungering?
upwards power stroke, downwards power stroke , equal up and down

My understanding is that the vacuum on the up stroke clears the blockage,
by
lifting the compacted material that's blocking the waste. A powerful down
stroke would (I think) only serve to compact the blockage.


--
PeterMcC

If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.


agrees with my observations over the years.
Bring some crud up with forceful upstrokes and then when water is flowing
again, some forced down strokes, to expel a lot of the build up .

--
General electronic repairs, other than TVs and PCs
http://www.divdev.fsnet.co.uk/repairs.htm

Diverse Devices, Southampton, England

On Nov 17, 6:44*pm, "N_Cook" wrote:
Which method is more effective at clearing blockage ?
Which method would produce longer interval before a repeat plungering?
upwards power stroke, downwards power stroke , equal up and down

--
General electronic repairs, other than TVs and PCshttp://www.divdev.fsnet..co.uk/repairs.htm

Diverse Devices, Southampton, England


An overpowerful downstroke could perhaps blow apart the plastic
compression fittings somewhere along the route. In fact you might
even think you cleared the blockage when in fact the sink now
discharges under the floor. I'd go for a hard suck and gentle push.

Robert

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:48:17 +0000, Andy Champ wrote:

Ed Sirett wrote:
H2SO4 - grease and fat.
NaOH - hair & other organics.


Ed, what's the chemistry of H2SO4 + fat? I understood NaOH was best for
grease, through saponification.

(just curious; I've only ever had to clear about 2 in my life, which is
probably what you do in a week!)

I don't do a lot of blockage clearing. I usually start with the bellows
type pplunger and that moe oftne than not sorts it.

Grease/fat + NaOH = Soap
Grease/fat + H2SO4 = Detergent.

--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html

On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:57:42 -0800 (PST), RobertL wrote:

-------------------8 I'd go for a hard suck and gentle push.

Actress, bishop, coat slam

Ed Sirett wrote:
On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:48:17 +0000, Andy Champ wrote:

Ed Sirett wrote:
H2SO4 - grease and fat.
NaOH - hair & other organics.


Ed, what's the chemistry of H2SO4 + fat? I understood NaOH was best
for grease, through saponification.

(just curious; I've only ever had to clear about 2 in my life,
which is probably what you do in a week!)

I don't do a lot of blockage clearing. I usually start with the
bellows type pplunger and that moe oftne than not sorts it.

Grease/fat + NaOH = Soap
Grease/fat + H2SO4 = Detergent.

NAOH is an alkali which converts fats into soap. H2SO4 is an acid, not a
detergent.

"Poor Jimmy Brown is dead & gone, from him we'll hear no more, for what he
thought was H2O was H2SO4".


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:57:17 +0000, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Ed Sirett wrote:
On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:48:17 +0000, Andy Champ wrote:

Ed Sirett wrote:
H2SO4 - grease and fat.
NaOH - hair & other organics.


Ed, what's the chemistry of H2SO4 + fat? I understood NaOH was best
for grease, through saponification.

(just curious; I've only ever had to clear about 2 in my life, which
is probably what you do in a week!)

I don't do a lot of blockage clearing. I usually start with the bellows
type pplunger and that moe oftne than not sorts it.

Grease/fat + NaOH = Soap
Grease/fat + H2SO4 = Detergent.

NAOH is an alkali which converts fats into soap. H2SO4 is an acid, not
a detergent.

"Poor Jimmy Brown is dead & gone, from him we'll hear no more, for what
he thought was H2O was H2SO4".

Quite. H2SO4 is a strong acid which converts fat/grease into detergent.
I clearly remember doing this in school chemistry.


--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html