The basin in the bathroom empties more slowly every week, but I'm not
sure how to go about freeing it up.

The pipework has a P-trap and a couple of inaccessible bends in the area
of the basin, then a two-metre straight horizontal-ish section that
emerges on the outside of the house. I've tried disconnecting the pipe
outside, and the constriction is definitely above that point.

I've been considering mechanical and chemical methods.

Mechanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that would go
down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving full-diameter access)
and around the trap and bends. Alternatively it would easy to poke
something up the two-metre horizontal section, but chances are the
straight pipe isn't the problem. I don't know exactly what are the best
tools to use.

Chemically, we have a septic tank so I'm reluctant to put anything nasty
down it. What I'm thinking of is putting a metre of waste pipe
vertically upwards on the outside of the house, making an open run of
pipe that I can fill with whatever I want, leave for as long as I want,
then empty into a wheelie bin or whatever. I'd still have the problem of
disposing of it afterwards.

What do people think?

--
Mike Barnes

Mike Barnes wrote:
The basin in the bathroom empties more slowly every week, but I'm not
sure how to go about freeing it up.

The pipework has a P-trap and a couple of inaccessible bends in the area
of the basin, then a two-metre straight horizontal-ish section that
emerges on the outside of the house. I've tried disconnecting the pipe
outside, and the constriction is definitely above that point.

I've been considering mechanical and chemical methods.

Mechanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that would go
down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving full-diameter access)
and around the trap and bends. Alternatively it would easy to poke
something up the two-metre horizontal section, but chances are the
straight pipe isn't the problem. I don't know exactly what are the best
tools to use.

Chemically, we have a septic tank so I'm reluctant to put anything nasty
down it. What I'm thinking of is putting a metre of waste pipe
vertically upwards on the outside of the house, making an open run of
pipe that I can fill with whatever I want, leave for as long as I want,
then empty into a wheelie bin or whatever. I'd still have the problem of
disposing of it afterwards.

What do people think?

I too have an aerated septic tank and my pipes get lots of flushes of
sold NaOH followed by kettles of hot water.

Not caused it to fail to do its job.


After all the **** and other acids from e.g. fruit that goes down it
needs neutralising sometimes.

--
To people who know nothing, anything is possible.
To people who know too much, it is a sad fact
that they know how little is really possible -
and how hard it is to achieve it.

On 04/08/2012 11:34, Mike Barnes wrote:
The basin in the bathroom empties more slowly every week, but I'm not
sure how to go about freeing it up.

The pipework has a P-trap and a couple of inaccessible bends in the area
of the basin, then a two-metre straight horizontal-ish section that
emerges on the outside of the house. I've tried disconnecting the pipe
outside, and the constriction is definitely above that point.

I've been considering mechanical and chemical methods.

Mechanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that would go
down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving full-diameter access)
and around the trap and bends. Alternatively it would easy to poke
something up the two-metre horizontal section, but chances are the
straight pipe isn't the problem. I don't know exactly what are the best
tools to use.

Chemically, we have a septic tank so I'm reluctant to put anything nasty
down it. What I'm thinking of is putting a metre of waste pipe
vertically upwards on the outside of the house, making an open run of
pipe that I can fill with whatever I want, leave for as long as I want,
then empty into a wheelie bin or whatever. I'd still have the problem of
disposing of it afterwards.

What do people think?


Almost certainly you need to clear the trap by dismantling it. If that
isn't possible I'd try and modify the setup so that it is possible in
future. Maybe it's just shelves that are in the way?

Bendy things work but ideally you need a hook on the end to drag human
hair out. Then you run the risk of the hook getting caught on a joint or
something. So much easier to take the trap off.

In article ,
Mike Barnes wrote:
The basin in the bathroom empties more slowly every week,
but I'm not sure how to go about freeing it up.
[snip]

Chemically, we have a septic tank so I'm reluctant to put
anything nasty down it.
Well you've just prompted me to chemically treat my slow
draining shower.

Might not help much as I'm in France but I've used some
stuff called 'tarax' (www.tarax.fr)with a base of enzymes
and bacteria according to the blurb on the label. I've used
it in the past and it seems to work.

John

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

Success is a journey, not a destination.

In article ,
Mike Barnes wrote:
echanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that would go
down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving full-diameter access)
and around the trap and bends. Alternatively it would easy to poke
something up the two-metre horizontal section, but chances are the
straight pipe isn't the problem. I don't know exactly what are the best
tools to use.

If it's a pop up waste operated via a lever or whatever, it's almost
certainly that obstruction which has trapped gunge. Usually just removing
the waste plug (if it simply lifts out) and clearing round the lever with
a thin long screwdrivers etc sorts it.

--
*You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 04/08/2012 11:34, Mike Barnes wrote:
The basin in the bathroom empties more slowly every week, but I'm not
sure how to go about freeing it up.

The pipework has a P-trap and a couple of inaccessible bends in the area
of the basin, then a two-metre straight horizontal-ish section that
emerges on the outside of the house. I've tried disconnecting the pipe
outside, and the constriction is definitely above that point.

I've been considering mechanical and chemical methods.

Mechanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that would go
down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving full-diameter access)
and around the trap and bends. Alternatively it would easy to poke
something up the two-metre horizontal section, but chances are the
straight pipe isn't the problem. I don't know exactly what are the best
tools to use.

Chemically, we have a septic tank so I'm reluctant to put anything nasty
down it. What I'm thinking of is putting a metre of waste pipe
vertically upwards on the outside of the house, making an open run of
pipe that I can fill with whatever I want, leave for as long as I want,
then empty into a wheelie bin or whatever. I'd still have the problem of
disposing of it afterwards.

What do people think?

Bleach is the thing you have to avoid.

A caustic based formulation is your best bet and a few hours to act. You
could probably chase it with water neutralise it with a carefully chosen
amount of citric acid solution immediately afterwards to avoid taxing
the septic tank (or hydrochloric if you have it).

Wear eye protection and put something over the sink hole in case it
blows back.

If you can break the drain line outside dump into a bucket and add
diluted acid to make it neutral again. It becomes pretty harmless once
netralised, but will get rather hot during the reaction. Not wise to do
it in situ as boiling caustic may be very unpleasant.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 04/08/2012 11:34, Mike Barnes wrote:
The basin in the bathroom empties more slowly every week, but I'm not
sure how to go about freeing it up.

The pipework has a P-trap and a couple of inaccessible bends in the area
of the basin, then a two-metre straight horizontal-ish section that
emerges on the outside of the house. I've tried disconnecting the pipe
outside, and the constriction is definitely above that point.

I've been considering mechanical and chemical methods.

Mechanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that would go
down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving full-diameter access)
and around the trap and bends. Alternatively it would easy to poke
something up the two-metre horizontal section, but chances are the
straight pipe isn't the problem. I don't know exactly what are the best
tools to use.

Chemically, we have a septic tank so I'm reluctant to put anything nasty
down it. What I'm thinking of is putting a metre of waste pipe
vertically upwards on the outside of the house, making an open run of
pipe that I can fill with whatever I want, leave for as long as I want,
then empty into a wheelie bin or whatever. I'd still have the problem of
disposing of it afterwards.

What do people think?



When our bathroom drain gets a little slow, we use One shot drain
cleaner which is something like 98% sulphuric acid, does the job
straight away.

--
David

On 04/08/2012 14:14, Martin Brown wrote:
On 04/08/2012 11:34, Mike Barnes wrote:
The basin in the bathroom empties more slowly every week, but I'm not
sure how to go about freeing it up.

The pipework has a P-trap and a couple of inaccessible bends in the area
of the basin, then a two-metre straight horizontal-ish section that
emerges on the outside of the house. I've tried disconnecting the pipe
outside, and the constriction is definitely above that point.

I've been considering mechanical and chemical methods.

Mechanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that would go
down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving full-diameter access)
and around the trap and bends. Alternatively it would easy to poke
something up the two-metre horizontal section, but chances are the
straight pipe isn't the problem. I don't know exactly what are the best
tools to use.

Chemically, we have a septic tank so I'm reluctant to put anything nasty
down it. What I'm thinking of is putting a metre of waste pipe
vertically upwards on the outside of the house, making an open run of
pipe that I can fill with whatever I want, leave for as long as I want,
then empty into a wheelie bin or whatever. I'd still have the problem of
disposing of it afterwards.

What do people think?

Bleach is the thing you have to avoid.

A caustic based formulation is your best bet and a few hours to act. You
could probably chase it with water neutralise it with a carefully chosen
amount of citric acid solution immediately afterwards to avoid taxing
the septic tank (or hydrochloric if you have it).

Wear eye protection and put something over the sink hole in case it
blows back.

If you can break the drain line outside dump into a bucket and add
diluted acid to make it neutral again. It becomes pretty harmless once
netralised, but will get rather hot during the reaction. Not wise to do
it in situ as boiling caustic may be very unpleasant.


What is this modern obsession with chemicals? What's the trap for?

In article ,
stuart noble wrote:

What is this modern obsession with chemicals? What's the trap for?

doesn't always help. In our theatre bar, the drain was blocked witha solid
crust of mould - created from wine and fruit juice dregs poured down the
sink - and not running water afterwards

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

"Dave Plowman (News)" :
In article ,
Mike Barnes wrote:
echanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that would go
down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving full-diameter access)
and around the trap and bends. Alternatively it would easy to poke
something up the two-metre horizontal section, but chances are the
straight pipe isn't the problem. I don't know exactly what are the best
tools to use.

If it's a pop up waste operated via a lever or whatever, it's almost
certainly that obstruction which has trapped gunge. Usually just removing
the waste plug (if it simply lifts out) and clearing round the lever with
a thin long screwdrivers etc sorts it.

Nice try, but I've already looked and it's clean as a whistle.

--
Mike Barnes

When you have fixed it make a resolution to only use liquid soaps - and not
bar soap.
It was quite a revalation to me - but I now find that the shower screens
and bath no longer need cleaning because they have a dull scum on them. Bar
soap scum and hair - clogs drains.

stuart noble wrote:
On 04/08/2012 14:14, Martin Brown wrote:
On 04/08/2012 11:34, Mike Barnes wrote:
The basin in the bathroom empties more slowly every week, but I'm
not sure how to go about freeing it up.

The pipework has a P-trap and a couple of inaccessible bends in the
area of the basin, then a two-metre straight horizontal-ish section
that emerges on the outside of the house. I've tried disconnecting
the pipe outside, and the constriction is definitely above that
point. I've been considering mechanical and chemical methods.

Mechanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that
would go down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving
full-diameter access) and around the trap and bends. Alternatively
it would easy to poke something up the two-metre horizontal
section, but chances are the straight pipe isn't the problem. I
don't know exactly what are the best tools to use.

Chemically, we have a septic tank so I'm reluctant to put anything
nasty down it. What I'm thinking of is putting a metre of waste pipe
vertically upwards on the outside of the house, making an open run
of pipe that I can fill with whatever I want, leave for as long as
I want, then empty into a wheelie bin or whatever. I'd still have
the problem of disposing of it afterwards.

What do people think?

Bleach is the thing you have to avoid.

A caustic based formulation is your best bet and a few hours to act.
You could probably chase it with water neutralise it with a
carefully chosen amount of citric acid solution immediately
afterwards to avoid taxing the septic tank (or hydrochloric if you
have it). Wear eye protection and put something over the sink hole in
case it
blows back.

If you can break the drain line outside dump into a bucket and add
diluted acid to make it neutral again. It becomes pretty harmless
once netralised, but will get rather hot during the reaction. Not
wise to do it in situ as boiling caustic may be very unpleasant.


What is this modern obsession with chemicals? What's the trap for?

The trap is there to stop sewer smells coming back up through the plughole,
that's it's only job

In article ,
DerbyBorn wrote:
When you have fixed it make a resolution to only use liquid soaps - and
not bar soap. It was quite a revalation to me - but I now find that the
shower screens and bath no longer need cleaning because they have a dull
scum on them. Bar soap scum and hair - clogs drains.

but "liquid soaps" are not soap - they are detergents which are very bad
for some people's skins (like mine).

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

On 04/08/2012 15:46, charles wrote:
In article ,
stuart noble wrote:

What is this modern obsession with chemicals? What's the trap for?

doesn't always help. In our theatre bar, the drain was blocked witha solid
crust of mould - created from wine and fruit juice dregs poured down the
sink - and not running water afterwards


Hardly a typical domestic scenario then

On 04/08/2012 17:28, Phil L wrote:
stuart noble wrote:
On 04/08/2012 14:14, Martin Brown wrote:
On 04/08/2012 11:34, Mike Barnes wrote:
The basin in the bathroom empties more slowly every week, but I'm
not sure how to go about freeing it up.

The pipework has a P-trap and a couple of inaccessible bends in the
area of the basin, then a two-metre straight horizontal-ish section
that emerges on the outside of the house. I've tried disconnecting
the pipe outside, and the constriction is definitely above that
point. I've been considering mechanical and chemical methods.

Mechanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that
would go down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving
full-diameter access) and around the trap and bends. Alternatively
it would easy to poke something up the two-metre horizontal
section, but chances are the straight pipe isn't the problem. I
don't know exactly what are the best tools to use.

Chemically, we have a septic tank so I'm reluctant to put anything
nasty down it. What I'm thinking of is putting a metre of waste pipe
vertically upwards on the outside of the house, making an open run
of pipe that I can fill with whatever I want, leave for as long as
I want, then empty into a wheelie bin or whatever. I'd still have
the problem of disposing of it afterwards.

What do people think?

Bleach is the thing you have to avoid.

A caustic based formulation is your best bet and a few hours to act.
You could probably chase it with water neutralise it with a
carefully chosen amount of citric acid solution immediately
afterwards to avoid taxing the septic tank (or hydrochloric if you
have it). Wear eye protection and put something over the sink hole in
case it
blows back.

If you can break the drain line outside dump into a bucket and add
diluted acid to make it neutral again. It becomes pretty harmless
once netralised, but will get rather hot during the reaction. Not
wise to do it in situ as boiling caustic may be very unpleasant.


What is this modern obsession with chemicals? What's the trap for?

The trap is there to stop sewer smells coming back up through the plughole,
that's it's only job


It also happens to be where anything that cannot flow freely through the
waste pipe collects, which is why it's invariably the source of any
blockage IME.

On Sat, 04 Aug 2012 17:30:19 +0100, charles
wrote:

In article ,
DerbyBorn wrote:
When you have fixed it make a resolution to only use liquid soaps - and
not bar soap. It was quite a revalation to me - but I now find that the
shower screens and bath no longer need cleaning because they have a dull
scum on them. Bar soap scum and hair - clogs drains.

but "liquid soaps" are not soap - they are detergents which are very bad
for some people's skins (like mine).

Some liquid soaps really are just that. I've been using Dr Bronner's
for a couple of years now and it is pure old-fashioned liquid soap.

http://browneagle44.files.wordpress..../soaplabel.png

(Reading the whole of the label isn't obligatory: they don't
administer a test before they let you buy it)

Nick

Mechanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that would go
down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving full-diameter access)
and around the trap and bends. Alternatively it would easy to poke
something up the two-metre horizontal section, but chances are the
straight pipe isn't the problem. I don't know exactly what are the best
tools to use.

My 2-pen'orth -
I would check the 2m long horizontal pipe section. I once had a similar
problem in a rented property, where the sink outlet was horizontal. Over
the years and with hot water etc it had sagged. The dip had become
congested with a build up of toothpaste. I disconnected the section and
knocked out a lump of what looked like partly set Polyfiller.

This may not be your problem, but it could be worth a check.

good luck

Al

In article ,
Nick Odell wrote:
On Sat, 04 Aug 2012 17:30:19 +0100, charles
wrote:

In article ,
DerbyBorn wrote:
When you have fixed it make a resolution to only use liquid soaps - and
not bar soap. It was quite a revalation to me - but I now find that the
shower screens and bath no longer need cleaning because they have a dull
scum on them. Bar soap scum and hair - clogs drains.

but "liquid soaps" are not soap - they are detergents which are very bad
for some people's skins (like mine).

Some liquid soaps really are just that. I've been using Dr Bronner's
for a couple of years now and it is pure old-fashioned liquid soap.

http://browneagle44.files.wordpress..../soaplabel.png

(Reading the whole of the label isn't obligatory: they don't
administer a test before they let you buy it)

is it available in the UK?

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

Mechanically I'm thinking of a bendy-spring sort of thing that would go
down the plug hole (there's a pop-up waste giving full-diameter access)
and around the trap and bends. Alternatively it would easy to poke
something up the two-metre horizontal section, but chances are the
straight pipe isn't the problem. I don't know exactly what are the best
tools to use.

My 2-pen'orth -
I would check the 2m long horizontal pipe section. I once had a similar
problem in a rented property, where the sink outlet was horizontal. Over
the years and with hot water etc it had sagged. The dip had become
congested with a build up of toothpaste. I disconnected the section and
knocked out a lump of what looked like partly set Polyfiller.

This may not be your problem, but it could be worth a check.

good luck

Al

stuart noble wrote:

It also happens to be where anything that cannot flow freely through
the waste pipe collects, which is why it's invariably the source of
any blockage IME.

I agree, but that's not what it's for.

It's 99% certain that the blockage will be organic*, IE hair and fat, and a
teaspoon of caustic will destroy both in less than an hour.
My bath/shower waste gets clogged every few months, and this is how I clean
mine.

*when I moved back in here, the basin waste was emptying very slowly,
further investigations revealed the source - three Crayolas of various
colours and half a kids paintbrush....obviously I had to unscrew the waste
to get them out

On Sat, 04 Aug 2012 18:52:05 +0100, charles
wrote:

In article ,
Nick Odell wrote:
On Sat, 04 Aug 2012 17:30:19 +0100, charles
wrote:

In article ,
DerbyBorn wrote:
When you have fixed it make a resolution to only use liquid soaps - and
not bar soap. It was quite a revalation to me - but I now find that the
shower screens and bath no longer need cleaning because they have a dull
scum on them. Bar soap scum and hair - clogs drains.

but "liquid soaps" are not soap - they are detergents which are very bad
for some people's skins (like mine).

Some liquid soaps really are just that. I've been using Dr Bronner's
for a couple of years now and it is pure old-fashioned liquid soap.

http://browneagle44.files.wordpress..../soaplabel.png

(Reading the whole of the label isn't obligatory: they don't
administer a test before they let you buy it)

is it available in the UK?

I've been buying it over the counter in Canada and bringing it home
with me but I see that it's available from Amazon and other mail-order
outlets.

By the way, for the use it gets, twelve quid for a 500ml bottle is
very cheap and for me works out at just a fraction over 2p per day. I
use it every day in the shower. Less than 1ml in the palm of my hand
washes my hair and all the rest of me too - and I'm not a small skinny
bloke either. Love the stuff.

Nick

DerbyBorn :
When you have fixed it make a resolution to only use liquid soaps - and not
bar soap.

Thanks, but in the basin giving the trouble, only liquid soap is used.

Contrastingly in the shower next to it, only soap bars (Pears) are used,
and it gives no trouble. I really dislike liquid soap for showering.

--
Mike Barnes

Mike Barnes wrote:

Thanks, but in the basin giving the trouble, only liquid soap is used.

Contrastingly in the shower next to it, only soap bars (Pears) are used,
and it gives no trouble. I really dislike liquid soap for showering.

Presumably there's a considerably larger water flow through the shower,
probably with a higher average temperature too?

--
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

Email sent to my from-address will be deleted. Instead, please reply
to replacing "aaa" by "284".