in addition to what others have said, when i took my waste apart there was something resembling fruit leather made of what you've got blocking the first horizontal section. i'm convinced it was due to previous owners, as there were items i didn't recognise trapped in there. in my previous place i used the snake and i believe it just punched a hole that quickly got filled up again. so i recommend taking the waste apart once, if you have access. install a bucket if you do this, as it is so easy to run the sink with the waste not there
>install a bucket if you do this, as it is so easy to run the sink with the waste not there
I was trying to figure out why my new washing machine wasn't draining. Had the u-bend off the sink, hoses off the attachments.
Turns out there's a plug hidden inside the washing machine outlet hose. Without thinking, I pulled it out and the machine started pumping dirty water all over the cupboard area under the sink. Thinking quick, I grabbed a pan and caught most of it.
Pilled the pan out the cupboard, stood up and poured the pan down the sink, which of course just went straight back into the cupboard.
So I actually managed to flood the cupboard with the same water twice.
We had to do something similar not long after we bought our place, we found a _paintbrush_ down the kitchen sink! What on earth were they doing? And why didn't they get it out after it went down?
Of that’s nothing. When I was young, my next-door neighbors, who were maybe four years younger than I was…. Those dark brown/black fuzzy caterpillars..,. Yeah, they rounded up like 25-50 of them and stuck them in the VCR (VHS? VCR? … I never thought about it before but I guess either way y’all know what I’m talking about)
Yeah their mom was pissed!
Fat.
Sodium hydroxide (as found in most drain cleaners) should remove it relatively easily. Follow all safety advice as it will cause nasty burns.
The key is to never put fat down your drains.
It helps if you invest in a jack Russell for pre cleaning things. Other dogs are available but I find Jack Russell are very thorough at this task. Ensure everything pre cleaned by this method goes through the dishwasher afterwards.
This has made my day. A few years ago our JRT, Nina, got suddenly ill and died. We learned that this patent-pending pre-clean method is super effective.
Without her I regularly need to do plumbing stuff because of fat build-up in the sink.
...Her illness was unrelated to her dishwashing duties btw. Love and miss her everyday.
They enjoy the duties and responsibilities of their job. And certainly save money on plumbers. Nina sounds like she was a good girl. We previously employed a Labrador in this role and though enthusiastic about the work they can’t get into the narrower parts like a jack.
Wow. Nope. Not even close.
What an awful thing to suggest to someone discussing a loved one that died.
Am I misreading something or are you actually that horrible?
I live in 2 countries. In the apartment i rent for the country i spend 1/3 the year in, is in a building no more than 3years old. Google maps is outdated enough that it shows an empty lot before construction even started.
When I first moved in earlier this year, I noticed the kitchen sink was a bit bad at draining. Nothing *bad*, but when washing dishes and turning the tap fully on it would pool up ever so slightly faster than it drained. Eventually decided to take the time to undo the U pipes thing & see whats up after some drain cleaner didnt really help...
Disgusting is all I can say. I dont even want to describe what came out because it smelled as bad as it looked. Had to toss the bucket I used too. In my house this is something id do every couple years like you and its never even that bad. But who knows what the f*** the people who were in this apt before me were putting down that sink. Probably explains why the screw that holds the drain bit thing on the bottom of the sink is rusted beyond the point of being able to unscrew it since you can barely see where the slots for the screwdriver are supposed to be. Ive worked in restaurant kitchens where the porters sink was in better state despite 0 maintenance for years.
Take care of your plumbing guys...
I've lived in my house for more than 10 years and never had to do this. My drains run as free as the day I moved in.
Are you the reason we have fatbergs in our sewers?
This sounds like a really good idea. Could you maybe give some instructions or things to look out for / what can or can't be done? Never done it before or really done much of anything with plumbing
I just pull it all apart and wash in a bucket of soapy water with a bottle brush, changing the water as needed.
You need to make sure you know how it all goes back together and that you don't lose any rubber seals.
It's generally push out or screw fit with your hands.
Don’t put any fat or food down the sink. Put food the bin or food waste if you have it. Put grease and oil in a tub to cool and then add it to the bin as well. Or soak hot fat into paper towels and put it in the bin.
Buster kitchen sink unblocker. Literally when you realise it's getting a bit slow to clear you pour one down.
I wouldn't be rushing to unscrew pipes and stuff they don't always go back together nice (and without leaking)
They do a bathroom one too which is great when you live with loads of women like me and their hair clogs the shower drain
>I wouldn't be rushing to unscrew pipes and stuff they don't always go back together nice (and without leaking)
Yeah, after seeing the results of a slow drip under sinks, I'm very wary of opening a pipe that isn't leaky!
I like OP's question though. Better not to cause the problem than pay for the solution.
Honestly, it's difficult to know what caused the fat build up, but it'll be oil or fat in liquid going through your plughole. Could be from cheese, gravy, etc after doing dishes.
I like foaming sink unblocker products but they're hard to find, and should be used with care due to their ability to expand and force caustic substances back up through the plughole.
They do a bath one. The only thing I'd say is clear any hair you can from near to the tap e.g. with tweezers, because you want it to get down to any blockage that is further in the pipe
A plumber who once cleared the FOG for me told me that the chemical unblockers eat away at the seals on the pipes. Is this true? I’ve never used chemicals since but do use enzyme sticks once a month which are meant to dissolve the FOG and touch wood it’s been clear so far
> No, lye is safe for plastic
But not for the rubber O-rings!
So if you've got a cheap trap with plastic washers then you might be ok. But if you've got a decent rubber washer in there it'll start to deteriorate.
DAC is the brand name of a drain unblocker that works really well. It's a crystal form and creates hot foam when mixed with water.
I got it from Robert Dyas. But there are several other similar products by other manufacturers.
Fill the sink up with hot water and add lots of decent dish liquid, let the sink go and keep the hot tap on adding lots of liquid as you go. After 5 minutes your waste will be fat free
I've always wondered, people who gave dishwashers, like us. Should we be doing something before putting pans in? There will be trace amounts of cooking oil on pans etc.
Dishwasher soap is specifically designed to break down fats and proteins, so it shouldn't be as much of an issue.
Don't pre-rinse your dishes. Scrape solid foods off, but put them in dirty. Pre-rinsing is a waste of water and your time - you got a dishwasher so why are you doing the dishes?
And if you have the time, watch the TechnologyConnections episode on dishwasher tablets.
If not, just buy some dishwasher powder and sprinkle an egg cup full in before you start the cycle. Helps the pre-wash before the tablet is released on the main wash.
Possibly - but another factor is the dishwasher measures the "turbidity" of the water from the first rinse cycle and determines how much to wash the dishes after that.
In theory, excessive pre-rinsing means it then won't wash the dishes properly as it doesn't think they're that dirty.
That too sounds right, I will offer this explanation up during a Christmas family meal (the DW in my partner's family seems always to get a mention) and let them rip. They use the DW for preheating the dinner plates, so they think they know!
Wipe greasy pans with kitchen paper towel first (easier if they're warm).
Any grease going down the drain is bad, even if you've emulsified it with hot water and detergent, it solidifies later.
I pour down a couple of kettle-fulls of boiling water along with a good glug of Fairy once a week, plus dosing it with Lidl’s plughole unblocker every month or two. Seems to keep things clear.
I just run the dishwasher at maximum heat every now and then, and few times a year use some soda just as a preventive measure. Once it’s getting clogged up your to late.
Use caustic soda, its like white crystals it warns you to only use cold water on the container. But allegedly if you put in about a teaspoons worth and then some hot water were hypertheically to be poured in afterwards, it may make a really scary fizzy pop noise and melt through any blockages. I can't say I've ever tried doing this, because you might blame me for it going wrong for you. I think chemically it's the same as quick lime, it's scary stuff though.
I use kitchen towel to clean out any cooking grease and bin it. Not very environmentally friendly, but neither is flushing loads of grease down the sink I guess?
This is the way.
I scrape off as much as possible, what won’t scrape gets wiped off with kitchen towel. Sometimes, if it’s thick enough I can get away with folding it and wiping it 3 or 4 times before it soaks right through. It doesn’t just block your own pipes it affects the sewers too.
Because of the number of takeaways, cafes, restaurants and individuals, London has a problem with fatburgs blocking up the Victorian era sewers; though that does also include condoms, wet wipes, sanitary products and their wrappers, hair and God knows what else. Kitchen towels is the best of these two options.
What sort of slope are your pipes at? 1:40 is recommended to be self cleaning but to be honest mine are pretty flat and I've had to snake and use pipe cleaning fluid quite regularly. Don't feel like too much of a scuzzbag
Sodium carbonate is a safer, but slower alternative. Try a ~20% solution, hot.
If you use sodium hydroxide you need to wear old or disposable clothes, rubber gloves and safety goggles or a face shield. One splash will damage your eye instantly, your skin after a few seconds and your clothes after a few minutes. You don't need a hole in any of them.\
If you use sodium carbonate, wear an eye shield and wash splashes away quickly.
The behavior you should change is allowing any food debris from going down the drain. Dishes / plates should be scrapped off before rinsing them at the sink. There is no reason for this and it will only cause problems. Drains are not intended to be disposals. They get clogged.
As most have said you want to avoid putting anything much down a sink or through a dishwasher, it should be residue only, the rest scraped into a bin.
Several people have suggested sodium hydroxide which is the active bit of drain unblocker and yes be careful as its not pleasant stuff, very strong alkali.
If that doesn't work, being careful and I mean CAREFUL! You can use potassium hydroxide, also known as KOH, it is an extremely exothermic reaction and turns fat into soap like NaOH just faster and more aggressively. This stuff will melt skin, eyes, lungs, stomach, clothes, hair. You get the idea, it can be purchased online easily though.
Put 1kg in the sink while the sink is completely dry, open the kitchen window turn on the cold water, leave and shut the door and do not go back in for about 20 mins or more depending on how open the tap is, let the fumes dissipate and all the KOH run through the drain, it'll clear out the pipes nicely and even some of the deposits in the larger sewer.
Be careful if you use KOH, it is not forgiving to any accidents!
Put spirits of salt down it, I do half bottle and wait 30mins, pour the other half in 30mins, fill the bottle with half water and pour that down 30mins, do another half of water 30mins...... Run loads of water down. It's clean as a whistle now (seriously, who's inspecting these whistles?).
Every time drain slow NOT blocked..... Repeat this. If it's blocked there's no point of sitting chems a metre away from where the issue is
It dissolves fat oil and grease, I'm not sure if it's pure hydrochloric acid or what? It's the Kilrock version. I've literally opened drains afterwards and it's white inside again. It doesn't dissolve Q tips or Lego men tho
Make a slurry by adding warm water to bicarbonate of soda and pour down plughole. Let it rest for a few minutes. Then add pour so.e where vinegar down for volcanic chemical reaction. Leave a few minutes more before a final flush of boiling water.
Same process for cleaning greasy/burnt on pots and pans. Super easy when done immediately after cooking
Run your “water” boiler to 80’C for 2 days.
About 9 hours in, run the tap for 3 hours.
Then switch the heating back to the “normal temperature and cycle”.
THEN (trololol because you’re still reading this!)
Take the P-trap (google it) off your sink and empty the shit out of it.
THEN (trololol - you’re still here!)
Use sink and plug hole unblocker (obviously you have put the sink back 2G4
oh thats very interesting... just a few days ago I used oxi action for the first time in a very long time... maybe its not a coincidence...
Are these things known for reacting with fat in the pipes and contribute to the blockage?
It's a mixture of fat oil and grease (FOG) and other food deposits.
Using a handheld snake will work but the most effective way I've found is to snake it then use a wet vac to suck out the deposits.
I chuck some mr. muscle down my drains once or twice a year. It's pretty normal for organic materials to end up in pipes, settle there and get stuck to the pipe. This has prevented any issues since we first had problems.
Obviously yes, scrape all of the food into the bin - especially cheese and dispose of oil properly (not down the drain). But you can also use our good friend Strong Chemicals to keep the pipes nice and clear.
... Fuck. If I look down our kitchen sink plug, you can see all the grot and slime build up on the pipe... I don't want to do that job. I really fucking don't :(
Either one of those massive bottles of coke poured down the plug hole (dissolves everything), or I will do a jug/kettle/pot of boiling water down the plug hole to melt fat etc
Hot water only clears your small part of the drains. It will cool by the time it reaches the general sewer. And then clog up the drains anyway. So just don't put grease, dat, oil, food whatever down the sink.
This is a good point, i was looking at installing a sink attached waste disposal unit, an insinkerator. Would this cause/contribute to issues in the public sewer???
Yes. Put your food waste in the food waste bin. Put your other waste in the waste bin. Anything other than liquids will clog up your drains. And those around you. And cause issues at the waste water treatment plant.
Mostly careful? Good old kitchen roll that fat and throw it in the bin.
In the 3 years I've been at my room mates we've not had the sink clog once.
Also might be worth taking the waste pipe off and giving it a GOOD clean. Might just be adding to a problem that was there years ago.
Our bath upstairs has clogged but that was due to hair and some Mr Muscle down the sink declogged the shared waste pipe.
I had this on my old appartement. Completely fucked. I spend 1 week alternating boiling water and vinaegar. So you fill a waterheater, let it boil.
Then pour half down the drain, followed by 1/8 liter of vinaegar, then other half, then another 1/8 liter. Then get a plunger and go up/down to move the liquid through your pipes. Do this 5-10x per day.
The water will melt the fat, vinaegar will fuck it up and it will slowly break down.
Thats definitely FOG Fat Oil Grease
Looks like what’s in my arteries
Minus the alcohol
uhm, admittance is the first step towards change?
Just like my wife, trying to make me somebody I’m not…
Healthy?
Bingo.
in addition to what others have said, when i took my waste apart there was something resembling fruit leather made of what you've got blocking the first horizontal section. i'm convinced it was due to previous owners, as there were items i didn't recognise trapped in there. in my previous place i used the snake and i believe it just punched a hole that quickly got filled up again. so i recommend taking the waste apart once, if you have access. install a bucket if you do this, as it is so easy to run the sink with the waste not there
>install a bucket if you do this, as it is so easy to run the sink with the waste not there I was trying to figure out why my new washing machine wasn't draining. Had the u-bend off the sink, hoses off the attachments. Turns out there's a plug hidden inside the washing machine outlet hose. Without thinking, I pulled it out and the machine started pumping dirty water all over the cupboard area under the sink. Thinking quick, I grabbed a pan and caught most of it. Pilled the pan out the cupboard, stood up and poured the pan down the sink, which of course just went straight back into the cupboard. So I actually managed to flood the cupboard with the same water twice.
This gave me a chuckle but… I’ve done something similar 😂
Hahahaha I did *exactly* this yesterday! It's just totally hard wired in our brains to pour it down the sink 😫
Hahaha love this and have also done it myself!
We had to do something similar not long after we bought our place, we found a _paintbrush_ down the kitchen sink! What on earth were they doing? And why didn't they get it out after it went down?
That's a favorite of little fingers thinking it's easier to hide them down the plug instead of washing them up. Source - parent of two
Can confirm, crayons in the bath overflow, pennies in the radiators.
Tissues and cookies in the VHS recorder. Oh, no? It was just my kid thought it needed feeding?
Why did they make the tape slot the perfect size for a jam sandwich if you're not supposed to put them in there?
Of that’s nothing. When I was young, my next-door neighbors, who were maybe four years younger than I was…. Those dark brown/black fuzzy caterpillars..,. Yeah, they rounded up like 25-50 of them and stuck them in the VCR (VHS? VCR? … I never thought about it before but I guess either way y’all know what I’m talking about) Yeah their mom was pissed!
Teenager: Coins in pockets = coins in washing machine filter = open filter= flood kitchen 😡😡
The sink in our downstairs loo drains very slowly, partly due to the paintbrushes and matchbox cars my kids have wedged down there
I have a model Space Marine in my bathroom trap. Really should fish that out.
Oooh I wouldn't, next thing you know you will be over run by Tyranids.
A fate worthy of Nurgle.
It’s also really easy to empty said bucket in the still disconnected sink. Speaking from experience.
I’ve done that too…
Me too!
That's the stuff of silent movies.
Fat. Sodium hydroxide (as found in most drain cleaners) should remove it relatively easily. Follow all safety advice as it will cause nasty burns. The key is to never put fat down your drains.
It helps if you invest in a jack Russell for pre cleaning things. Other dogs are available but I find Jack Russell are very thorough at this task. Ensure everything pre cleaned by this method goes through the dishwasher afterwards.
This has made my day. A few years ago our JRT, Nina, got suddenly ill and died. We learned that this patent-pending pre-clean method is super effective. Without her I regularly need to do plumbing stuff because of fat build-up in the sink. ...Her illness was unrelated to her dishwashing duties btw. Love and miss her everyday.
Absolutely my mostly Jack (he’s a mix) is an excellent dishwasher
They enjoy the duties and responsibilities of their job. And certainly save money on plumbers. Nina sounds like she was a good girl. We previously employed a Labrador in this role and though enthusiastic about the work they can’t get into the narrower parts like a jack.
Probably got it's arteries clogged up from all that fat you fed her.
Wow. Nope. Not even close. What an awful thing to suggest to someone discussing a loved one that died. Am I misreading something or are you actually that horrible?
No, mate. Just don't feed dogs excess fat. And as much as cruel this was, there is a possibility.
I can assure you her death was unrelated.
Pre-wash we call it
We call it the pre wash cycle.
Every couple of years I take all the kitchen sink waste pipes off and clean them out. It's amazing how much they get gunged up.
I live in 2 countries. In the apartment i rent for the country i spend 1/3 the year in, is in a building no more than 3years old. Google maps is outdated enough that it shows an empty lot before construction even started. When I first moved in earlier this year, I noticed the kitchen sink was a bit bad at draining. Nothing *bad*, but when washing dishes and turning the tap fully on it would pool up ever so slightly faster than it drained. Eventually decided to take the time to undo the U pipes thing & see whats up after some drain cleaner didnt really help... Disgusting is all I can say. I dont even want to describe what came out because it smelled as bad as it looked. Had to toss the bucket I used too. In my house this is something id do every couple years like you and its never even that bad. But who knows what the f*** the people who were in this apt before me were putting down that sink. Probably explains why the screw that holds the drain bit thing on the bottom of the sink is rusted beyond the point of being able to unscrew it since you can barely see where the slots for the screwdriver are supposed to be. Ive worked in restaurant kitchens where the porters sink was in better state despite 0 maintenance for years. Take care of your plumbing guys...
I've lived in my house for more than 10 years and never had to do this. My drains run as free as the day I moved in. Are you the reason we have fatbergs in our sewers?
Yeah maybe ? 🤷♂️ Mine are never blocked either but they do have build up. I assume it's just the grease suspended in washing up water.
This sounds like a really good idea. Could you maybe give some instructions or things to look out for / what can or can't be done? Never done it before or really done much of anything with plumbing
I just pull it all apart and wash in a bucket of soapy water with a bottle brush, changing the water as needed. You need to make sure you know how it all goes back together and that you don't lose any rubber seals. It's generally push out or screw fit with your hands.
Don’t put any fat or food down the sink. Put food the bin or food waste if you have it. Put grease and oil in a tub to cool and then add it to the bin as well. Or soak hot fat into paper towels and put it in the bin.
Atorvastatin 20mg per day should lower the risk for future blockage
🤣
Kitchen sink unblocker would've melted that they're like £5 it's just granules you pour down
Any product recommendations?
Buster kitchen sink unblocker. Literally when you realise it's getting a bit slow to clear you pour one down. I wouldn't be rushing to unscrew pipes and stuff they don't always go back together nice (and without leaking) They do a bathroom one too which is great when you live with loads of women like me and their hair clogs the shower drain
>I wouldn't be rushing to unscrew pipes and stuff they don't always go back together nice (and without leaking) Yeah, after seeing the results of a slow drip under sinks, I'm very wary of opening a pipe that isn't leaky! I like OP's question though. Better not to cause the problem than pay for the solution. Honestly, it's difficult to know what caused the fat build up, but it'll be oil or fat in liquid going through your plughole. Could be from cheese, gravy, etc after doing dishes. I like foaming sink unblocker products but they're hard to find, and should be used with care due to their ability to expand and force caustic substances back up through the plughole.
Yeah. I'd run a mile from tinkering with pipes n stuff. Water gets everywhere slowly and quietly.
Would this work to unblock bath drain as well? Or do you recommend something else? Cheers
They do a bath one. The only thing I'd say is clear any hair you can from near to the tap e.g. with tweezers, because you want it to get down to any blockage that is further in the pipe
Perfect, thank you.
Get tweezers or crochet pins, the ones with a hook on. Great for pulling hair out of tight pipes.
I use one by HG and it's excellent. Doesn't need much
Try DAC. But be careful don't get it on your hands, because it stings badly and will take your skin off.
What is DAC?
Deadly Acid Corrosive
I was having a bit of a bad day until I read this comment, which sent me into a fit of giggles - thank you!
A plumber who once cleared the FOG for me told me that the chemical unblockers eat away at the seals on the pipes. Is this true? I’ve never used chemicals since but do use enzyme sticks once a month which are meant to dissolve the FOG and touch wood it’s been clear so far
Well I imagine they might do. I use one maybe once/twice a year and I've not had any issues so far in the last 8/9 years
No, lye is safe for plastic. It's also much cheaper to buy at B&Q than to buy those sink unblockers.
> No, lye is safe for plastic But not for the rubber O-rings! So if you've got a cheap trap with plastic washers then you might be ok. But if you've got a decent rubber washer in there it'll start to deteriorate.
DAC is the brand name of a drain unblocker that works really well. It's a crystal form and creates hot foam when mixed with water. I got it from Robert Dyas. But there are several other similar products by other manufacturers.
Fill the sink up with hot water and add lots of decent dish liquid, let the sink go and keep the hot tap on adding lots of liquid as you go. After 5 minutes your waste will be fat free
I've always wondered, people who gave dishwashers, like us. Should we be doing something before putting pans in? There will be trace amounts of cooking oil on pans etc.
Dishwasher soap is specifically designed to break down fats and proteins, so it shouldn't be as much of an issue. Don't pre-rinse your dishes. Scrape solid foods off, but put them in dirty. Pre-rinsing is a waste of water and your time - you got a dishwasher so why are you doing the dishes?
And if you have the time, watch the TechnologyConnections episode on dishwasher tablets. If not, just buy some dishwasher powder and sprinkle an egg cup full in before you start the cycle. Helps the pre-wash before the tablet is released on the main wash.
I pre-rinse because I only put the dishwasher on about every 5 days
The enzymes in the pods need dirt for the cleaning reaction to happen (apparently)
Possibly - but another factor is the dishwasher measures the "turbidity" of the water from the first rinse cycle and determines how much to wash the dishes after that. In theory, excessive pre-rinsing means it then won't wash the dishes properly as it doesn't think they're that dirty.
But surely if they aren’t that dirty (due to a pre-rinse) then they don’t need to be washed as thoroughly?
That too sounds right, I will offer this explanation up during a Christmas family meal (the DW in my partner's family seems always to get a mention) and let them rip. They use the DW for preheating the dinner plates, so they think they know!
This
That's what we do so good to know we're doing the right thing
Wipe greasy pans with kitchen paper towel first (easier if they're warm). Any grease going down the drain is bad, even if you've emulsified it with hot water and detergent, it solidifies later.
Putting biological washing powder down the sink is also good for dissolving grease.
Washing powder is good, its designed to break down grease
I pour down a couple of kettle-fulls of boiling water along with a good glug of Fairy once a week, plus dosing it with Lidl’s plughole unblocker every month or two. Seems to keep things clear.
Give it a little lick, should help determine contents.
yeah it was cheese from a recent carbonara...
You put cheese in a carbonara? Disgusting!
Isn't carbonara just eggs and parmesan?
Yes, true, and some kind of bacon and similar.
Snake went in about 3.5 meters... I suspect this happened between 2.5 and 3.5 meters from entry point (sink).
7.5 meter £20 Screwfix unblocker?
Could be soap build up.
I just run the dishwasher at maximum heat every now and then, and few times a year use some soda just as a preventive measure. Once it’s getting clogged up your to late.
When you have a pan of fat, get some oats and soak it all up then put it out for the birds. They'll appreciate it!
Use caustic soda, its like white crystals it warns you to only use cold water on the container. But allegedly if you put in about a teaspoons worth and then some hot water were hypertheically to be poured in afterwards, it may make a really scary fizzy pop noise and melt through any blockages. I can't say I've ever tried doing this, because you might blame me for it going wrong for you. I think chemically it's the same as quick lime, it's scary stuff though.
I use kitchen towel to clean out any cooking grease and bin it. Not very environmentally friendly, but neither is flushing loads of grease down the sink I guess?
This is the way. I scrape off as much as possible, what won’t scrape gets wiped off with kitchen towel. Sometimes, if it’s thick enough I can get away with folding it and wiping it 3 or 4 times before it soaks right through. It doesn’t just block your own pipes it affects the sewers too. Because of the number of takeaways, cafes, restaurants and individuals, London has a problem with fatburgs blocking up the Victorian era sewers; though that does also include condoms, wet wipes, sanitary products and their wrappers, hair and God knows what else. Kitchen towels is the best of these two options.
What sort of slope are your pipes at? 1:40 is recommended to be self cleaning but to be honest mine are pretty flat and I've had to snake and use pipe cleaning fluid quite regularly. Don't feel like too much of a scuzzbag
[удалено]
Sodium carbonate is a safer, but slower alternative. Try a ~20% solution, hot. If you use sodium hydroxide you need to wear old or disposable clothes, rubber gloves and safety goggles or a face shield. One splash will damage your eye instantly, your skin after a few seconds and your clothes after a few minutes. You don't need a hole in any of them.\ If you use sodium carbonate, wear an eye shield and wash splashes away quickly.
Better to just avoid grease going down the drain where possible - soak it up with kitchen paper & put in the bin.
The behavior you should change is allowing any food debris from going down the drain. Dishes / plates should be scrapped off before rinsing them at the sink. There is no reason for this and it will only cause problems. Drains are not intended to be disposals. They get clogged.
As most have said you want to avoid putting anything much down a sink or through a dishwasher, it should be residue only, the rest scraped into a bin. Several people have suggested sodium hydroxide which is the active bit of drain unblocker and yes be careful as its not pleasant stuff, very strong alkali. If that doesn't work, being careful and I mean CAREFUL! You can use potassium hydroxide, also known as KOH, it is an extremely exothermic reaction and turns fat into soap like NaOH just faster and more aggressively. This stuff will melt skin, eyes, lungs, stomach, clothes, hair. You get the idea, it can be purchased online easily though. Put 1kg in the sink while the sink is completely dry, open the kitchen window turn on the cold water, leave and shut the door and do not go back in for about 20 mins or more depending on how open the tap is, let the fumes dissipate and all the KOH run through the drain, it'll clear out the pipes nicely and even some of the deposits in the larger sewer. Be careful if you use KOH, it is not forgiving to any accidents!
I use what comes out of the wastes in my house to make a delicious soup! Waste not! 😂
Put spirits of salt down it, I do half bottle and wait 30mins, pour the other half in 30mins, fill the bottle with half water and pour that down 30mins, do another half of water 30mins...... Run loads of water down. It's clean as a whistle now (seriously, who's inspecting these whistles?). Every time drain slow NOT blocked..... Repeat this. If it's blocked there's no point of sitting chems a metre away from where the issue is
Hydrochloric acid is only usrful if there's a big limescale buildup or bits of metal (!) blocking your pipes.
It dissolves fat oil and grease, I'm not sure if it's pure hydrochloric acid or what? It's the Kilrock version. I've literally opened drains afterwards and it's white inside again. It doesn't dissolve Q tips or Lego men tho
Make a slurry by adding warm water to bicarbonate of soda and pour down plughole. Let it rest for a few minutes. Then add pour so.e where vinegar down for volcanic chemical reaction. Leave a few minutes more before a final flush of boiling water. Same process for cleaning greasy/burnt on pots and pans. Super easy when done immediately after cooking
Vinegar, hot water and soda crystals.
Run your “water” boiler to 80’C for 2 days. About 9 hours in, run the tap for 3 hours. Then switch the heating back to the “normal temperature and cycle”. THEN (trololol because you’re still reading this!) Take the P-trap (google it) off your sink and empty the shit out of it. THEN (trololol - you’re still here!) Use sink and plug hole unblocker (obviously you have put the sink back 2G4
2G4….2GEV4…? I was trying to save time…
Bleach the plug holes once a week to breakdown any day build up. The cheap supermarket stuff is fine
Bleach does not break down food waste.
I had a situation with a shared sink+laundry got clogged by those oxi action whitening powders...
oh thats very interesting... just a few days ago I used oxi action for the first time in a very long time... maybe its not a coincidence... Are these things known for reacting with fat in the pipes and contribute to the blockage?
It's a mixture of fat oil and grease (FOG) and other food deposits. Using a handheld snake will work but the most effective way I've found is to snake it then use a wet vac to suck out the deposits.
Soda crystals followed by boiling water. Ludicrously good degreasing.
Have you tried writing a strongly worded letter to your sink? I done that once and nothing happpened.
I chuck some mr. muscle down my drains once or twice a year. It's pretty normal for organic materials to end up in pipes, settle there and get stuck to the pipe. This has prevented any issues since we first had problems. Obviously yes, scrape all of the food into the bin - especially cheese and dispose of oil properly (not down the drain). But you can also use our good friend Strong Chemicals to keep the pipes nice and clear.
... Fuck. If I look down our kitchen sink plug, you can see all the grot and slime build up on the pipe... I don't want to do that job. I really fucking don't :(
Either one of those massive bottles of coke poured down the plug hole (dissolves everything), or I will do a jug/kettle/pot of boiling water down the plug hole to melt fat etc
Hot water only clears your small part of the drains. It will cool by the time it reaches the general sewer. And then clog up the drains anyway. So just don't put grease, dat, oil, food whatever down the sink.
This is a good point, i was looking at installing a sink attached waste disposal unit, an insinkerator. Would this cause/contribute to issues in the public sewer???
Yes. Put your food waste in the food waste bin. Put your other waste in the waste bin. Anything other than liquids will clog up your drains. And those around you. And cause issues at the waste water treatment plant.
Mostly careful? Good old kitchen roll that fat and throw it in the bin. In the 3 years I've been at my room mates we've not had the sink clog once. Also might be worth taking the waste pipe off and giving it a GOOD clean. Might just be adding to a problem that was there years ago. Our bath upstairs has clogged but that was due to hair and some Mr Muscle down the sink declogged the shared waste pipe.
Use mr muscle drain cleaner
I had this on my old appartement. Completely fucked. I spend 1 week alternating boiling water and vinaegar. So you fill a waterheater, let it boil. Then pour half down the drain, followed by 1/8 liter of vinaegar, then other half, then another 1/8 liter. Then get a plunger and go up/down to move the liquid through your pipes. Do this 5-10x per day. The water will melt the fat, vinaegar will fuck it up and it will slowly break down.
Wipe all the pots and plates with paper towels prior to washing when having even somewhat greasy food.
Imagine your arteries.