What do I use to unclog sink?

[TomSeller]

I have been using a liquid I get from an RV store. It is a microorganism that will eat soaps and grease. If the water trickles down the drain this stuff should work well. Don't use a lot of water with this just pour the liquid into the standing water and wait an hour. About $40. a gallon but, a cup or two now and a cup each week after will clear the drain and open the pipes.

Interesting, what's it called?

 

[TomSeller]

Last time I had an instant blockage it was roots in the pipe between the house and the septic tank. We had a bunch of people over and I assume the carp load that day was too much to get by the roots. Ended up digging up the tank and having a rooter guy come in and clear the roots. He then lined the pipe with blue liner. As far as bleach or antibacterial soap goes, I never use it since they hinder bacterial breakdown in the tank.

 

[CowboyRon]

Last time I had an instant blockage it was roots in the pipe between the house and the septic tank. We had a bunch of people over and I assume the carp load that day was too much to get by the roots. Ended up digging up the tank and having a rooter guy come in and clear the roots. He then lined the pipe with blue liner. As far as bleach or antibacterial soap goes, I never use it since they hinder bacterial breakdown in the tank.

In our area they require us to use chlorine tablets in our septic systems.
I agree with you that they would kill all of the microbes that are supposed to be at work.

 

[newbury]

Took a double boiling pot, maybe 18" tall, filled it TWICE with water and got it to a boil on the stove. Added it down the drain.....nothing but a steaming puddle in the sink that my wife said I need to stay away from (fumes). I laughed because her 'fumes' was actually steam.

Smart woman. If you've been pouring chemicals down boiling water could be a BAD thing.

<snip>I had the wife hold down a seal over 1/2 the double sink and I plunged like crazy on the other sink drain and it suddenly cleared up.
I do have a European plunger device that works miracles. Looks like a standard rubber cup followed by a piston pump about like a common grease gun.
That baby pumps a huge gulp of air that simply blows debris away.<snip>

That plus hot water is my go-to sink maintenance cleaner. I've a bathroom sink that must have more hair in it than what's on a mastadon. And it clogs far past where my little snakes reach. Now it has not shut itself up totally in a long time, but it slows to a crawl about once every other month so I run HOT water down and use one of those Mini Bellows Plungers they sell at HD.

Now I do have a rental house that I had to evict tenants from about 30 years ago, then I had to rent a big snake and bore stuff out. I was amazed how far melted plastic tableware would travel. And I never did figure out how they got steel wool so far down the drain.

 

[TomSeller]

Now I do have a rental house that I had to evict tenants from about 30 years ago, then I had to rent a big snake and bore stuff out. I was amazed how far melted plastic tableware would travel. And I never did figure out how they got steel wool so far down the drain.

And I thought I had bad renters when they poured wood stove ashes in the toilet. Wow!

 

[newbury]

And I thought I had bad renters when they poured wood stove ashes in the toilet. Wow!

Do you know hot grease melts plastic drain pipes?

 

[woodchipper]

I would never use any acids. First, the fumes (ie: chemical reaction) could potentially burn your lungs, and your eyes. Secondly, as a sewer/septic system creates methane, I am not to keen on adding any acid to an enclosed system (ie: septic tank). God knows what disaster could be pending. An ounce of prevention is the perfect remedy to a potential explosive situation.

 

[Wagtail]

Great advice as always, Mates. Fortunately, I've got a septic tank with a french-field system separate to a grey water system.

I did have a slow draining problem with the grey last Autumn, effecting the shower/bathroom-sink/washing machine section. I used "Drano" crystals <sodium hydroxide> down each outlet AND each outside air vent. It didn't work right away but a few days later there was no longer a problem and that continues to be the case.

I like the old vinegar/soda suggestion and may do this as a bi-annual maintenance routine. Ta.

 

[wngsprd]

Just heard a tip on the radio for this... an Alka Seltzer tab followed a few minutes later with white vinegar.

 

[Loadstar]

Sounds like it might be a foreign object. Good lord stop chemically treating it before you burn the pipes out of it lol. Probably you have spent enough by now to have had a plumber get it out. I would definitely check the vent line for it like others mentioned, garden hose like others mentioned, enter the pipe much further down like another mentioned(just be cautious of your chemical cocktail)