bathroom sink - slow draining water

asp746

when we pull the plug it takes ages for it to drain away.

i've looked down the plug hole and it seems ok and i've looked at the pipe outside that it comes out of and its really slow.

my guess is that when water goes down from the sink its getting blocked as the pipe goes down, across and then down again and i think there's gunk in the across bit.

now i need to figure out whats the easiest way to try and get things moving - from inside by moving the pedastal or by trying to pull the pipe off outside. will the pipe outside be glued on or just pushed on?

thanks

kelloggs36

YOu can buy the sink unblocker stuff - it works wonders! This was happening in my shower until I poured the stuff down - left it a couple of hours and lo and behold, it was cleared! Don't touch the pipes until you have tried this stuff - you can get it in any supermarket.

jimbo_the_jetset

Outside sink pipes are just push fit, usually. To be honest I'd be inclined to take the pipe off rather than buy the expensive unblocker stuff. A squird with a hose may be all that is needed. And anyway 2m of inch and a half waste pipe is about £2-3 in the DIY shops should anything go wrong. Unblocker stuff I've seen in always about £4-5.

maninthestreet

If it's blocked anywhere, it's likely to be in the U-bend under the sink. As others have said, this is easily cleared using one of those sink unblocker liquids sold at any supermarket.

dougk_2

maninthestreet wrote: »

If it's blocked anywhere, it's likely to be in the U-bend under the sink. As others have said, this is easily cleared using one of those sink unblocker liquids sold at any supermarket.

Or simply taking the u-bend off and cleaning it!

latecomer

Depends whether you have access to the u-bend of course. If not then either a chemical or mechanical method is the only option.

Edinburghlass_2

Soda crystals and hot water down the sink is much cheaper.

Fifer

dougk wrote: »

Or simply taking the u-bend off and cleaning it!

Remembering not to pour the contents down the sink.

Suzy_M

Assuming you haven't been able to clear it simply using scalding hot water. - I'm another in favour of drain clearing gel - it's quicker, easier and probably cheaper in terms of time as well as money.

The problem with waste water from bathroom basins, showers and baths is that all sections of the waste pipes tend to become blocked not just one area (see why below). - To dismantle the waste pipes and mechanically clean them out would be an awful lot of huffin 'n' puffin in awkward places and then you have to make sure when it is reassembled it is properly sealed again. - I've been there, done the 'environmentally friendly' and 'save a few pennies' but it is one of the biggest false economies going.

Try the gel first leave it for double the time on the instructions then flush through with copious amounts of really hot water. - And if the basin waste pipes are shared by a bath or shower do those at the same time. - A good tip if you have a wet and dry vacuum is to suck out visible water from the plughole first. Once cleared flush the waste pipes through periodically with hot water - and soda crystals if suitable for the surfaces.

Why bathroom basins, baths and showers become blocked - eew YUK!
Bathroom waste contains all sorts of solid gunk - soap and toothpaste residues, phlegm, long hair, shaved hairs, toe nail clippings, skin flakes, etc. In these days of economising on water use we tend not to 'waste' water by thoroughly rinsing baths and basins after use so the solids cling to the inside of the waste pipes then dry off in time for the next layer to be deposited until the build-up eventually blocks the pipes. This build-up is all the way along the waste pipe system and not just in one area.

asp746

thanks everyone - i'm sure its hair that's probably stuck down there so can't see liquids being able to break it down to move so i reckon its a case of dismantling the pipe. I'll have a go at pulling the outside pipe off first as that leads directly to the vertical piece of pipe where i suspec the blockage is - i just hope the pipe is pushed on rather than glued on.

Shimmyhill

I had the same, i replaced the sink waste and trap and did not solve (recently moves so not my muk so happy to replace and not clean !!) in the end i borrowed a gadget from my dad that you feed into the pipe and then spin around - did this and the what came out was frankly vile - solved the blockage tho !!!