Unblocking sinks

williacg

Hi all,

I'd be grateful for any tips or advice on how to unblock my kitchen sink, I've tried 2 different off the shelf liquid unblockers, Mr Muscle and another (I can't recall the name), but before I go in search of a plumber, I want to attempt to resolve the problem myself. Should I use a plunger first, before I use the liquid unblocker?

Thanks in advance for all advice.

tanith

Have you undone the waste underneath the sink to see if its blocked there? make sure you put a bowl under it first though..

fishfins

When my shower plug gets blocked I pour a scoop of vanish oxy action onto the plug then pour a kettle full of boiling water onto it. I found it by accident but it seems to really work, not sure how well it will work in a kitchen sink though as what's blocking it might be different. Worth a try though

Plumberman

Get yourself a plunger
Leave the plug out and fill the sink almost to the top with water
Cover the overflow outlet (an old sponge or dish cloth will do the job)
Make sure the plunger is directly over the plug hole and plunge away!

This will clear most blocked sinks.

williacg

Plumberman wrote: »

Get yourself a plunger
Leave the plug out and fill the sink almost to the top with water
Cover the overflow outlet (an old sponge or dish cloth will do the job)
Make sure the plunger is directly over the plug hole and plunge away!

This will clear most blocked sinks.

Hi there Plumberman,

I will do as you suggest first, as I've been browsing through the internet, and your advice actually mirrors most of the suggestions that I've read through.

Thank you once again for your advice.

PS - Failing that, do you recommend any particular liquid unblockers, or are they all more or less the same?

williacg

fishfins wrote: »

When my shower plug gets blocked I pour a scoop of vanish oxy action onto the plug then pour a kettle full of boiling water onto it. I found it by accident but it seems to really work, not sure how well it will work in a kitchen sink though as what's blocking it might be different. Worth a try though

I think I'll try the plunger route first, but thank you for the tip.

williacg

tanith wrote: »

Have you undone the waste underneath the sink to see if its blocked there? make sure you put a bowl under it first though..

Thanks Tanith,

No, I haven't tried that yet, I'm hoping the plunger will do the trick.

Fingers crossed.

bris

I use compressed air, you can buy it in B&Q for about a tenner. A quick 1 second burst will remove even the most stuborn blockage a plunger can't shift.
I now use my compressor because my waste disposal unit seems to be creating more than a few blockages.

G_M

tanith wrote: »

Have you undone the waste underneath the sink to see if its blocked there? make sure you put a bowl under it first though..

This is by far the best suggestion. No cleaning material, or plunger, will be as effective as physically clearing the U bend.

Put a bucket under and unscrew the joins to remove the ubend. It will be full of grease/gunk etc which you clean out with whatever you have handy to push inside. Rinse in hot water water, and replace.

Plumberman

G_M wrote: »

This is by far the best suggestion. No cleaning material, or plunger, will be as effective as physically clearing the U bend.

Put a bucket under and unscrew the joins to remove the ubend. It will be full of grease/gunk etc which you clean out with whatever you have handy to push inside. Rinse in hot water water, and replace.

For all the blocked wastes I go to maybe 1 in 10 is a blocked trap (U bend), identifiable by how much water is needed before the waste starts to 'back up'.

By all means undo the trap to check/clean it out but be aware that..
1, it can be a messy job
2, it is more than likely uneccessary
3, the more joints you undo the more chance you have of causing a leak

Sarahdol75

Hi when my sinks are blocked I use, half a cup full of bicarbonate of soda and half a cup of vinegar let it fiz up for a while then flush it through with hot water hth.