Blocked sink - snake hasn't worked - what next please?

Sunny_Saver

Hello

My kitchen sink has blocked. I used a plunger, bicarb of soda with vinegar, boiling hot water - nothing shifted. Today I used a drain snake three times to try and shift the blockage - again nothing has happened.

Reluctantly I used Instant Power Hair & Grease Drain Opener down the sink. It hasn't worked so far, although I've now poured the rest of the bottle down the sink to leave overnight.

I never pour fats or grease down the sink, but always in a tin can to throw out. I also have a strainer over the plug hole to catch any debris.

I believe the waste pipe goes from the kitchen under ground directly to the drain outside. I also think the washing machine uses the same waste pipe. When the washing machine is on, the water gurgles up into the kitchen sink.

The other annoying thing is that it seems to be 'catching'. A month ago my neighbour's kitchen sink was blocked and he had to call a plumber. Then a few weeks ago the person next door to him had the same problem... grr.

If anyone can offer any advice, I'd be grateful. Thanks for any help in advance.

Sunny

Southend1

Try taking the trap off and cleaning it out. It may be blocked with gunk. Put a bucket underneath when removing the trap!

hay77

Hi

My kitchen sink kept taking ages to drain and I thought that there was a blockage (sometimes the smell was horrendous too). I bought loads of different produces and cleaned all of the pipe beneath the sink. In the end I noticed that when the washing machine was on the water was rising in the drain outside. I got an old pasta strainer (I know i am so technical!!) and put it down the drain outside to see what i could scoop out. Anyway, the smell was terrible and i managed to scoop out half a carrier bag of black, smelly sludge. It was disgusting but the sink has been draining properly since and no smell. It might not be that but it is worth a try.

Sunny_Saver

Thanks for your response guys.

keystone

MTS knocked on your door yet Elle? Oh - they are TWs contractor that looks into these things.

'Twixt 10 and 11 at night is usually a good time for them to rock up.



Cheers

cyclonebri1

You could try 1 of the stronger acid drain cleaners, the stuff you've used is pretty tame.You need to be carefull when using that stuff, but it's never failed for me.
Your local plumbers merc will stock this, don't get it on anything metal.

How times are changing;
I had an issue with a relatives blocked toilet, kids had bunged a full bog roll down there, then it got "used".
I didn't have a plunger suitable for a toilet so went to the plumbers shop. "Never sold one of them in years, we don't stock 'em now, you need 1 of these", offering me a bottle of the gunk.;)

I would definitely try this before what can be the extortionate cost of drain jetting.

googler

Sunny_Saver wrote: »

When the washing machine is on, the water gurgles up into the kitchen sink.

The other annoying thing is that it seems to be 'catching'. A month ago my neighbour's kitchen sink was blocked and he had to call a plumber. Then a few weeks ago the person next door to him had the same problem... grr.

Which tends to suggest the blockage is downstream of the point where the washing machine waste joins the main exit pipe, and also downstream of the point where yours and the neighbours' drains join up.

Get DynoRod or someone similar to give the outside drain a blast, see if the neighbours will share the cost.

keystone

Not very MSE to pay large sums of dosh to BG via their Dynorod subsidiary if the problem is probably in a lateral drain as OP has described which Thames Water will clear for nowt.

It turns out from elsewhere the OP's been posting that is a council problem to sort being the communal gullies giving rise to the problem.

Cheers

CouponWoman

Sunny_Saver wrote: »

Hello

My kitchen sink has blocked. I used a plunger, bicarb of soda with vinegar, boiling hot water - nothing shifted. Today I used a drain snake three times to try and shift the blockage - again nothing has happened.

Reluctantly I used Instant Power Hair & Grease Drain Opener down the sink. It hasn't worked so far, although I've now poured the rest of the bottle down the sink to leave overnight.

I never pour fats or grease down the sink, but always in a tin can to throw out. I also have a strainer over the plug hole to catch any debris.

I believe the waste pipe goes from the kitchen under ground directly to the drain outside. I also think the washing machine uses the same waste pipe. When the washing machine is on, the water gurgles up into the kitchen sink.

The other annoying thing is that it seems to be 'catching'. A month ago my neighbour's kitchen sink was blocked and he had to call a plumber. Then a few weeks ago the person next door to him had the same problem... grr.

If anyone can offer any advice, I'd be grateful. Thanks for any help in advance.

Sunny

I had the same trouble a few months ago and I asked on here and it was sorted easily once I knew how.

I had been trying for days, but the simple thing I had to do was block the overflow hole up in the sink. I stuffed wet kitchen towel in it and then used the plunger like mad. Within a minute it was clear so then remove the kitchen towel and put bleach down to clean it and bobs your uncle.

hth

xx

Pepsi35_2

Steamers are pretty good aswell gave all mine a blast a while back no probs since, not like the outside pipes 9 years of blockages, now they have redone the pipes all clear now and no more probs, would have save THEM so much money on sending guys out and flushing every week if they had done that at the start duh !!! they came out that often thought I would have to start sending the engineers Christmas cards , knew most of them by name xx

keystone

Why do people only read the first post and ignore the rest of the thread?

Just askin'

Cheers