# A DIFFERENT way to clear a clogged drain!



## DangerMouse

I went to take a shower this morning and noticed the drain was VERY slow in the tub. I got out and got the plastic, barbed thingy and tried that, but only pulled up a tiny bit of hair! I then could only assume it was plugged a bit further down the pipe. I then started thinking how handy it would be to have a can of that compressed air, but immediately remembered reading about "exploding pipes" from too much pressure all at once. 

So here's what I did..... 

I went to the kitchen and grabbed an empty one gallon plastic milk jug and quickly rinsed it out. Then I filled it completely with HOT water that I let run in the sink a minute to be sure it was GOOD AND HOT! I went to the tub and flipped it over and plugged the drain with it and pushed down HARD. The hot water unplugged that drain so fast it almost sucked me right down with the water! I was amazed how well it worked! 

Of course, this may not be a solution for everyone, but it sure worked for me!!!

Hope this helps someone!

DM


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## bbo

I'll have to get the wife to try that next time the toilet is plugged ... :brows:


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## DangerMouse

bbo said:


> I'll have to get the wife to try that next time the toilet is plugged ... :brows:


I would not advise trying this on a toilet.

DM


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## bbo

DangerMouse said:


> I would not advise trying this on a toilet.
> 
> DM


this would only be in an evil dream sequence where the wife gets the backsplash. :laughing:

she is a great sport ...


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## user1007

We turn too quickly to harsh chemicals for household drains. 

Air pressure - reverse or positive - still works most of the time. Don't go crazy and blow your plumbing apart though.

Boiling water can often work to melt gunky stuff. 

A cup of bleach poured down a drain once a month can help keep it clear.

Baking soda and vinegar can often get a drain flowing.

Adding enzymes on a regular basis will keep drains clear short of sticking something stupid down them. Cheaper to get them in bulk and share with neighbors or family. 










It is a gruesome task but pull and clean sink traps once in awhile if drains are slow.


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## oh'mike

Tremendous solution--I'm going to book mark this one----clever use of an old jug---genius!


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## beengone

I'm surprised no one mentioned how well some Coke works when you let it set in the trap a while.


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## DangerMouse

beengone said:


> I'm surprised no one mentioned how well some Coke works when you let it set in the trap a while.


Hmmmmm.... seems like an _awfully_ expensive way to clear a drain! :laughing:

DM


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## TheEplumber

DM's homemade Water Ram, I like it! :thumbup:
Surprised you didn't get wet from the tub overflow


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## DangerMouse

Suprisingly, it didn't come out of the overflow at all!

DM


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## toastandjam

DangerMouse said:


> Suprisingly, it didn't come out of the overflow at all!
> 
> DM


That is probably where the clog moved to.


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## KingLeopard

sdsester said:


> Baking soda and vinegar can often get a drain flowing.


The hot water solution works fine. :thumbup: It's the baking soda and vinegar that I haven't tried. Waiting for the next opportunity to arise. Hope not too soon though. :huh:

I'm really learning new tricks in this forum.


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## notmrjohn

Amazing the things small pea sized rodent brain can come up with.

"she is a great sport .." said bbo, hoping she never sees his post.

"Air pressure - reverse..." if at all possible use reverse, in fact push toilet plunger gently release it quickly, try to get it to pull clog loose, often pushing it just moves clog along and jamming it tighter. I've used shop vac in sinks and tubs, covering over flows with floppy rubber jar opener/drain cover disc. Vac fills home with lovely fragrance unless you have long hose to outdoors.

Cook* big* pot of pasta once a week, even if just a little pasta in lots of water, boiling water down the sink. Check for cheap thin pvc drains first. Run hot water a minute or two to carry any melted grease on down line to city main, so it doesn't re-solidify in yours. Follow with few minutes of cold to hopefully solidify and suspend any remaining small amounts of grease and carry it out.
Bleach not such good idea with clogs and it kills enzyme producing bacteria if using that.

" _awfully_ expensive way to clear a drain" It gets the clog all antsy and energetic, gets a jones to knock over plumbing supply convenience store, leaves drain.
But at last some use for weird chemically tasting store brand colas and Pepsi, but some of them may eat right thru pipes into bed rock, causing global consequences.

overflow " is probably where the clog moved to. " Now maybe you can reach it with " plastic, barbed thingy." ( plastic, barbed thingy available at local S&M shop or online.)


" Waiting for the next opportunity" to use baking soda and vinegar, works if used regularly to clean drains, knocks down odors, often works on partially blocked slow drains, kitchen sinks where clog is bits of debris and some grease. Not so well where clog is hair, soap, and grease. Monthly regimen; a cup of each, soda first, little water to get it down to trap then vinegar, outrush of gas from drain. Put bowl upside down over drains, lean back may splash into eyes. Hold nose, initial back flow smells worse than drain alone.

And i thunked this only use for milk jugs.


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## AnnContorno

NICE!!! I am going to run home and try that with my bathroom sink!!! I've done the bleach/hotwater thing...worked a little bit but never got almost sucked down! lol


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## danzo138

I've seen this method before (minus the pushing down) and it never worked for me. Now that you mention pushing down, this makes much more sense. I'm going to it give it a go next time I get a plugged up shower. Thanks.


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## CoconutPete

This weekend I was able to successfully use "coconut Pete's old t-shirt method"

I was doing the cheap version of DangerMouse's way and just trying to use a plunger on the drain, but it just kept shooting air out of the tub overflow.

For CoconutPete's old t-shirt method you need:

Philips head screw driver
old t-shirt
Plunger


Turn on the water in the tub
Throw the old t-shirt into the tub
Remove the 2 screws from the tub overflow and remove the cover.
Grab the old t-shirt and wring it out.
Shove the old t-shirt into the overflow pipe, effectively plugging it.
Plunge the drain!
Watch in amazement as the drain now works.

At least it worked for me.

:thumbup:


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## DangerMouse

yeah, that pesky overflow hole needs to be closed off sometimes....
I did the same thing at the old house with a wet towel, (held by the kid while I plunged)

DM


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## notmrjohn

If tub drain itself seals tight, use plunger at overflow. Depending on shape of tub wall and over flow cover, you may not have to remove cover. A thick coating of petroleum jelly or plumber's putty on rim of plunger will help seal it. Try to ues plunger as suction device, using it as forcing device can sometimes just push clog farther down pipe where you can't reach it without snake.

And don't forget what you learned in Hi Skool, cherry bombs are amazingly effecient at clearing clogs. If bomb itself doesn't clear clog, burst pipes result in whole crew of plumbers showing up. Also whole crew of janitors with mops.


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## jagans

*Plunger*

I guess thats why the correct name is "Force Pump" not plunger:laughing:


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## CoconutPete

DangerMouse said:


> I did the same thing at the old house with a wet towel, (held by the kid while I plunged)


I kept asking my daughter to hold the wet t-shirt, but she just looked at me and giggled. My wife kept saying something about 8 months not being old enough to help with house stuff, but I personally think that's plenty old :thumbup:


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## notmrjohn

Sewer Wars, The Entire Flow Back, Return of the Plumbers. May the force pump be with you. Yo, da master plumber, "Backed up da terlet is."

Pete, an 8 month old oughta be heavy enough to set on thinks while the glue drys.


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## DangerMouse

CoconutPete said:


> I kept asking my daughter to hold the wet t-shirt, but she just looked at me and giggled. My wife kept saying something about 8 months not being old enough to help with house stuff, but I personally think that's plenty old :thumbup:


If 8 months is old enough to vote, drive and do housework, it's surely old enough to help YOU without all that childish giggling... :laughing:

DM


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## lexdiamond20

DangerMouse said:


> Hmmmmm.... seems like an _awfully_ expensive way to clear a drain! :laughing:
> 
> DM


Did this go over everyone elses head? Funny.


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## DangerMouse

lexdiamond20 said:


> Did this go over everyone elses head? Funny.


 I thought so too.....

DM


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## wkearney99

CoconutPete said:


> I kept asking my daughter to hold the wet t-shirt, but she just looked at me and giggled.


Fast forward 18 years and that would sound a lot worse...


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## joe8915

I have poured a half of Joy dish soap and got pretty good results as well. Works great in the toilet


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## johnhandy

*best method for cleaning sludge ?*

hia, joined yesterday, this is my second post.. first, my home is almost fourty years ..and so the sludge on the 2.5 galvanize sink drain pipe build up requires snaking every year or two. Tried draino and discovered the baking soda white vinegar trick for the sink traps in the house, still not affective enough to punch out the black sludge.. even after small portable 25 ft. drill snake , after a year the sludge builds up again enough to clog the washer machine drain pipe and basmt shower pan backs up leaving a ring of sewage sediment in the shower pan. This is the third or fourth time in the last six years I had to use the snake/draino/vinegar/baking soda.. I even thought it was roots in the main 4 inch cast so i rented the 100 ft snake with the root cutter interchangable heads etc.. even though i was thorough .. i could never fully clean existing sink pipes ,,the wall sludge inside the 25 ft or so 3.5 galvanize sink and washer pipes that the snake clearly reveals on the auger..( thick tar clay sludge smells like sewage) anyway.. after running a garden hose while using a drill auger,the 25 snake did punch the clog, but this time,I'm also going to try the enzyme foam stuff. I figure late during sleep hours use it periodically like once a month for maintenance. I hope cleaning the inside walls of the pipes existing, I believe they are still caked with too much black sludge even after the snaking and running water trick.. I suppose this is a long post but this is /was my experience with clogged old pipes in my home. cheers!


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## mathmonger

I've had a lot of luck just by being persistent with a shop vac and hot tap water. Suck out all the water with the shop vac first. Then when you run the hot water, it stays nice and hot against the clog and breaks it up. That will usually go down although it may be slow at first. Repeat the process a few times until the clog breaks up. It might take a little longer, but you don't have to take anything apart or get covered in slime. 

I also read recently that kicking a toilet can work quite often. I dunno. Kinda seems like it might work. The next time I clog up a toilet, you can bet it'll get a swift kick.


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## johnhandy

*like shop vac idea too*

Shop vac is a good idea for tough to get at situation for snake auger but, I figured out the best way is a lot of ways.. first best.. drill rotor snake.. followed by hot running water.. after that i used white vinigar/baking soda treatment plan for the following days before bedtime..i let it sit and morning run hort water too. Also , never dump coffee grinds down sink because that was the problem imho..also my town has hardwater so i fixed my watersoftener and what a difference! ..I tell everyone to be sure to clean sink strainer and not let peelings etc. go down drain.. i periodically use a cheap drain liquid cleaner cup or so just to overflow the trap befor bedtime..i think it is good maintenance/ prevent future clogs. :thumbup: lastly, i think the foam cleaners are worth using too from what i read.


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## bcoate

Actually no. I used to use Coke in the laundry to clean the oil and grease out of my Mechanic husband's work clothes. Really took all the oily, greasy stuff out when nothing else would touch it. Also used it in the pesticide dips for dogs before the days of the Frontline and Advantage drops. Would make the pesticide work quicker and last longer that the same stuff without the coke in it. Only the old Coke classic works for this stuff. The new version just doesn't have the same acid in it I guess.


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## Koolhaas

reminds me of this thing

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rs-come-mess-free-way-unclogging-toilets.html


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## necrosaro420

Thanks!


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## ron45

You all need to watch what you put down them drains.
Those city folks have to cook, bathe, and drink it.


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## Yodaman

Amazing the things we try before we will take apart that trap! (me included). The next empty milk jug is headed for the drain cleaning pail to sit along side my trusty plunger and favorite snake! Can't wait to try it!

Honestly once you start plunging to suck and not push it works most of the time.

OH .............I also keep rubber gloves in that pail!


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## williamlayton

I have this compressor-----
Blessings


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## DIYPhotographer

has anyone had a block so bad that domestic cleaners didn't work? can't i have to be honest, but this is certainly one way of doing it.


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## Windows on Wash

DIYPhotographer said:


> has anyone had a block so bad that domestic cleaners didn't work? can't i have to be honest, but this is certainly one way of doing it.


Never had anything so bad that his snake couldn't do the job.


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