Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Around The House). This thread is read-only.
So my house has 2 plumbing issues. my shower drain is running slow and the kitchen sink splaters water on the side without the disposal for a split second when the disposal switch is turned on. Sometimes if really bad it skips the “splater water for split second” and goes straight to “water rising up from the drain”
@KnarlyCarl What is the best way to solve these two issues?
I have heard both sides of the story on draino, liquid plumr, and the like. Some say it is safe for pipes others say it is bad for the pipes. I have heard there is “pipe safe versions” but don’t know if it is actually safe. I personally have heard it clears some of the clog but not all of it. I have also heard it may increase the chances of future clogs. I have also heard plumbers are against these products. Some say call a plumber in to use a drain snake. Some say use the draino or plumr on small jobs and call a plumber on large jobs.
I don’t use drano, have you tried pulling the trap off?
For the tub have you checked for hair? I know its real basic but trust me, you should see the hair that I pull out of my tub and no its not mine!
JimboS1ice wrote:
10 minutes ago, JimboS1ice said:I don’t use drano, have you tried pulling the trap off?
For the tub have you checked for hair? I know its real basic but trust me, you should see the hair that I pull out of my tub and no its not mine!
I have two sisters so I know the feeling they are out of the house now so its just me and my parents.
its just a shower. No tub. It is only used by me and my hair is short. I pulled the drain cover off and looked down the pipe with my dcl050 and just saw a bit of water at the bottom which I would guess is from a bend in the pipe. I can’t think of what the bend is called at the moment. Also I think the pipe is cast iron. Probably original pipe from when the house was built in the 70’s.
Bend in the pipe is called the trap
Only ever had one instance in the last 8 years of doing this work where Drano worked for a customer.
I arrived at the house, having been given instructions that the kitchen sink backs up, but I couldn’t recreate the problem, no problems draining whatsoever. I called the homeowner at their work to which they confessed using Drano in a desperate attempt to make it drain better. Only case I can recall it actually worked.
If your drains are cast iron, you’re Screwed!! No amounts of Drano will help, get an auger down the drain if possible and hope it breaks enough rusty chunks off the inside of the pipe to allow better drainage.
Even then, there’s no happy ending for cast, eventually it splits or cracks through and little bubbles of rust form and it starts dripping anyway.
KnarlyCarl wrote:
11 hours ago, KnarlyCarl said:Bend in the pipe is called the trap
Only ever had one instance in the last 8 years of doing this work where Drano worked for a customer.
I arrived at the house, having been given instructions that the kitchen sink backs up, but I couldn’t recreate the problem, no problems draining whatsoever. I called the homeowner at their work to which they confessed using Drano in a desperate attempt to make it drain better. Only case I can recall it actually worked.
If your drains are cast iron, you’re Screwed!! No amounts of Drano will help, get an auger down the drain if possible and hope it breaks enough rusty chunks off the inside of the pipe to allow better drainage.
Even then, there’s no happy ending for cast, eventually it splits or cracks through and little bubbles of rust form and it starts dripping anyway.
Theres the back of the shower. It appears as though the cast iron pipe for the shower drain is in concrete so if/when it needs replacing it will be a bear. Seems like the house has a mix of new and old plumbing. the large pipe to the right is part black pvc and part cast. It’s the main waste pipe that leads to the sewer right?
Not sure which side is the kitchen but its all pvc which is good. Was remodeled in 2014 I think. Also connected to the sprinklers I think. Not sure what the tiny copper pipe hanging on the 2x to the left is but it leads no where just a sealed end haha.
new dcl050 represent. and a useless window under the deck haha.
That does look like iron pipe. It looks like ABS.
I’ve had great success with Ascorbic Acid granules and baking soda with some water near boiling, for my drain issues.
This also works really well to clear clogs.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Plumb-Away-6-oz-Aerosol-Drain-Opener-Refill-10008/202275221
RickyMcGrath wrote:
1 hour ago, RickyMcGrath said:That does look like iron pipe. It looks like ABS.
I’ve had great success with Ascorbic Acid granules and baking soda with some water near boiling, for my drain issues.
This also works really well to clear clogs.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Plumb-Away-6-oz-Aerosol-Drain-Opener-Refill-10008/202275221
some of the black pipe is plastic other is cast. The large pipe in the first picture enters the block wall as plastic then exits as cast.
I have had a great experience with draino. It would be worth a shot before calling a plumber.
rbacon705 wrote:
1 hour ago, rbacon705 said:I have had a great experience with draino. It would be worth a shot before calling a plumber.
I’ve tried it or plumr before and it only helped for a short time. Maybe a couple months which is not a full fix in my opinion. The rusty junk is all over the pipe so an auger might be the best option.
Just back on the draino, just used it in the bathroom didn’t work. Drain auger is probably best
Well the $20 drain snake I got did the trick. The drill hookup was a nice feature. My shower drains great. I no longer have a pool of water when I take a shower.