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23.05.2014, 15:23
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
Pümpel
<snigger>
Or more boringly, Saugglocke
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23.05.2014, 15:29
| | Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
I've not been able to find this plunger in Switzerland, at least around zurich. I do have a thing that looks like a bicycle pump with a big suction cup on the end. That worked on my bathroom sink clog in conjunction with boiling water (let the water work first and cool.)
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23.05.2014, 15:35
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
The normal cup plunger (rather than the illustrated flange plunger) works fine on sink blockages too.
What helps is sealing the sink overflow hole with gaffer tape rather than a damp cloth, and ensuring the sink is at least a third full of water before commencing vigorous pumping *
* no sniggering at the back there, if you please.
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23.05.2014, 15:44
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
I`m not sniggering ..... but I am trembling with chuckles at the memory of someone I know who brought in his high power air-pressure gadget to clear the kitchen drain - but gave not a thought to the overflow hole...... so inserted the power hose, switched on, and got a blast of shiiity black goo in his face, and all over the kitchen cupboards and floor. That was so funny (for me, cause I didn`t live there).
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23.05.2014, 15:50
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
That picture is of a toilet plunger the other kind (the half a rubber ball type) is for sinks. | Quote: | |  | | | you can also go old fashioned with a plunger. is the right type for a blocked sink. A wet cloth should be applied over the overflow to create a seal - to get more power into your plunging, get someone to help and cover that.
A plumber would try that first and will afterwards most probably use compressed air in a similar manner.
Once you have a flow through the pipes, run large amounts of very hot water through it - add some washing liquid to remove grease. | | | | | | This user would like to thank Lou for this useful post: | | 
23.05.2014, 15:52
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice | Quote: | |  | | | That picture is of a toilet plunger the other kind (the half a rubber ball type) is for sinks. | | | | | stop spoiling my fun 
it's past beer o'clock where I am | 
23.05.2014, 15:55
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
Gin o'clock was 3 hour ago | Quote: | |  | | | stop spoiling my fun 
it's past beer o'clock where I am  | | | | | | This user would like to thank Lou for this useful post: | | 
23.05.2014, 15:57
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice | Quote: | |  | | | Gin o'clock was 3 hour ago  | | | | | stop derailing the thread! | The following 2 users would like to thank Sean Connery for this useful post: | | 
23.05.2014, 16:11
| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
So much for going natural  - I just dumped the migros version of drano down the sink.  Waiting for it to do its job | Quote: | |  | | | I`m not sniggering ..... but I am trembling with chuckles at the memory of someone I know who brought in his high power air-pressure gadget to clear the kitchen drain - but gave not a thought to the overflow hole...... so inserted the power hose, switched on, and got a blast of shiiity black goo in his face, and all over the kitchen cupboards and floor. That was so funny (for me, cause I didn`t live there). | | | | | blargh
Edit: It didn't do squat - just as clogged as before
Last edited by glowjupiter; 23.05.2014 at 16:32.
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23.05.2014, 16:34
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
It is best to leave the drain cleaner to work for several hours or even overnight. How long did the instructions say to leave it sit for? | Quote: |  | | | So much for going natural  - I just dumped the migros version of drano down the sink.  Waiting for it to do its job
blargh
Edit: It didn't do squat - just as clogged as before  | | | | | | The following 2 users would like to thank Lou for this useful post: | | 
23.05.2014, 16:40
| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice | Quote: | |  | | | It is best to leave the drain cleaner to work for several hours or even overnight. How long did the instructions say to leave it sit for? | | | | | 15 minutes.......... should I do another application, let it sit overnight and just use a different sink to prepare food for the rest of the day?
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23.05.2014, 16:42
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
You do need to refer to the label but 15 mins seems way too short. When my son blocked one of my sinks I put the super strength unglogger down the drain when I went to bed and ran hot water through it in the morning, clog was gone. | Quote: |  | | | 15 minutes.......... should I do another application, let it sit overnight and just use a different sink to prepare food for the rest of the day? | | | | | | This user would like to thank Lou for this useful post: | | 
23.05.2014, 16:43
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice | Quote: |  | | | 15 minutes.......... should I do another application, let it sit overnight and just use a different sink to prepare food for the rest of the day? | | | | | Basically, yes..... a good excuse for eating out?
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23.05.2014, 16:49
| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice | Quote: | |  | | | Basically, yes..... a good excuse for eating out? | | | | | ... or pizza 
I need to find the rorax product (Coop) but going back out sucks big time because I'm starving and want to cook up a huge dinner. Probably going to Coop tomorrow. I guess I'll do the second try with Migros product after dinner because it'll mean that I won't have to do dishes for several hours.
For how many hours do you recommend that I let the stuff sit?
Edit: My product from Migros (a powder) says: Dump powder in the drain. Pour 200 ml of warm water in drain. Rinse with warm water after 15 minutes. My issue is that I think that the initial water addition (200ml) might wash the powder away and therefore it won't sit there for hours and do its job. Would you dump the powder in the (wet) drain, let the powder sit overnight and rinse in the morning or would you add 200ml of water right after the powder and then rinse after leaving it overnight?
Last edited by glowjupiter; 23.05.2014 at 17:16.
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23.05.2014, 16:59
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
I usually leave it overnight, then follow up with a blast of hot water (avoid getting splashed by either the water or the product)!
Once you get it sorted it's worth remembering to put some of that stuff down all your sinks/baths/shower drainage holes every couple of months and leaving it as long as possible as a preventative measure.
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23.05.2014, 17:20
| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice | Quote: | |  | | | I usually leave it overnight, then follow up with a blast of hot water (avoid getting splashed by either the water or the product)!
Once you get it sorted it's worth remembering to put some of that stuff down all your sinks/baths/shower drainage holes every couple of months and leaving it as long as possible as a preventative measure. | | | | | So you'd dump the product down the drain without adding 200ml of warm water? Thanks | 
23.05.2014, 17:30
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice | Quote: |  | | | So you'd dump the product down the drain without adding 200ml of warm water? Thanks  | | | | | If it's a liquid drain de-block yes, I found the powdered stuff to be pretty useless.
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23.05.2014, 17:34
| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice | Quote: | |  | | | If it's a liquid drain de-block yes, I found the powdered stuff to be pretty useless. | | | | | That's the point (see a couple posts above), my de-block is powdered and I won't be running across liquid de-blocker (rorax) till tomorrow. Boiling a pot of water before dinner in the hopes that it might help before I do the Migros de-block after dinner.
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23.05.2014, 18:06
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
Okay, silly me. I've bought the powdered stuff in the past and it definitely takes longer than 15 minutes, no matter what it says on the bottle.
Try adding less water so that the mixture is thicker and stands more chance of sticking to the edges.
Although if you can't see any blockage it's probably the U-bend that's the problem. Definitely leave it overnight if you possibly can and if that doesn't work get something stronger.... you might need to ask in a pharmacy if the Migros or Coop stuff doesn't work.
I'm lucky in that I can buy all my chemical warfare stuff in France (€1 a litre and it goes through anything), but once you've cleared the problem a regular pre-emptive strike should stop it happening again.
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23.05.2014, 18:54
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| | Re: Drain clogged - Need plumbing advice
You can get really powerful declogger the drogerie. It is classified as chemical so some places make you leave your details and sign for it.
You dump it in, followed by 1 lt of hot water and out come some pretty toxic fumes (so leave room asap and window open)
Always done the trick for us, unfortunately cannot remember name but it is a blue container, about 20 cm.
Ciao
K
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