Unblocking A Sink

notanon

I thought you said you had cleaned the sump at the ubend. I assume you have unscrewed that? If not  @Emp_Fab is right that is the first thing i would do if a simple one didn't work. If the sump is full everything head to the drain things block faster there.

57Deluxe

...looks like you need to break the coat hanger out...!

TheBlueWolf

I've cleaned the U bend out a few times

It most likely is something beyond the U bend as that's about as far as the water gets. Ah well Marigolds here I come

SimonC

TheBlueWolf said:

something beyond the U bend

Excellent name for a band.

robgilmo

Sometimes a garden hose connected to a tap can shift it,

paul_c2

Sporky said:

VimFuego said:

I believe you can get chemicals to clear it.

The chap in the plumbing shop told me not to pour the whole bottle of concentrated sulphuric acid down the drain in one go.

True, I nearly died, and both sets of neighbours have since moved out, but the drains run freely.

Yeah don't "check its working" by peering over the sink for ages. Put the chemical in, walk away and close the door behind you. I think adding a bit of water to dilute it, is on the instructions too.

paul_c2

57Deluxe said:

...looks like you need to break the coat hanger out...!

Problems like that can usually be solved by moving house and never telling the new residents your forwarding address.

Sporky

paul_c2 said:

Yeah don't "check its working" by peering over the sink for ages. Put the chemical in, walk away and close the door behind you. I think adding a bit of water to dilute it, is on the instructions too.

I didn't have time to peer anywhere - a portal to hell opened in the drain and out came Satan's own noxious vapours. No warning, no mercy.

TheBlueWolf

SimonC said:

TheBlueWolf said:

something beyond the U bend

Excellent name for a band.

Oooh

rocktron

TheBlueWolf said:

Mine has had standing water since last weekend.

I've tried cleaning out the U bend, along with combinations of salt/water and caustic soda/vinegar but to no avail. Plunging it makes little difference. There's no obvious block, that I can find, but the water simply refuses to drain when I pull the plug.

I'm a council tenant so I'll be asking for a plumber dude to come round but in the meantime is there anything other than swearing loudly at the sink that might help?

Ta

Most Council flats have their main stack drain pipe enclosed behind a wall. If the blockage is severe, the Council Plumber(s) will require access to the main stack. They will not want to use a pressure hose as this could affect other residents.

I had a similar problem - severe bathroom sink pipe blockage -  and the Council Plumber wanted to knock the wall down to get to the main stack. However, I am a leaseholder so I eventually had to call a private plumber who advised me to use sulphuric acid. But, I didn't after speaking with an oldboy at Travis Perkins..    

I can recommend this Instant Power Hair and Grease Drain Opener from B&Q:-  

http://www.diy.com/departments/instant-power-drain-opener-bottle-1-l/262416_BQ.prd ;

There are two types available. Buy the one in the black plastic bottle - not the yellow bottle.

First, you have to suck out all the standing water in the downpipe through the sinkhole so as not to dilute the chemical. Then pour half a bottle of the chemical into the sink. Leave for a couple of hours. You will hear some gurgling noises as the chemical acts. Don't be tempted to run any water. Leave the chemical until the morning to work its magic, and with a bit of luck the drain pipe should be clear - possibly even under 3 hours.  

HEALTH & SAFETY: You do not require safety goggles or gloves to use this product, but be careful when pouring down the sink hole so that there isn't splash back into your eyes. Just keep the plastic bottle at arm's length and you should be fine,

Sporky

rocktron said:

HEALTH & SAFETY: You do not require safety goggles or gloves to use this product

You most certainly do - it's powdered Lye.

Read the safety sheet from the manufacturer:

http://scotchcorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/MSDS-1969-70.pdf

Googles, gloves, protective clothing and face shield.

vale

be very careful mixing chemicals @TheBlueWolf & preferably avoid altogether. seriously!

when i was at college i used to be an evening cleaner (toilets too & not ashamed to say, i was broke so did what i had to do) & we all had to take bics courses before they would let us even wipe a window or fill a bucket.
cleaners ending up in emergency due to fume inhalation from bad mixing is not as rare as it should be. along with gung ho boys who get caught out firing multiple chems down blocked toilets as if they were playing laser quest ('top gear' poo-pooing health & safety have a lot to answer for).

plumbers expensive. lungs priceless.

"Bleach + Acid
Common cleaning agents like Toilet cleaner often contain hydrochloric acid, which when mixed with bleach can create chlorine gas, this is a highly toxic substance and if this gas is inhaled the symptoms are shortness of breath and chest pain. This gas was also used to kill during the first world war, this is very dangerous and these two products should never be mixed."

http://www.irongategroup.co.uk/blog/why-you-should-never-mix-cleaning-chemicals/
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a32773/cleaning-products-never-mix/

Snap

57Deluxe said:

...looks like you need to break the coat hanger out...!

jesus mary and joseph! I bet that smarted on its way out. I am such a child, that made me laugh a lot.

I knew a bloke who was a nutter body bulder,steroid head and general loon. He'd eat tons of protein and would regularly drop brown trouts like that monster. Once we photo'd it and put the picture up on the fireplace in the front room. He saw the photo and went mental into a steroid rage, smashed the room up. We hid, crying laughing. Happy days.

boogieman

Snap said:

57Deluxe said:

...looks like you need to break the coat hanger out...!

jesus mary and joseph! I bet that smarted on its way out. I am such a child, that made me laugh a lot.

I knew a bloke who was a nutter body bulder,steroid head and general loon. He'd eat tons of protein and would regularly drop brown trouts like that monster. Once we photo'd it and put the picture up on the fireplace in the front room. He saw the photo and went mental into a steroid rage, smashed the room up. We hid, crying laughing. Happy days.

We had a kid at school who did a monster poo when we were away on a school trip to the Isle of Wight. It refused to flush away so eventually one of the teachers had to chop it into pieces with a table knife taped to a bamboo cane. You can imagine just how hysterical a load of 10 year old kids found the whole thing, the kid was famous for the rest of the year. 

ThePrettyDamned

boogieman said:

Snap said:

57Deluxe said:

...looks like you need to break the coat hanger out...!

jesus mary and joseph! I bet that smarted on its way out. I am such a child, that made me laugh a lot.

I knew a bloke who was a nutter body bulder,steroid head and general loon. He'd eat tons of protein and would regularly drop brown trouts like that monster. Once we photo'd it and put the picture up on the fireplace in the front room. He saw the photo and went mental into a steroid rage, smashed the room up. We hid, crying laughing. Happy days.

We had a kid at school who did a monster poo when we were away on a school trip to the Isle of Wight. It refused to flush away so eventually one of the teachers had to chop it into pieces with a table knife taped to a bamboo cane. You can imagine just how hysterical a load of 10 year old kids found the whole thing, the kid was famous for the rest of his excellent life. 

FTFY.

FX_Munkee

robgilmo said:

Sometimes a garden hose connected to a tap can shift it,

Please remember to video it, if you do this.

Sporky

vale said:

"Bleach + Acid
Common cleaning agents like Toilet cleaner often contain hydrochloric acid, which when mixed with bleach can create chlorine gas, this is a highly toxic substance and if this gas is inhaled the symptoms are shortness of breath and chest pain. This gas was also used to kill during the first world war, this is very dangerous and these two products should never be mixed."

That was a question in my GCSE Chemistry exam and it's stuck with me. Particularly the phrase "clouds of toxic chlorine gas".

Rocker

Disconnect the waste pipe at the U bend.  Get some garden hose, one end attached to the mains supply [tap turned off].  Insert other end into waste pipe, seal around joint with an old towel and grip the seal strongly.  Someone else turns on the tap, the mains pressure is usually enough to unblock just about any waste pipe this side of Alaska.

CabbageCat

Kitchen roll tube over plughole. Blow. Best performed nude.

Foster

A shotgun works wonders