I've had great success pressurising the pipes with the "blow" side of a shop
vac. Be very careful where the pressure lets loose though.

HotRod wrote:

I've had great success pressurising the pipes with the "blow" side of a shop
vac. Be very careful where the pressure lets loose though.

Interesting you should suggest that. I don't have a shop vac...but it
occured to me that a solution of vinegar and baking soda down the drain
might blow whatever is blocking it loose if I also plug the sink. It
produces enough effervescence to blow out a hose connection on a boat if
you're not careful. I don't THINK there's any danger of that happening
in the house, but I'm not sure what else might!

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

I would NOT pour anything down the drain that generates gas
because you might develope enough pressure to crack the
plumbing if things go wrong.

I don't own a shop vac either, but I use one every now and
then that I borrow from friends. Surely you know somebody
that you can borrow a shop vac from for an afternoon.

A shop vac could be used as a suction device to pull the
blockage back up the way it went in. After closing off
the vent pipe on the roof, you might be able to use the shop
vac to blow into the other operating drain that you
mentioned and dislodge the blockage that way.

In any case, a shop vac is not going to produce pressures
that can crack the plumbing.



Interesting you should suggest that. I don't have a shop vac...but it
occured to me that a solution of vinegar and baking soda down the drain
might blow whatever is blocking it loose if I also plug the sink. It
produces enough effervescence to blow out a hose connection on a boat if
you're not careful. I don't THINK there's any danger of that happening
in the house, but I'm not sure what else might!

I tried the "suck" method several times and never got any results, I have
used the shop vac on a 3" ABS pipe that was clogged 30' away and it worked
like a charm, I've also used it on a kitchen sink but you need to close and
cover all other drains with a towel in case the block goes that direction.
Heck I used compressed air to unclog my Dad's drain to the road about 100'
away, we tried with a snake without any results and then got a small amount
of water moving with the compressed air. Once the water was moving we poured
drain cleaner down the pipe that worked it's way to the clog. Any chance
your drain cleaner is not getting to the clog?




"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
t...
HotRod wrote:

I've had great success pressurising the pipes with the "blow" side of a
shop vac. Be very careful where the pressure lets loose though.

Interesting you should suggest that. I don't have a shop vac...but it
occured to me that a solution of vinegar and baking soda down the drain
might blow whatever is blocking it loose if I also plug the sink. It
produces enough effervescence to blow out a hose connection on a boat if
you're not careful. I don't THINK there's any danger of that happening in
the house, but I'm not sure what else might!

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

HotRod wrote:

Any chance
your drain cleaner is not getting to the clog?

I'm 90% certain it is...'cuz the sink IS draining, but just barely. I
put nearly a quart of the sulphuric acid stuff down it--twice...which
should have been enough to send at least some of it all the way through
the trap and to wherever the clog is.

Peggie

HotRod wrote:


I've had great success pressurising the pipes with the "blow" side of a
shop vac. Be very careful where the pressure lets loose though.

Interesting you should suggest that. I don't have a shop vac...but it
occured to me that a solution of vinegar and baking soda down the drain
might blow whatever is blocking it loose if I also plug the sink. It
produces enough effervescence to blow out a hose connection on a boat if
you're not careful. I don't THINK there's any danger of that happening in
the house, but I'm not sure what else might!

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327




--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

Peggie
try filling the sink 1.2 full with water and then using a plunger to
clear the drain. Fill the head of the plunger with water and then just push
and pull the plunger and see if you can get the "mass" moving.



"HotRod" wrote in message
...
I tried the "suck" method several times and never got any results, I have
used the shop vac on a 3" ABS pipe that was clogged 30' away and it worked
like a charm, I've also used it on a kitchen sink but you need to close and
cover all other drains with a towel in case the block goes that direction.
Heck I used compressed air to unclog my Dad's drain to the road about 100'
away, we tried with a snake without any results and then got a small amount
of water moving with the compressed air. Once the water was moving we
poured drain cleaner down the pipe that worked it's way to the clog. Any
chance your drain cleaner is not getting to the clog?




"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
t...
HotRod wrote:

I've had great success pressurising the pipes with the "blow" side of a
shop vac. Be very careful where the pressure lets loose though.

Interesting you should suggest that. I don't have a shop vac...but it
occured to me that a solution of vinegar and baking soda down the drain
might blow whatever is blocking it loose if I also plug the sink. It
produces enough effervescence to blow out a hose connection on a boat if
you're not careful. I don't THINK there's any danger of that happening in
the house, but I'm not sure what else might!

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

HotRod wrote:

Peggie
try filling the sink 1.2 full with water and then using a plunger to
clear the drain. Fill the head of the plunger with water and then just push
and pull the plunger and see if you can get the "mass" moving.

Hokay...I can't get into TOO much trouble doing that, and it just MIGHT
save me the cost of a plumber. I'll let you know if it works.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

HotRod wrote:

try filling the sink 1.2 full with water and then using a plunger to
clear the drain. Fill the head of the plunger with water and then just push
and pull the plunger and see if you can get the "mass" moving.

WOOOOOOOOOHOOOO!!! IT WORKED!!!

I don't have a sink plunger...had tried the toilet plunger once before,
but couldn't get enough of a seal. But your suggestion to fill the sink
half full solved that problem. Whatever is in there didn't want to
budge, though...I wailed on it half a dozen times, no joy...filled the
sink and tried again...and all of a sudden I could hear water GUSHING
through the pipe. That sink is now draining better than it ever has!

Thank you for a GREAT suggestion! It was putting water in the sink that
made it work.

I wonder what the heck is in there...and whether it's likely to get
stuck somewhere else downstream now... Oh well...as Scarlett O'Hara
always said, I'll think about that tomorrow.

You made my day, hotrod!

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327