Blocked drain and shaving soap

[Estariol]

 

[Wickham-Soap-Co]

Oddly enough, commercial drain cleaner is sodium hydroxide, (lye) the same stuff needed to make the soap, but you guy's knew this.

It can wreck plastic because people tend to use too much and don't follow the instructions, sodium hydroxide and water produces a lot of heat quickly because of an Exothermic reaction.

Stick to the instructions and you should be fine.

 

[Twelvefret]

Oddly enough, commercial drain cleaner is sodium hydroxide, (lye) the same stuff needed to make the soap, but you guy's knew this.

It can wreck plastic because people tend to use too much and don't follow the instructions, sodium hydroxide and water produces a lot of heat quickly because of an Exothermic reaction.

Stick to the instructions and you should be fine.

Perhaps wrongly, but I was told commercial drain cleaner stuff solidifies the stuff that's clogging the drain into a concrete type of substance.

 

[Wickham-Soap-Co]

Perhaps wrongly, but I was told commercial drain cleaner stuff solidifies the stuff that's clogging the drain into a concrete type of substance.

Shouldn't do, if it's mostly fat and oil blocking the drain. Soap has to have free fat, more fat than needed to make the soap. For two reasons, one to stop there being any unspent lye remaining in the soap, and the other as a skin conditioner. The drain cleaner, if it is sodium hydroxide, should heat the fat and oils and turn them into soap, which then should dissolve.

I can't think of any other substances that would end up in the drain that would react with sodium hydroxide in such a manner to create concrete. Maybe if it was a mound of hair and fat. I don't know if the heat would melt the hair to form a hard substance? I don't have much knowledge of hair and how it reacts to high temperatures.

 

[Wickham-Soap-Co]

After watching this video, it looks like it depends on how much fat has gathered. These people had to use a drill and chain to break the fat out.

Edit: I think it might be to do with packing. The hydroxide may only affect the top layer of fat blocked in the pipe, while the fat underneath remains untouched. So maybe drain cleaner is more of a maintenance thing rather than an unblocker. I have to say, I've yet to have a blocked sink.

 

[Twelvefret]

After watching this video, it looks like it depends on how much fat has gathered. These people had to use a drill and chain to break the fat out.

Edit: I think it might be to do with packing. The hydroxide may only affect the top layer of fat blocked in the pipe, while the fat underneath remains untouched. So maybe drain cleaner is more of a maintenance thing rather than an unblocker. I have to say, I've yet to have a blocked sink.

Never a blocked sink that the cheapo plastic snake didn't suffice. You understand the chemistry ,obviously, more that I.

 

[TobyC]

Pour baking soda down the drain, be generous, then pour vinegar in the drain and leave it for a while, the soap will dissolve and you can flush it away with hot water.

 

[Northam Saint]

There is of course the other alternative ? Buy a new trap and swap it over yourself. Traps are not expensive and this is an easy job.

 

[Vacumatic]

I don't know if the plumber was simply justifying his charges but he was an age in applying new O rings, silicon to the threads and liberal amounts of ptfe tape in other areas, it might be something to consider if you go down the route of replacing the U bend yourself. There is also the fact that U bends are always in the most difficult of places, half the time the plumber was on his back looking at the underside of my sink.

Half way through I am pretty sure that I would utter my well used phrase, sod this for a game of soldiers. I cannot say that I have much patience for diy plumbing, my last attempt produced more leaks than the combined efforts of Wales and MI6.

 

[Northam Saint]

I don't know if the plumber was simply justifying his charges but he was an age in applying new O rings, silicon to the threads and liberal amounts of ptfe tape in other areas, it might be something to consider if you go down the route of replacing the U bend yourself. There is also the fact that U bends are always in the most difficult of places, half the time the plumber was on his back looking at the underside of my sink.

Half way through I am pretty sure that I would utter my well used phrase, sod this for a game of soldiers. I cannot say that I have much patience for diy plumbing, my last attempt produced more leaks than the combined efforts of Wales and MI6.

Access is the only real issue. New bends and traps come with the new seals usually.

 

[Northam Saint]

I don't know if the plumber was simply justifying his charges but he was an age in applying new O rings, silicon to the threads and liberal amounts of ptfe tape in other areas, it might be something to consider if you go down the route of replacing the U bend yourself. There is also the fact that U bends are always in the most difficult of places, half the time the plumber was on his back looking at the underside of my sink.

Half way through I am pretty sure that I would utter my well used phrase, sod this for a game of soldiers. I cannot say that I have much patience for diy plumbing, my last attempt produced more leaks than the combined efforts of Wales and MI6.

Wait a minute !!!! PTFE tape ? Was that on a plastic joint ? I work in a FE college attached to plumbing and electrical, never seen PTFE used on plastic joints as well as silicon ?

 

[Wickham-Soap-Co]

Access is the only real issue. New bends and traps come with the new seals usually.

Plastic compression joints are a pain at times too. Easy to cross thread or break by over tightening. I used to do kitchen, bathroom and toilet remodels for a living and had a few plastic fittings not willing to play nicely. Even with the supplied seals, LS-X or ptfe had to be used.

Never a blocked sink that the cheapo plastic snake didn't suffice. You understand the chemistry ,obviously, more that I.

I think the plastic snake works on the same principal as the drill attachment with the chain wrapped around it, as in the video. If I get a blocked sink, I will look for one of these snakes.

For the time being, I went around and put a little sodium hydroxide down each sink. Hopefully, maintenance will be a preventive measure.

 

[Wickham-Soap-Co]

Wait a minute !!!! PTFE tape ? Was that on a plastic joint ? I work in a FE college attached to plumbing and electrical, never seen PTFE used on plastic joints as well as silicon ?

I would only use them together if I still had a leak after using LS-X on the seal. I would use PTFE on the male thread of the fitting, so I could get a tighter clamp down on the seal without it slipping on the thread.

EDIT: Some supplied fittings with the sink, toilet, and bath units were not always the best quality and on some occasions had to be replaced.

 

[Vacumatic]

Thanks both, I saw him tear off about a metre of ptfe tape and apply it, don't think it was to the same threads as he applied the silicone.

I don't know enough about the job to understand why on one joint and not the other.

I can say that there are no leaks this morning. He was an old guy, been doing this for years. I asked him what they did before silicon and all the other modern sealants, his answer was putty and paint, with the added comment that he never knew how they ever sealed properly.

 

[Chris]

Access is the only real issue. New bends and traps come with the new seals usually.

This. My bothersome sink has a pedestal and I can’t get the bugger out.