Kitchen drain pipe - snake goes through easily, but not water?

[Pete]

OK, I poured some more of the drain cleaner last night. This morning I snaked again and a bit of gunk came out. I tried attaching some wire and backing out the snake. More gunk came out, but the wire twirled off the spiral cable wire. So I reattached some more wire and went back down with snake - a lot of gunk came out. I then flushed the pipe again with a sinkful of hot water and lots of Dawn, and that really did it. Lots of crud, and free flowing water!

I noticed in the gunk there were a number of greasy black flaps. My suspicion at this point is that the flaps were partially stuck to the walls of the pipe, but the unstuck sections blocked the smooth flow of water. The snake probably got through them OK, but once the snake was removed, the flaps and any other grease still there slowed the flow to a trickle.

Anyway, all is well, and I thank everyone for their suggestions.

Now, prevention. Besides limiting the grease, and using cold water when grease is flushed, are there any drain cleaners that are particularly effective in maintaining clean, less greasy pipes?

Thanks, Pete

[norminn]

If I rinse grease down the drain, I run hot water before and after. That is only to rinse pans/dishes. Larger amounts, I pour into a jar or can and dispose of that into the trash. Only clogs I have had in years and years have been hairballs in bathroom and veggie peels I fed through the disposal in large amounts. I don't and won't use Drano or similar ... too nasty to keep around and no reason to create a clog that is subject to Drano clearing it :o)

[Tegger]

Pete wrote in news:ig9vo2$pan$ [e-mail]:

Hey! Success is sweet.

I find regular application of Drano (or other preparation containing sodium hydroxide) to be particularly effective. I use the Gel stuff, because it sticks around longer.

[Colbyt]

Wow! This becomes my night to disagree with two posters on the same night.

Again, no offense intended.

Emulsify your grease with soap and cold water before sending it down the drain. The clots come where the pipe cools enough to allow it. Cold water doesn't cool. The suspended grease will pass to the sewer.

Just think about it. Think and understand.

[mm]

What are all these greasy black flaps? What are they from? I don't put black flaps down my drain. I don't even have any to put.

And how do they get by the garbage disposal? In other words, how big are they, what are they, and how do you get them?

You're velcome.

I'm thinkin' but I don't understand. Seems to me in cold water they are at least as likely to pile up behind other clumps of grease.

[hallerb]

to clear grease pour boiling water down drains, it liquifies the grease and moves it along.......

[Colbyt]

When you start with a clean open line the cold water carries the sludge to the city sewer and it does not collect at the cool point of the line. Modern plastic pipes are much more forgiving than the old iron ones. Flushing a line by filling the sink before pulling the plug at least once a week also helps. It is a matter of volume. Soap scum can build up over time in a half bath because no one ever fills the bowl before draining.

[ShadowTek]

I noticed something like that I'm my kitchen pipe once. I was under the impression that they were some sort of fungal growths, like those disk-like fungi that grow on trees.

[mm]

Ooooowwwweh.

[norminn]

Splash guard (or whatever they are called) on the drain to the disposal? We had them, old and rotting.

[mm]

I thought about that, but how could they get through the disposal to the pipe? And still be triangular?

[Bryce]

I use a 3-gallon sprinkling can with nozzle removed. Fill with water, bring to boiling on stove. I pour some detergent (TSP, ...) down the drain, then all of the hot water. Once every 4-8 weeks keeps my kitchen drain open.

[ShadowTek]

In my case, the sink didn't have a disposal, and the built in metal strainers wouldn't allow anything that large through anyway.

[David Combs]

Why COLD water?

I know that oil and water don't mix, but wouldn't there be at least more *partial* mixing with HOT water?

If the oil/grease doesn't mix at all, it seems to me that it'd be more likely to stick to the walls of the pipe. True, or not true?

Thanks

David

[Steve B]

In cold water, food grease tends to solidify in little lumps and is more likely to flush through without sticking to the walls of the pipe. In hot water, food grease can liquify and leave a thin film on the inside of the pipe that remains after the water finishes draining. The grease film builds up in layers until blockage occurs.

Using cold water just helps get the grease past good pipes in your house. It will still accumulate in low spots, especially when it gets to the city pipes in the street where the water speed is slower.

Periodic flushing with large amounts of boiling water can melt grease layers, but it only works well if you do it regularly before large deposits accumulate.

Here's a link to Al Carrell's homemade drain cleaners for preventive maintenance (not for opening a clog):