Which method is more effective at clearing blockage ? Which method would produce longer interval before a repeat plungering? upwards power stroke, downwards power stroke , equal up and down
-- General electronic repairs, other than TVs and PCs
My understanding is that the vacuum on the up stroke clears the blockage, by lifting the compacted material that's blocking the waste. A powerful down stroke would (I think) only serve to compact the blockage.
Several comments:
1) Sinks which are correctly plumbed will go a long time perhaps even indefinitely between problems. I.e always down hill (trap excepted), 40mm or bigger pipes, avoid unnecessary joints and use half bends if possible.1a) A strainer waste removes the problem before it occurs.
2) The best way to clear out stuff is to dismantle and then clean the bits, (not always possible). 2a) Don't use the sink you are working on to clean the bits!3) A drain augur (sp?) is better than plungers which are better than chemicals.
4) The bellows type plungers are far better than all other types, IME.5) No plunger works well if the other holes are not blocked up (overflow, dishwasher, washing machine etc.)
6) If you really must use chemicals use the right one. H2SO4 - grease and fat. NaOH - hair & other organics. HCl - grout, mortar, plaster, concrete etc.7) Domestic grade chemicals Ha ha ha.
Good advice; to add that chemicals even if of the correct type for the blockage leak away as soon as they have dissolved a hole through the blockage and leave a constricted pipe that is ripe to be re-blocked very quickly! Good news for chemical companies!
Strong plunging and if that fails, mechanical cleaning as Ed says.
Ed, what's the chemistry of H2SO4 + fat? I understood NaOH was best for grease, through saponification.
(just curious; I've only ever had to clear about 2 in my life, which is probably what you do in a week!)
Andy
agrees with my observations over the years. Bring some crud up with forceful upstrokes and then when water is flowing again, some forced down strokes, to expel a lot of the build up .
-- General electronic repairs, other than TVs and PCs
An overpowerful downstroke could perhaps blow apart the plastic compression fittings somewhere along the route. In fact you might even think you cleared the blockage when in fact the sink now discharges under the floor. I'd go for a hard suck and gentle push.
Robert
I don't do a lot of blockage clearing. I usually start with the bellows type pplunger and that moe oftne than not sorts it.
Grease/fat + NaOH = Soap Grease/fat + H2SO4 = Detergent.
Actress, bishop, coat
NAOH is an alkali which converts fats into soap. H2SO4 is an acid, not a detergent.
"Poor Jimmy Brown is dead & gone, from him we'll hear no more, for what he thought was H2O was H2SO4".
Quite. H2SO4 is a strong acid which converts fat/grease into detergent. I clearly remember doing this in school chemistry.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.