Concealed basic overflow blocked.

I find a wet vac and hot water works for clearing bathroom drains, that tend to get clogged with hair and soap/shampoo residue rather than food waste. For the overflow I'd remove the trap and attach the vacuum cleaner with gaffer tape or hose clips and odd bits of whatever, and shoot hot water in the top with the shower hose.

Understood.

I like it, thanks. ;-)

My waterproof Vax is on loan so I'll have to get it back. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

Anyone know if they do a blanking cap to fit a std basic waste (1

If they did I could remove the trap, fit the blanking cap, open the plug then fill the basin to the brim with whatever cleaner is best and leave it like that overnight. That way it should clean the inside of waste and the overflow circuit?

Cheers, T i m

Gives a McAlpine S23U which is what I think you mean.

John

do you have lots of algae on the taps, or is it only hair etc trapped in the pipes. I ask because I have noticed my cold water taps will grow algae (small continuous drip) at an alarming speed if allowed.

I have an Earlex attachment that goes on a steam wallpaper stripper - designed to shoot steam down drains through a 1/4" pipe. While the pipe is blocked, it creates a fairly effective percussive action in the water/gloop. Once clear enough to flow the hot steam tends to dissolve much of what is left.

I *think* that goes on the end of a length of pipe and whilst I could use it for the purpose I was thinking, I don't think it's what I had in mind ... I think it was one of these ...

The idea was to remove the trap, screw that onto the bottom of the waste fitting instead, open the plug (we have the swivel type) and fill the sink up to the overflow with (suitably diluted) cleaner / unblocker.

However, a mate gave me a half a bottle of sink / drain unblocker this evening and keen to try it, I just trapped some thin polythene between the trap and the waste and that had an advantage over the end-cap idea ... and that was once I was ready to drain it, I just perforated the polythene with a long screwdriver and then was able to flush the chemical down the rest of the waste plumbing then remove the polythene when it was all flushed clean. ;-)

So, that and a little rod out with a curtain wire down the overflow seems to have made some difference as it does appear to drain via the overflow now but I'm not sure if it's at full capacity yet.

I might do the polythene trick and unblocker and leave it overnight.

Cheers, T i m

(In was thinking I could use the end-stop you mentioned on the stub coming out of the trap and drain it into a bucket etc).

No, I don't think so?

Yeah ... I think hair get's caught over the grill in the waste and then other 'stuff' seems to cling to that. After that, as the drain rate slows the rest of the pipework start to bung up.

The best I've found to clean the various bits out is to strip it all down (trap and a couple of short lengths of pipe and elbows etc) and then use an old toothbrush up the waste and around all the tricky bits etc (the toothbrush bristles seem to catch the hairs) whilst rinsing in a bowl of soapy water and a bit of Detol.

I think I have seen that but on outside taps?

Cheers, T i m

Yeah, that was my thought ... getting all the nooks and crannies cleaned out and imagine a nice blast of watery stream would be pretty effective (as it is on a real 'steam cleaner' etc).

I can't see what you describe on the Earlex site but I'm thinking I might be able to attach a short length of some thinner silicone tube to my wallpaper stripper hose to give similar results?

Cheers, T i m

Bought it years ago, so it might not even be a current product.

Yup... they tube on mine is stuffer than silicone, and more slippery. Might be some kind of polypropylene - presumably makes it easier to push down a pipe.