Rubbish Question I Know - Plug Blocked, Which End To Tackle?
Discussion
OK
Filled up the hand basin, had a shave, pulled the plug when I heard a gurgling coming from the plug in the bath followed by a very small bit of rubbish being coughed up into the bath.
Obviously theres a blockage somewhere but before I set about trying to dislodge said blockage at the wrong plug any ideas which is it likely to be?
Pipes are not 'get at-able' (without some serious dismantling of surrounding cabinets etc) so I'll have to pour some Drain unblocker down but as the instructions on the bottle say 'Use the whole bottle' I'd like a guestimate of which plug to pour it down.
Any suggestions welcomed...
Filled up the hand basin, had a shave, pulled the plug when I heard a gurgling coming from the plug in the bath followed by a very small bit of rubbish being coughed up into the bath.
Obviously theres a blockage somewhere but before I set about trying to dislodge said blockage at the wrong plug any ideas which is it likely to be?
Pipes are not 'get at-able' (without some serious dismantling of surrounding cabinets etc) so I'll have to pour some Drain unblocker down but as the instructions on the bottle say 'Use the whole bottle' I'd like a guestimate of which plug to pour it down.
Any suggestions welcomed...
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Shopping/ProductDet...
Probably not the most macho way of unblocking a sink, but it worked for me last time I had a similar problem
Probably not the most macho way of unblocking a sink, but it worked for me last time I had a similar problem
drain unblocker is useless, it will not unblock your pipes. it only helps gets scabs off the sides.
I work with drains day in and day out. if its blocked, then its for a reason, cotton buds, dental floss, sanitary products, wipes could have gone down there.
check all your manhole covers outside make sure they are empty, if they are full then your problem is further down the line.
use the plunger and plunge both sink and bath.
if its still a problem then i would remove the U bends on both and remove the crud from there and inspect the pipe work.
I work with drains day in and day out. if its blocked, then its for a reason, cotton buds, dental floss, sanitary products, wipes could have gone down there.
check all your manhole covers outside make sure they are empty, if they are full then your problem is further down the line.
use the plunger and plunge both sink and bath.
if its still a problem then i would remove the U bends on both and remove the crud from there and inspect the pipe work.
I bought one of these from screwfix and it allowed me to clear my bath waste without dismantling any pipework.
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/11325/Hand-Tools/Plu...
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/11325/Hand-Tools/Plu...
Plunger in the basin would be my first choice. Put a cloth or towel over the over flow whilst you're doing it. If hardly any of the water left the basin then it's likely that the blockage is near the basin.
Fill the basin up to as this will help flush it all away.
If the plunger doesn't work then a drain snake like those posted would be my next tool.
Are any of the other drains blocked too?
Fill the basin up to as this will help flush it all away.
If the plunger doesn't work then a drain snake like those posted would be my next tool.
Are any of the other drains blocked too?
Edited by mk1fan on Wednesday 22 July 13:48
Hi chaps!
Well thanks for all the well intentioned advice!
TBH I thought that it would be an obvious answer that I was just not knowledgable enough to answer myself ie Crap thrown up into the bath means its a bath blockage or some other nugget of truth.
All of your well-informed answers tell me that it could be either end (bath plug or hand basin) that is blocked.
Damn!
So, I was thinking I could save £4 by only buying 1 of those fluid drain-unblockers (at £4) instead of 2 but it looks like I'll have to get 1 bottle for each plug hole as the culprit can't be easily ascertained.
I'm too lazy for the plunger solution and whilst I love a gadget the "rodder" at £18 might be overkill.
Again - many thanks chaps, much appreciated.
Well thanks for all the well intentioned advice!
TBH I thought that it would be an obvious answer that I was just not knowledgable enough to answer myself ie Crap thrown up into the bath means its a bath blockage or some other nugget of truth.
All of your well-informed answers tell me that it could be either end (bath plug or hand basin) that is blocked.
Damn!
mk1fan said:
Are any of the other drains blocked too?
No - everythings OK elsewhere.So, I was thinking I could save £4 by only buying 1 of those fluid drain-unblockers (at £4) instead of 2 but it looks like I'll have to get 1 bottle for each plug hole as the culprit can't be easily ascertained.
I'm too lazy for the plunger solution and whilst I love a gadget the "rodder" at £18 might be overkill.
Again - many thanks chaps, much appreciated.
Steve_D said:
If what goes down the sink comes out of the bath then the blockage has to be after the junction of bath and sink drains.
If it went out of the sink then that is clear(ish) if it came up in the bath that is also clear(ish).
Steve
Does it?If it went out of the sink then that is clear(ish) if it came up in the bath that is also clear(ish).
Steve
My bath one was blocked, and it gurgled and spluttered when the sink water was let go... I guessed it was because the sink water passing the bath junction draws air from the bath plug-hole. Normally it does that freely and at low speed, but with a blockage it can actually suck/blow quite hard through the constriction!?!?
My problem was my partners hair, slowly, one by one, wrapping around a pin in the bath hole release mechanism beyond the hole itself, and clogging around it. After removing some of the hairs with pincers, and then letting a BIG baths worth of water go you could hear it finally move under the pressure
Every two years it seems to finally get blocked.
Dave
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