At Fahim's parents other house, in one of their bathrooms, a shirt, baby sized, went down the drain. The drain is now plugged, of course. They've tried using a plumbing snake, which didn't work - it's too far down. Unfortunately, their only option that they know of at this point is to dig up the floor of the bathroom - tile and concrete - to get to the pipes to remove the shirt.
Are there any other less-costly and less-messy and less-time consuming alternatives? Or is that pretty much all there is left?
Posted by Pam Tyler (Member # 10595) on :
What size pipe does this drain into? They make a variety of mechanized snakes that come in different lengths, or are extendable. With a retreiver head on the snake it should be possible to remove the shirt, or a cutter head should clear the pipe without digging up the floor. I seem to remember that you are not in the US, so you would have to check to see what is locally available. I know what you should be able to rent at Home Depot or Ahern, but am not sure what options you would have there.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Sri Lanka, and we don't have many options here.
I'll mention what you've said to Fahim, and he can translate to mil. Thanks! Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
I'm asuming the sink has a cold trap (but who knows in Sri Lanka?) The cold trap is the little "U" shaped bend in the pipe. This is where most things get caught in the pipe and it's usually removable and easily cleaned.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Is there any sort of chemical available that could effectively destroy the shirt? Drano does an awesome job of destroying the hair that builds up in the drain over time - I'd imagine enough of it (or some other substitute) could probably affect a cotton shirt, for instance.
(This is all completely hypothetical, and I know jack about plumbing systems.)
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Primal, it's way down the pipe. I really don't know how it happened - I wasn't there. From what I remember, most sinks here don't have traps, and this one definitely doesn't. Not how I would do it, but I didn't design the house.
Apparently, they have a retriever head on the snake, and it didn't work. They hadn't heard of a cutter head. Not sure if they exist here, but we'll see if it's an option.
Jhai, I was wondering about the same thing. I've searched, but found nothing to indicate whether or not lye (sodium hydroxide) will destroy cotton or polyester fibres. It will dissolve silk as well. I'm hoping someone else here will know.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
You could always do a little experimentation with a scrap of fabric and find out.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Except I don't have any lye, so would have to find a chemical supplier first, get some, and then experiment. Posted by Pam Tyler (Member # 10595) on :
How long is the snake that they are using? Also, does this drain into a sewer system or a septic system? If it is a sewer system, a chemical might work for you, however, if it your septic system, I would be hesitant to put in any chemicals that could damage the system and lead to an even more costly repair. If the sink pipe connects to another larger pipe (this is usually the case) a long enough snake may be able to push it to where is will be able to flow and no longer be an obstruction. Also, unsure how well this would work for you, but if Fahim could find a "blow bag", water pressure could be used to clear the line. (up to about a 2" line) They also make a water jet sewer cleaner, which is similar to a snake, but uses pressurized water to clear sewer lines.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
(Pam, lovely to see you posting again.)
I have nothing to add, but your family has my sympathies, quidscribis.
Posted by HollowEarth (Member # 2586) on :
I'm rather skeptical that you'll find something to dissolve the shirt, not damage the pipe, is drain disposable and available to the consumer.
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