Areas of Expertise

[trickblue]

That was quick, THANKS.. I give that a whirl before I call in a pro. They're very fond of their services if you know what I mean

Oh yes I do... believe me...

Every time I've used the foaming products they have worked quite well...

I think the one I use is in a copper/gold looking bottle...

 

[StanleySpadowski]

My field is in small business operations management.

Now, I'm in need of a different type of expertise I hope some zoner possesses. I have an apparent plumbing problem. My bathroom sink is very slow to drain. For example, while brushing my teeth(leaving the water running) the sink quickly fills so that after about 1 minute I must turn the faucet off to prevent overflow. I have employed the usual suspects, drain-o, copycat products, and a "snake". All to no avail. The house is 18yrs old if that's pertinent. I hypothesize that I my have caused this over time by emptying my electric razor shavings down the drain. Just a guess though.

Is there a Plumber in the house? Any suggestions you could offer that would allow me to address this myself would be much appreciated.

Thanks!!

I'm not a plumber either but I've rehabbed enough houses to know a thing or two.

The most obvious place to start is the trap. Have you taken it off?

You'd be amazed at the junk that can collect in there such as jewelry that no amount of snaking or drain cleaners will touch.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

People talking about Commodore Vic-20s bring back memories.

How many remember getting a rare computer magazine that had some program you could type up on your Vic-20.

Take around an hour or so and you always messed up at least one line so you had to go back and check each.

After all of that you would play the game and it would be crappy and if you did not have a floppy or tape drive you could not save all of what you typed in.:laugh2:

Later i got a 128 I think it was. There was a good deal of software you could get for that. I actually had that thing, with a bunch of games until a few years ago when I gave it to someone for a charity drawing.

I don't think it did much to help, I was hoping someone would have paid some money for it due to wanting something from the past.

Now I wish I would have kept it. I actually liked quite a few games that were on it even though the graphics sucked. I still like that old game Pirates.

 

[Yeagermeister]

People talking about Commodore Vic-20s bring back memories.

How many remember getting a rare computer magazine that had some program you could type up on your Vic-20.

Take around an hour or so and you always messed up at least one line so you had to go back and check each.

After all of that you would play the game and it would be crappy and if you did not have a floppy or tape drive you could not save all of what you typed in.:laugh2:

Later i got a 128 I think it was. There was a good deal of software you could get for that. I actually had that thing, with a bunch of games until a few years ago when I gave it to someone for a charity drawing.

I don't think it did much to help, I was hoping someone would have paid some money for it due to wanting something from the past.

Now I wish I would have kept it. I actually liked quite a few games that were on it even though the graphics sucked. I still like that old game Pirates.

Ahh yes the good old days of 8k of ram

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Ahh yes the good old days of 8k of ram

Back at that time I never even paid attention to the ram size.:laugh2:

I just remember how cool it was getting the 128 and actually having a floppy drive so I could buy games or save things.

 

[Rocky]

I'm not a plumber either but I've rehabbed enough houses to know a thing or two.

The most obvious place to start is the trap. Have you taken it off?

You'd be amazed at the junk that can collect in there such as jewelry that no amount of snaking or drain cleaners will touch.

No I hadn't. I just took it out, and it has the most disgusting junk clinging to it. I won't even try to describe in further detail as CZ readers' breakfast may present itself in an unexpected way.

It does drain slightly better but I can see more gunk further down the drain even without a flashlight. So it seems that I may be able to remove it, one way or another myself. I think.

Greatly appreciate the tip. Should have already have occurred to me, huh?:bang2:

 

[GTaylor]

Ahh yes the good old days of 8k of ram

8k??? I would have sold all my possessions to have that much, my Vic20 had 3.5k and I had to beg my dad to invest $150 in a cartridge just so I can move up to a whopping 5k. Man I thought I could rule the world with so much memory.

And for those back in the basic days, here's a word that'll bring back nightmares: new

 

[Yeagermeister]

8k??? I would have sold all my possessions to have that much, my Vic20 had 3.5k and I had to beg my dad to invest $150 in a cartridge just so I can move up to a whopping 5k. Man I thought I could rule the world with so much memory.

And for those back in the basic days, here's a word that'll bring back nightmares: new

Mine was an atari (don't remember the model) but it barely a step above the console. I played MANY games of Pole Position and Spy Hunter on that thing. lol

 

[WoodysGirl]

So since we're talking plumbing, my garbage disposal isn't working. It's about 5 yrs old. It won't turn on anymore and the sink now has a slow drain. Haven't tried any drainage cleaners yet, but my biggest issue is that when I flip the switch to turn it on, nothing happens.

Any suggestions?

 

[Yeagermeister]

So since we're talking plumbing, my garbage disposal isn't working. It's about 5 yrs old. It won't turn on anymore and the sink now has a slow drain. Haven't tried any drainage cleaners yet, but my biggest issue is that when I flip the switch to turn it on, nothing happens.

Any suggestions?

replace it

 

[StanleySpadowski]

So since we're talking plumbing, my garbage disposal isn't working. It's about 5 yrs old. It won't turn on anymore and the sink now has a slow drain. Haven't tried any drainage cleaners yet, but my biggest issue is that when I flip the switch to turn it on, nothing happens.

Any suggestions?

There's usuallly a reset button on the disposal. Look for it on the unit under the sink.

Also make sure it's plugged in if it's not hardwired. My isn't and it took me an hour to figure out that someone knocked the plug out getting a garbage bag once.

 

[trickblue]

So since we're talking plumbing, my garbage disposal isn't working. It's about 5 yrs old. It won't turn on anymore and the sink now has a slow drain. Haven't tried any drainage cleaners yet, but my biggest issue is that when I flip the switch to turn it on, nothing happens.

Any suggestions?

There's usuallly a reset button on the disposal. Look for it on the unit under the sink.

Also make sure it's plugged in if it's not hardwired. My isn't and it took me an hour to figure out that someone knocked the plug out getting a garbage bag once.

What Stanley said... and also it may need to be manually turned.

Normally the installer tapes a hex wrench to the disposal. If not, find one that fits the hex screw on the bottom of the disposal. Insert the wrench and turn it a few times. That will actually turn the disposal internally. Make sure it is plugged in and reset and give it a try.

 

[WoodysGirl]

There's usuallly a reset button on the disposal. Look for it on the unit under the sink.

Also make sure it's plugged in if it's not hardwired. My isn't and it took me an hour to figure out that someone knocked the plug out getting a garbage bag once.

What Stanley said... and also it may need to be manually turned.

Normally the installer tapes a hex wrench to the disposal. If not, find one that fits the hex screw on the bottom of the disposal. Insert the wrench and turn it a few times. That will actually turn the disposal internally. Make sure it is plugged in and reset and give it a try.

Thanks guys. I'll try it this weekend. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

 

[MapleLeaf]

No I hadn't. I just took it out, and it has the most disgusting junk clinging to it. I won't even try to describe in further detail as CZ readers' breakfast may present itself in an unexpected way.

It does drain slightly better but I can see more gunk further down the drain even without a flashlight. So it seems that I may be able to remove it, one way or another myself. I think.

Greatly appreciate the tip. Should have already have occurred to me, huh?:bang2:

...get what the people in the trade call a snake. If you go to rental place get a motorized one then you don't have to do as much hand work. This is usually a tubular device which you shove down the drain while in insert turns to clear any debris.

If the blockage is further down the trap, as you say, then the snake will get to it and move it along or at least allow you to snag it and pull it back out. Make sure to get the right diameter snake head for the pipe.

If the rental place has one get a snake with a camera head end on it. You can then see what down in the pipe.

The other plumbers' trick they use is after the blockage is cleared they ask you for three or four pots of hot, boiling water to pour down the drain. This also helps moves down any debris clinging to the sidewall of the pipe.

If you are already working at this think about replacing your trap/gooseneck with one that has a removeable plug at the bottom. This allows you to easily do regular clean up maintenance of the uglies that settle to the bottom of a trap and do not decompose in water. Things like human hair, toothbrushes, dental floss, etc.

Usually a blockage occurs because an object that doesn't decompose gets lodge in the pipe and then other nasties like mucus, etc clings to that and builds up eventually blocking the drain.

 

[Rocky]

...get what the people in the trade call a snake. If you go to rental place get a motorized one then you don't have to do as much hand work. This is usually a tubular device which you shove down the drain while in insert turns to clear any debris.

If the blockage is further down the trap, as you say, then the snake will get to it and move it along or at least allow you to snag it and pull it back out. Make sure to get the right diameter snake head for the pipe.

If the rental place has one get a snake with a camera head end on it. You can then see what down in the pipe.

The other plumbers' trick they use is after the blockage is cleared they ask you for three or four pots of hot, boiling water to pour down the drain. This also helps moves down any debris clinging to the sidewall of the pipe.

If you are already working at this think about replacing your trap/gooseneck with one that has a removeable plug at the bottom. This allows you to easily do regular clean up maintenance of the uglies that settle to the bottom of a trap and do not decompose in water. Things like human hair, toothbrushes, dental floss, etc.

Usually a blockage occurs because an object that doesn't decompose gets lodge in the pipe and then other nasties like mucus, etc clings to that and builds up eventually blocking the drain.

I appreciate your input as well, and I'm getting after it this weekend. If all else fails, C-4 may be the answer.

 

[smarta5150]

Relationship advice... dont be shy

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I can speak english and southern

LOL........

This reminds me of something.

"What kind of music do you guys like here?"

"We listen to both, Country and Western."

 

[StanleySpadowski]

So did Rocky fix the drain or or did WG fix the disposal?

It's like a how to soap opera for the terminally bored and you guys left us hanging.

 

[WoodysGirl]

So did Rocky fix the drain or or did WG fix the disposal?

It's like a how to soap opera for the terminally bored and you guys left us hanging.

I just bought some drain-o if that helps. Not sure of the result yet, cuz I haven't used it. :

 

[WoodysGirl]

So did Rocky fix the drain or or did WG fix the disposal?

It's like a how to soap opera for the terminally bored and you guys left us hanging.

you spurred me on...so here's an update that I know you all were waiting breathlessly on...


Sooo...

I poured a whole bottle of Liquid Plumr foam stuff down the drain, hit the reset button and noted the garbage disposal's hard-wired.

The liquid plumr stuff partially worked. I think I need to pour another bottle or two down it. The drainage wasn't as slow after I waited an hour for it to clear. I ran the hot water like the instructions said, but it backed up. So I used a plunger to remove the sitting water. Some nasty looking stuff came out when I did that. Which leads me to believe that if I pour some more of that Liquid Plumr stuff, it'll clear it up.

As for the garbage disposal, I can hear the motor running, but nothing's happening. I don't remember hearing anything before, so I'm not sure if that's progress or not.