I’ve been renting the same apartment for about 18 months, but I have lately encountered an issue with a clog in the bathroom sink drain. I bought some Liquid Plumber and tried that a number of times (two bottles, half a bottle each time). One time, it actually worked as described on the bottles’ instructions: pour half the bottle into the drain, wait fifteen minutes, then run hot water through full force. At first, the sink started to fill up, but then started to recede until water going in left as fast as it came.
Two weeks later and it started draining slowly again. This time, though, neither application from a new bottle cleared it up.
It seems to me that most drain uncloggers work on the supposition that the clog is in the P-trap, else why pour in just enough to displace the standing water in the trap? Did my application of the chemicals that worked just move the clog into a different location?
I bought both bottles at me local grocery. On the label, it gives a chart showing which product to use for which type of clog, but the only version of the product sold at the grocery is the one that I had already purchased.
So, I will be shopping at my local hardware superstore this weekend.
In both bottles that I bought, I didn’t notice until the second application that there was something semi-solid (white, reminded me of a liquid-soaked piece of plastic foam) in the liquid. The first bottle deposited two irregularly shaped chunks, the second bottle, only one. In both cases, the substance was malleable enough to eventually slide into the drain.
Was that material that coalesced while waiting on the shelf? Something that I should have shaken the bottle before opening to try to reintegrate it with the rest of the container?
What is going on down there?
I don’t know the answer to the question of what the solids are, but I’ve found that a plunger often works well to unclog drains. It’s cheaper in the not-so-long run too.
I don’t know what it’s called but the home improvement stores sell plastic toothed snake thingies for like 2 bucks. Stick it in the drain and pull and be insanely grossed out by what it removes.
My shower used to take 20 minutes to completely drain after a shower and now it’s gone in seconds.
There might be something stuck down there that is catching hair or whatever. Liquid Plumber would dissolve the clog but not the obstruction, so it would build back up quickly.
I’d take the P trap off, or snake it.
I wouldn’t take the P-trap off or snake it. Instead I’d call building management. The OP said this is a rental apartment, so why are you mucking about yourself and not leaving it for the maintenance staff to deal with?
Pull out your sink plug assembly. It’s usually just a finger tight nut just above the P-trap. Then pull out the plug. Clean the hair and soap scum off everything and put it back together. I lived in a house with 4 long haired females and had to do this ever few months. This was the cause of all the problems with the bathroom sink drain.
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn]
I wouldn’t take the P-trap off or snake it. Instead I’d call building management. The OP said this is a rental apartment, so why are you mucking about yourself and not leaving it for the maintenance staff to deal with?
[/QUOTE]
It’s not uncommon for a lease to specify that plumbing clogs not present or reported within a week or so of moving in are the tenant’s responsibility to deal with.
+1 for using a Zip-It to cut and drag out a presumed hair clog. Just be sure to let clear water run through the drain for at least a few minutes before using it so you don’t flick drain cleaner onto your face or eyes
I find this hard to believe. If I managed/owned an apartment, why would I want the tenants choosing if/how to repair the plumbing? An incredible amount of damage can be done by a simple plumbing problem if left unchecked. I would actively discourage my tenants from trying to fix anything on their own, and I would make sure a plumber or handyman is available to fix any problem as soon as it occurs.