kitchen sink clogged..what to do

[biz_it]

Hi,

Our kitchen sink has clogged and water is not flowing down the drain. Can someone please tell me if there is any easy way to unclog the sink myself or should I call the housing company? Maybe use a plunger or some other liquids?

AZ

[Beep_Boop]

Here's what I usually do:
1. Pour some backing soda down the drain. You need to "clog" it with baking soda.
2. Pour some vinegar down the drain. Let it sit for a few minutes.
3. Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain.
4. Use the plunge in a jerky movement to move things around.

This has worked for me 90% of the time. In the other 10%, I had to unscrew the drain cover, use special stuff from the store, or some other measures.

[Jukka Aho]

Our kitchen sink has clogged and water is not flowing down the drain. Can someone please tell me if there is any easy way to unclog the sink myself or should I call the housing company? Maybe use a plunger or some other liquids?

Big hypermarkets and hardware stores carry chemical unclogging products (viemärinaukaisija, viemärinaukaisuaine).

There are those fancy two-component liquids in oddly-shaped orange plastic bottles and such but I have not found them too effective. Instead of "Mr. Muscle" and such brands, I would recommend buying a plain white plastic bottle containing potassium hydroxide (aka caustic potash). It comes in the form of little whitish crystals or pellets. (These bottles usually have very generic brand labels. Just make sure the label says the bottle contains the chemical compound KOH and nothing else.)

Once you have purchased such bottle, pour a generous mound of those crystals in the clogged drain or over the drain grill/grate. Then carefully pour in hot water over or around the crystals. (Do not do this in haste but slowly. Watch out for any splashes, you don't want those in your eyes. Wear protective goggles if unsure.) The crystals will react violently with the water and the mixture will start hissing and sizzling in the sink. The reaction gives out lots of heat and forms a strongly alkaline solution which will eat its way through grease, hair, and other organic muck in the drain. Let the solution stand still in the trap for half an hour or so, then rinse it off with lots of water. Repeat if necessary.

[biz_it]

Thanks both, really appreciate helpful advices. It looks like there was a small amount of garbage clogging the sink as few pushes of plunger opened the sink. I will keep the other suggestions in mind for future.

AZ

[downhand]

Our kitchen sink has clogged and water is not flowing down the drain. Can someone please tell me if there is any easy way to unclog the sink myself or should I call the housing company? Maybe use a plunger or some other liquids?

Big hypermarkets and hardware stores carry chemical unclogging products (viemärinaukaisija, viemärinaukaisuaine).

There are those fancy two-component liquids in oddly-shaped orange plastic bottles and such but I have not found them too effective. Instead of "Mr. Muscle" and such brands, I would recommend buying a plain white plastic bottle containing potassium hydroxide (aka caustic potash). It comes in the form of little whitish crystals or pellets. (These bottles usually have very generic brand labels. Just make sure the label says the bottle contains the chemical compound KOH and nothing else.)

Once you have purchased such bottle, pour a generous mound of those crystals in the clogged drain or over the drain grill/grate. Then carefully pour in hot water over or around the crystals. (Do not do this in haste but slowly. Watch out for any splashes, you don't want those in your eyes. Wear protective goggles if unsure.) The crystals will react violently with the water and the mixture will start hissing and sizzling in the sink. The reaction gives out lots of heat and forms a strongly alkaline solution which will eat its way through grease, hair, and other organic muck in the drain. Let the solution stand still in the trap for half an hour or so, then rinse it off with lots of water. Repeat if necessary.

K-market also has those, it resolved my issue several times over the years.

[Rip]

Liquid form chemicals for that purpose (mostly NaOH solution all of them, I think) are sold in practically every supermarket. Probably won't do as thorough job as the KOH crystals, but they tend to get water running through the pipe again.

Branded products and Pirkka/Rainbow "putkenavaaja".

[Upphew]

Liquid form chemicals for that purpose (mostly NaOH solution all of them, I think) are sold in practically every supermarket. Probably won't do as thorough job as the KOH crystals, but they tend to get water running through the pipe again.

Branded products and Pirkka/Rainbow "putkenavaaja".

I prefer Lidl's stuff, dunno if it has as much good stuff, but it is gel and thus can be used to get rid of hair and other muck from the floor well too.

[biz_it]

Now that we are into it, Can you also suggest what is the best stuff for

1) Removing oil and greese from kitchen cabinets/ white wooden area near stove (I dont know what is that area called)

2) Harden black burnt stuff on stoves

I sometimes find it really hard and takes me hours to clean those things if I dont clean them immediately

AZ

[Rip]

Now that we are into it, Can you also suggest what is the best stuff for
1) Removing oil and greese from kitchen cabinets/ white wooden area near stove (I dont know what is that area called)

"Putkenavaaja" (on some sponge) works on that too. Use gloves. Damge to the surface? Well, I give no warranty, but I see no reason why it should be worse than heavy scrubbing and longer time moist with other stuff.

[riku2]

2) Harden black burnt stuff on stoves

I sometimes find it really hard and takes me hours to clean those things if I dont clean them immediately

You should get an induction hob instead. the glass surface itself doesn't get hot enough for any spilled food to burn on. just wipe it with a damp cloth afterwards and everything comes off.

[biz_it]

Our kitchen sink has clogged and water is not flowing down the drain. Can someone please tell me if there is any easy way to unclog the sink myself or should I call the housing company? Maybe use a plunger or some other liquids?

Big hypermarkets and hardware stores carry chemical unclogging products (viemärinaukaisija, viemärinaukaisuaine).

There are those fancy two-component liquids in oddly-shaped orange plastic bottles and such but I have not found them too effective. Instead of "Mr. Muscle" and such brands, I would recommend buying a plain white plastic bottle containing potassium hydroxide (aka caustic potash). It comes in the form of little whitish crystals or pellets. (These bottles usually have very generic brand labels. Just make sure the label says the bottle contains the chemical compound KOH and nothing else.)

Once you have purchased such bottle, pour a generous mound of those crystals in the clogged drain or over the drain grill/grate. Then carefully pour in hot water over or around the crystals. (Do not do this in haste but slowly. Watch out for any splashes, you don't want those in your eyes. Wear protective goggles if unsure.) The crystals will react violently with the water and the mixture will start hissing and sizzling in the sink. The reaction gives out lots of heat and forms a strongly alkaline solution which will eat its way through grease, hair, and other organic muck in the drain. Let the solution stand still in the trap for half an hour or so, then rinse it off with lots of water. Repeat if necessary.

I was having to a look at Prisma and K city market to buy these KOH crystals just in case I get the problem again but could not find them. The market's staff could not help me either to find the right chemical

Can you please guide which markets sell those KOH crystals and what are they called in a common man's language?

Thanks
AZ

[riku2]

I don't know why there is all this fussing with dangerous chemicals. Why don't you open the cupboard under the sink and undo the U tube or similar trap that is under there and clean it out. normally this is where the blockage is. put a bowl underneath it when you unscrew it since some water will come out. And when you clean it out don't clean it in the sink itself since the water will run straight through into the cupboard below (you will only make this mistake once).

[harryc]

Exactly - clean out that U-tube - it's the only way really. And wash it well wih brush etc. There'll be all kinds of gunk.

You might want to have a couple of new washers/gaskets ready as they could be rotten.

All those chemicals pretty bad news - and will be doubtful how well they'd work - most not very good for the environment 'downstream.'

[Jukka Aho]

I was having to a look at Prisma and K city market to buy these KOH crystals just in case I get the problem again but could not find them. The market's staff could not help me either to find the right chemical

Can you please guide which markets sell those KOH crystals and what are they called in a common man's language?

The bottle in the picture I linked above was bought at Minimani, Vaasa. (Depending on where you live, this might not help you much, as they only have a few stores in a handful of locations.)

But you should be able to find the same or a similar product in just about any generic hardware store (K-Rauta, Starkki, Kodin Terra etc.) Those are more likely to carry "professional" drain cleaner products than supermarkets, and the sales assistants there are also more likely to know what you're trying to find... so I would advise visiting those first.

Or you could buy online:

http://www.nettimyynti.fi/tuote/viemari ... 155000013/

"Niagara-450" is one of the brands, but there are others. The "brands" and packaging/labeling tends to be fairly generic as KOH (potassium hydroxide, kaliumhydroksidi in Finnish) is just a simple, generic chemical... not unlike table salt. The labeling should state (in small print on the back side, at least!) that the bottle contains the chemical compound KOH.

The magic words in Finnish:

(kemiallinen) viemärinavaaja
"(chemical) drain opener" (drain cleaner)

viemärinavausrae
"drain unclogging pellets" (sometimes they're in the form of minuscule uniform pellets instead of crushed/crumbled thin "cake" or crystal-like substance)

kaliumhydroksidi
"potassium hydroxide"

[harryc]

KOH - pretty nasty stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and is NOT 'just like table salt' - please take that from a graduate chem engineer)

Just get that U-tube off and do the job correctly - we don't need that chem crap in the wastewater!