Dodgy kitchen plumbing ?

Block the pipe at sewer end
Fill sink with Caustic Soda Crystals, add hot water, and drain it, until it is up to sink plug
Leave two or three hours, Remove block at sewer end, let it flow out
You must use rubber gloves,

Jack McH

 

Might have missed somebody's quote but

We make a diary note to caustic soda our external drain gully every 6 months otherwise the (vegetable) fat (being vegetarians) from our dishwasher blocks the drain. It seems worse in winter when (using as we do, Economy 7 overnight) as that might cause hot fat to congeal/solidify.

Poundland had caustic soda last week, otherwise try Wilkos.

 

Thanks for suggestions, however, just realised back to square one . Nothing put down the sink since 'clearing it' and getting an instance fast flow away except water from a few hand washings and then a bowl full of soapy water after which it is now draining slowly again. Bizarre, though I have been here before with this in the past, variable flow without apparent reason . By the way the sink is the only thing (apart from very occasionally used dishwasher) than empties into this pipe all the way to the sewer gully.

I've never used caustic soda before and see it is quite corrosive and dodgy to handle. I'm wondering, firstly, how you block up the end of the sewer pipe at the gully, any ideas that will hold the water back while not corroding what is used to block the end?
Was also wondering if something less corrosive like Soda Crystals which I have plenty of in stock would be worth using instead of caustic soda?


GG

 

I didn't really read the posts earlier, thought that when caustic soda was being mentioned it was referring to washing soda crystals.

Didn't know the public could buy Sodium Hydroxide, i've only used it professionally for Buildings Cleaning.

If it gets mixed with bleach I think it would make mustard gas and/or explode

 

Easy to get SH on the net Ziggy. I used to make my own soap with it,
Jenny

 

Just realised i've typed some key words

Be aware everyone, the American security forces will be watching this thread now.

Funny how they are trillions of dollars in debt, can't agree a budget, but can still afford to monitor the internet.

 

No worries Ziggy. They may have some helpful advice to offer on how to unblock GG's sink and effect a super replumbing solution...
Jenny

 

£2.40 for 500g at Wilkos. If you buy a few bottles like I did a few years ago together with loads of sugar for winemaking (that was going cheap) plus half a dozen bottles of thin bleach for cleaning demijohns you'll get some very funny looks.

 

Erm ...
a) live in the sticks, no instant buying option of spare bits
b) knew this is not correct and not ideal but seemingly not the primary cause of obstruction (had isolated the right sink without improvement etc etc etc)
c) tons of other stuff on at the mo
d) needed to quickly be able to wash dishes etc
e) life!

Seem to have it sorted.

Thanks all for help.
GG