I fought the sink and the sink won...

in life •  7 years ago 

After my morning vlog, I decided to clean the kitchen.

Bianca left-for a baby shower and I was home alone.

The house was a mess. It needed to be done.

I found cups and plates all over the house and I brought them to the kitchen.

I filled the dishwasher and turned it on.

About 2 minutes later it started to beep.

I noticed that the sink was slowly filling up with water.

mmm...this could only mean one thing.

Clogged pipes..

Shit.

I hate those.


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I'm not the handiest of men when it comes to fixing stuff.

It runs in the family.

We seem to produce generation upon generation of men that can't do anything use-full with their hands.

Although I do have my occasional success like with the boiler I cleaned not to long ago.

But fixing anything related to live water or electricity I consider next lvl and dangerous.

I tried my luck anyway.

We do own a plunger and it seemed the most obvious to start with that.

I put it on the hole where the water goes and gave it a 'plunge'.

Water splashed all over me from the little hole at the top of a sink.

Insert curse words

I tried to close the hole with a towel but then couldn't find a comfortable way to 'plunge' with one hand.

I gave it a little think.....and then I got a genius idea.

I decided to grab some duck tape and tape over the hole.

I put the plunger over the hole and this time I got a satisfying 'plunge'.

I plunged a lot of times expecting to solve the problem but nothing happened.

Shit...

I went online and looked for solution.

One solution said to put coffee smuck (from the filter after making coffee) in the sink and force it through the hole.

It would grind the pipes clean.

Why not I thought?

I made coffee that morning so I grabbed the filter and dumped it in the sink.

It dissolved instantly.

I'm not sure what I was expecting...

I waited 15 minutes anyway but nothing happened.

I went back online..

The next solution said I should use fake teeth cleaner tablets.

Now you might wonder where one would get those....but I actually own them.

I use them to clean my anti-snore bracket from time to time.

I went upstairs and grabbed a bunch of tablets.

I threw them in the sink and waited..

But nothing happened.

I was now annoyed and feeling adventurous so I opened the cabinet below the sink.

It was filled to the brim with stuff I didn't recognised

I got it out one by one.

Then I found the holy grail!

HG clogged pipe cleaner!

Hurray!


IMG_1109.jpg


I opened the bottle and dumped the whole lot in the sink.

I was saved!

Or so I thought..

This was about 4 hours ago.

I just had a check in the kitchen.

The water is still there.....

And it's even worse

The whole sink is now filled with regurgitated food particles, coffee and fake teeth cleaner.

It looks awful.

I'm not sure how I'm going to explain this to the professional I have to call tomorrow.

If the the look I got from Bianca when she came home this evening is anything to go on..

It's going to a be a tough one.



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At these times we understand the importance of plumbers in our life and how important they are for us. Even you tried hard to fix it so I can imagine your pain.

thanks man!

This is a simple repair man. Put a bucket under the P Trap, Unscrew those two large nuts and remove the P trap. Flush it out, then put it back together.

Thanks for the advice. I unscrewed everything this morning straight away. The pipe was sadly clean inside. I did get rid of all the water in the sink, so that's a big plus.


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What he said. Just be prepared to be covered in a lot of "regurgitated food particles, coffee and fake teeth cleaner" that may spash out while removing the siphon.

Problem should be fixed instantly after that though.

Only problem with removing the P-trap and making a 10 min fix is that there is no drama in it and not worth a post. At least I get to shake my head this way. And he gets a whole lot of up votes to help pay a plumber . LOL

Yeahhh good job my man👌👌👌

Lmao.

Haha .. interesting
It really is annoying .. then you say in yourself just do it
Thanks for sharing your experience‏

I have a spinner snake in my garage for when that happens lol

Before you call the plumber, here's a popular 'technique'. This may or not work; and, may not even be recommended since you used drain cleaner...might react to the baking soda...not sure...
But, for future reference, this might help.

Instructions:

Pour a pot of boiling hot water down your drain.
Dump in about 1/2 c. baking soda. Let that sit for a few minutes.
Then, pour a mixture of 1 c. vinegar and 1. c very hot water down on top of the baking soda.
Cover with a drain plug (to keep the reaction down below the drain surface) if you have one              and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Flush one more time with a pot of boiling water.

Why this works: The baking soda and hot water treatment will loosen up any grimy sludge that’s hanging out at the bottom of your drain, and the explosive chemical reaction with the vinegar will jolt it all loose. Then one final super hot-water rinse will make all the bad stuff go bye-bye.

Reference link found below:

https://crunchybetty.com/clean-your-drains-baking-soda-vinegar/

Best regards; and, we'll give you an A for Attempting to do a good thing!

Peace.

This idea works! Tried and tested a few times.
Hot water is key, it has to be boiling not just tap hot.

Praise God! ✌!

Wow, I like the non chemical approach. I'll try that next time! Not sure with the drain cleaner in there now.

I'll try that next time!

I'm glad to see that you've prepared a beautiful meal for Bianca; so, this dilemma is but a memory!

Best regards!

Peace.

Oh yeah, it's an eternal problem, my friend and I'm sure that each of us has come across this. In such cases, there are several solutions, draining in the sink works on the principle of a sump and you need to disassemble the drainage device under the sink and clean it, there are also special chemicals that dissolve the blockages and they are sold in stores and finally, if nothing helps I use a small plumbing cable (photo at the bottom), which is used by plumbers, it must be gradually pushed into the pipe and it breaks the jam; it is a simple, but 100% tool for cleaning pipes. Thank you Mark and I hope that I somehow helped in your problem.

I called a plumber before years ago for a blockage in the garage. He had one of those things that rolled out of his van that worked on water pressure. He said it was so powerful it could drill a hole in your hand. It did the trick.

It is good off you to atleast try to fix it yourself instead off calling mister plumber...
To bad you didnt won the battle but you gave a good fight!

Hope all will be fixed asap for you..

Have a great night and i enjoy your blog!

Thanks!

RIP handyman skills

In this house, I'm afraid that's true...

Time to call a plumber? Either that or take everything out from under the sink, get a pipe wrench and loosen the elbow (u tube) oh, better put something under it catch all the gunk that will likely spill out. Take the elbow off and lean out the pipe. Then reverse the process and put the tube back. Keep fingers crossed. Maybe it works. Or call the plumber...

I tried. It sadly didn't work. Now it's out of my league for real :)

Sometimes when my sink is clogged, I remove the trap and clear it out and then pour some drain cleaner inside of the drain pipe that goes to the wall. Then I put the trap back on and wait for a couple of hours and then run some hot water. usually clears it right up.

From the English dictionary: "to plunge - jump or dive quickly and energetically". Nope, probably not that one here... lol

lol! then I don't know what the verb is :)

What a bad thing that happens, I do not wish it to anyone, but at least you've tried and that's what counts, the attitude, the aptitude let's leave it for that, if we all solve the problems there would be no work for any technical technique.
I hope your day improves tomorrow.
Success dear friend @ exyle /

Hahaha, I'm the same as you... I'm just not friends with pipes and plumber.
Even holy grail pipe cleaner can't save me! :(

Good luck for tomorrow ! cheers ;)

thanks!

Bro i too face this kind of problem in daily life. I love to cook and clean my house. Even i cook different variety of food. Even i can make rooti(Chappati). When ever my sink is block then i first full my sick with my water. Then take a scarf and then put pressure on sink hole. This way the material which stuck in pipe get pressurized and come out from through strait. It best to call professional. Try my trick next time. It is suggest to don't put waste food stuff in sink. Good Article @exyle

Well, the most likely place for your clog can be seen in your last picture; it's in the elbows under the sink. Transfer the water from the sink into a bucket, and after disposing of it, place the empty bucket under the elbows and unscrew them. It should be possible to unscrew them by hand, but if not, grab some Channel Locks (water pomp tang). If you can't find your clog in the elbows, then it's time to call a plumber and deploy the Snake. HG beloofd wat het doet. Good luck with this minor inconvenience, wish I was your neighbor as I'd have you squared away already. Greetings!

Deploy the Snake it is! lol.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

Something needs to be done. We've had enough with this sink.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

Well, @exyle , maintenance is one budget that's inevitable it keeps recurring, from plumbing to electicals to air-conditioning. Certainly, we can't be jack of all trades. Luckily, those we can provide a quick fix are readily available. Just a call away.

Haha probably one of the funniest posts you have ever written @exyle lol "comfortable way to plunge with one hand" duck tape! And fake teeth cleaner tablets!? hahaha, anyway after you removed everything from under there you could of tried unscrewing it and emptying out its contents with maybe a bucket or something.

Thank man, lol. I did try that because so many suggested it. But the pipe was clean.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

The white pipe under the sink that looks like a J is where the clog is (95% of the time). It is held on by 2 threaded pieces of pipe.

Take everything out from under the sink. Get a bucket big enough to hold all of the water in the sink. Plug the sinks (less water to drain). Unscrew the two parts of th J trap. Try to catch as much water as possible in the bucket, but have a towel handy. Now, take the trap that you just removed and clean it out. Then put it back on the sink and screw it on again.

Now, unplug your sinks and the water should flow.

https://www.plumbingsupply.com/how-to-clean-a-sink-trap.html

I tried it! But the pipe ended up to be clean. I guess the clog must further along.

Wow!!

Say Hi to the plumber for us. :-(

If the dishwasher is backing up the sink drain, there's a sizable clog that is not likely to be loosened by any chemical that wouldn't eat through the pipe anyway. At this point, it seems the clog is beyond where the dishwasher drain ties into the sink drain, so the plumber will likely remove the grease-trap and run a small drain-snake to clear the obstruction. You should avoid potentially mixing reactive chemicals in your clogged sink in the future, my friend. :)

Thanks for the tip about the chemicals. That is sound advice. I call the plumber today.

@exyle If you want to remain clean tomorrow then let the expert do it. However if you want to save the $200 or so the guy might charge you then this fix could help. Under the sink is the pipe that the sink water passes through. This pipe has a S shape, all you have to do is screw open the screws that look like links and pull it out and take out whatever is causing the blockage and then screw it back in just as you took it out. It goes without saying that taking that fucker out is a lot easier than putting it back in. Make sure to have gloves, a bucket, rags and or other wiping cloths and patience😎👍🥇
Good luck.

I tried it but the pipe was clean. Thanks for the advice!

I totally hear you on not touching electricity and plumbing. These are not my friends, either.

I actually own a "snake" (a long flexible steel/spring cable with a small wire brush at one end, but I have never accomplished anything useful with it. My best plumbing skill is knowing how to call a plumber.

I hope you get your issues solved, without too much problem. You were definitely trying to do a noble thing...

Thank you for understanding! I'm sure a pro can solve it fast.

Um, here I admit that ... I'm dead laughing. Fun post or the woes of a dishwasher. My God, I cross my fingers for mine ^ ^ Good luck to the repairer!

That could have gone worst and in some cases the pipes get busted below and water leaks out, then you will have an entire kitchen to clean. The professionals tomorrow will handle it with eaze, they will just start with face. Best of luck.

Awwww That seems like a nightmare. I HATE plumbing issues. You gave it a shot. I agree with the comment above. Love the way you write..it's so easy to follow along. Kinda like a conversation with a friend. : )

Thank you!

have you notified your next of kin?
if the situation get's worse?

LOL!

well i want to say that the work suits in the hands of the one skilled to do it. If someone else does it, he's sure to mess it up and that's what happens in your case but it's nice to see that at least you try to figure it out and in the end you made a wise decision to call a professional and i hope your sink will be working smoothly again from tomorrow, wish you a fantastic week ahead friend, Stay blessed.

I'm utterly hopeless with the practical things, too! My brother is a plumber and is good with the practical tidbits, but I'm totally lost. Classic writer/artist (why I'm spending all of my time on Steemit, lol)

But good on you for giving it a good go! Can't hurt to try.. at least most times?!

So, that was an Interesting issue, but still not solved.... its not a problem to wait a Day for the plumber. Or maybe tomorrow the water and all the dirt is gone 🤔, then it already looks much better before the specialist enters the kitchen

You have quite a problem with that sink. I am same like you, I like to the let the professionals fix broken stuff; am not handy at all. Most times I try to fix things it just back fires. I tried it with a vacuum just last week before it blew up in my face. Last month I tried to repair the internet modem, same thing happened. So leave it to the pros :)

I feel you man! Except for the internet modem, that is my field (or it used to be).

wahaha This is hilarious and could be so me! 😂Seriously, never tell me to fix things unless you dare to risk to get it even more broken! 😀

In Dutch my friends have a verb for that. It roughly translates to break-repairing (stukrepareren). Making something worse in an attempt to repair it.

haha Yeah, and in German we have the word "Verschlimmbessern" 😀

Get a plumber dude

I like your post

Amazing poste t hank you .

Ohh you tried very hard, I think tomorrow this professional guy will understand. 😊😊
Good luck tomorrow 😊
Cheers
Upvoted &Resteemd

Such a clickbait title :P

anyways, there is this korean chemical that i just pour in with hot water and within 5 minutes everything clogged just opens up - wish i could send you some

Steemify is really amazing app and really great work done by you but it's only for IOS user.
I request you to build this app for Android Users also. Thank you @exyle your follower @akshaymukadam.

amazing

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

It's a man's day in house(like baby's day out).Feeling bad for you that you tried hard to solve the problem,but it din't happened.You learnt a tough lesson.Ihope your wife will understand the situation.I hope you enjoyed rest of the day.@upvoted

good luck with the sink !

Oh my word I wonder what Bianca is gonna say especially at d site of d regurgitated food @exyle. Awwwn this is quite sad😥

such a great thing to do some house's stuff, congratulations ;)

Oh such a bad day.....so much had happened today.....at last it was worth sink water won.....
Atleast this made you realise what @bianca goes through everyday.....

Didn´t even looked like a fair fight!
Why is the sink so strong compared to us (I identify myself with what you feel, I also have no way for manual tasks).

My only advice in this cases is to call someone who understand and dominate manual tasks.

Awesome...great job...keep it up @exyle

@exyle If you will call a plumber...please send it to me too!

Irina V.

follow me

resteemit done..

very nice I liked it tenks

gl bro

it sounds funny, but I can understand the annoyance when it happens to you. Hope you'll fix it.

Lolzz.. The sink escaped once again. You've prepare harder to defeat it some other time. Nice post you've got there.

It was fun reading this post. Thanks for sharing :)

Nice post and good article thank for sharing my friend @exyle.
I would like to invite you to visit my blog @rizkyakbar thank you for you upvote and comment my post friend

Good post my friend.

Trying to fix clogged pipes, not a nice experience I can relate.

nice one

wow nice post....my new id plz upvote

you gave me a laugh - sorry couldn't help it!. I hope you get it sorted soon though

I feel your pain man, but at least you can learn a trick or two from the handyman tomorrow :)

I'll keep an eye out to what he does.

I like your post

well got a post after long time i guess ..nice

offooo just messing around hahah looks like steemians got you covered on this one they have helped you out :D

Nice

Oh, it takes lots of time to fix it. and it is boring.
Anyway, good story
steem on

Even i hate those clogged pipes when i see something like that i ran away

I just followed you, kindly follow back.

sorry to hear this. at least you tried!

Right, not a nice job. I did it last week in my kitchen too. Gladly, with the right technique and a plunger, it worked after 3 tries. Let's see for how long.
Have a great evening.

So funny, nice one anyway

You are the lucky in the world

@exyle you're one of my favorite writers on steemit,, love the way you composed all those lines.it seems your day was tiresome

Hahaha. What an interesting fight! Here in the Philippines if the sink seems to start draining slow, we just put our palm on the hole to make a vacuum inside then we pump our hand. It is effective but is limited only for sinks with not so big hole.