A Double bowl kitchen sink is clogged. Takes hours to drain. How does one remove it on "A do it yourself way"

Question

This sink is fitted to a kitchen in Sydney -Belmore area, which has about 12 houses in the unit on an individual basis. It takes 6 hours to drain a half full bowl.
The first stainless steel bowl has a U plastic PVC bend & another U or S bend(PVC) which is connected to the second bowl and from this 2nd bowl a straight pipe runs down taking it out. One cannot spot a gully trap or a manwhole cover on the outside to check the outside clogging etc.
This is the first time in 3 months this is happening. Generally the sink handles only kitchen utensils wash dirt cleaned by the dish washing liquid. All solid wastes are removed before washing utensils.
Is there any chemicals which can be used to remove the clog?

Answer 1

I would't mess with chemicals because 1) you don't know what is clogging it 2) If it backs up again, you might have the chemical coming up somewhere else, resulting in an indoor mini-toxic spill and 3) I'm an environmentalist and I really hate to use caustic chemicals when I don't need to.

The first thing I would do is to take a "plumber's snake" (= a thick, coiled metal flexible rod) and stick it into the "drain out" after removing it's PVC cover. If you cannot find that, then run it through the sink that is clogged. Run that until you feel that it won't go any further. Then turn the handle on the snake until you are able to push the snake forward. Continue this for the length of the snake.

If this doesn't work, you will probably need some sewer/septic service.

Answer 2

The drains are designed so that any clogging would be in the area of the traps. Take an empty pail and put it under the traps so that they catch the water in the traps when you disconnect them. They are compression fitted around a plastic or rubber washer and you will need a wrench to loosen. Clear the traps of any obstructions and reinstall. Do not over tighten the nuts. They strip very easy. Just enough pressure to make the seal!
Is this the only sink that drains slow? How is the toilet flushing? If these are O.K. then the problem is isolated to your kitchen drain. If the traps are clear, then use bleach. There are other chemicals that can be used also, like a septic system cleaner. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Kitchen Sink Clogs

Kitchen sink clogs are usually a combination of food and grease (or fat) and bathroom clogs are usually soap and hair. Many kitchen clogs can be avoided by occasionally pouring a quart of boiling hot water down the drain on a routine basis. This will liquefy the grease and more it further down the pipes. You can also add vinegar and baking soda to help break down fats and make the drain smell fresher. Here are your options:
1. Use the degreaser drain opener (listed below).
2. If this does not work, remove the P-trap as described below.
3. If the clog is below the P-trap use a mechanical snake to clear the pipe.
4. If this fails to solve your problem, call a plumber.

Answer 4

Hi gel version of Draino its in a silverly bottle.

OR, try this first, take a cup of baking soda & push as much of it as you can into the drain. Then take a few cups of boiling hot water.

Pour it slowly, really slowly down the sink.

It takes about 20-30 minutes to work & it usually helps. IF that doesn't work, then use the draino product.

Answer 5

If the traps can be taken off (unscrewed), take them off and clean them out, making sure that you don't crossthread them when you put them back together. If there isn't anything in the traps when you take them apart, put 'em back together and use some drain cleaner.