Preventing Drain Sludge

[jking]

I have a recurring issue with my bathroom drain. The bathroom is located on the ground floor & has a sink, toilet, and tub. These drain into the main soil stack, the sink & toilet have maybe two feet of drain line to get to the stack.

About twice a year, the sink starts to drain kind of slow. The drain slowly gets worse until it won't drain unless it sits for several hours. The culprit is a buildup of sludge on the inside walls of the pipes. When the drain starts slowing, I remove the trap & clean a pretty thick layer of sludge buildup from the trap. Then I run a snake through the drain line, usually about 5'-6'. Re-install trap & run water through the line. I may have to repeat this again to get the line completely clear as sometimes stuff I knocked loose from the drain walls gets flushed partway through the drain & it clogs.

What I'm looking for are ways to prevent this buildup from happening. Would it help to periodically fill the sink completely full & then drain to get some good water flow to flush everything? I've tried dumping drain cleaner down the drain periodically, but, it doesn't seem to make a difference. I will continue to run the snake through the drain every 6 months (or when it starts to slow down), but, it would be nice if I could find a way to prevent the buildup.

[cgallery]

Several applications of large pots of boiling water.

[pecker]

If there's only 2 ft of drain line to the main stack, you shouldn't have to run the snake 5 or 6 feet. Maybe the main stack is clogged and when you flush, it is backing up into the sink drain.

If it's truly just the sink line clogging, maybe it wasn't sloped correctly.
Also, there used to be an enzyme based product you pour in there periodically, to eat away the sludge. Don't remember what it was called, though.

[Mr__Bill]

I use 'Red Devil Lye', also known as caustic soda. about once a week or so I put some in one of the bath sink drains. It keeps it running where prior to the lye it would gunk up like yours. I also have to pull out big gunky things of hair (guess who's sink this is). Be sure to follow the directions and use it before the sink will not drain.

Bill

I'm sure there is a down side to the lye, perhaps someone will let us know.

[master53yoda]

your description is that of a reverse sloped drain line the sludge forms in the portion of the line that has water sitting in it at all times. Hair and raiser shavings if you shave in this sink don't get flushed out and they form a catch in the horizontal line.

Try putting a 1/2 cup of bleach int a full sink and drain once per week it should flush the solids out of the line if it is only a few feet long and the bleach sitting in the line will prevent the crap from growing.

Worth a try.

[L. D. Jeffries]

My LOML has a solution that seems to work well, especially in the bathroom sink. About half a cup of baking soda down the drain hole followed by a cup of vinegar. Then close the plunger thingy, after a few minutes run the hot water. Works for her anyway and less hazardous than some chemicals.

[Ed62]

Several applications of large pots of boiling water.

I second the motion. If it doesn't work, the next best thing to try...

My LOML has a solution that seems to work well, especially in the bathroom sink. About half a cup of baking soda down the drain hole followed by a cup of vinegar. Then close the plunger thingy, after a few minutes run the hot water. Works for her anyway and less hazardous than some chemicals.

Ed