How to unclog sink/tub pipes?
Real Estate Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2009 · 308 posts · 61 votes
A tenant just called and said all her pipes are clogged and drain slow. I know to take the U shaped pipe off the sinks and clean them.
I did this before she moved in.
What do I do if it drains slow after I clean these pipes again?
How do I clear the tub pipe that is not accessible? Only the tub drain its self is.
I was told before do never use Drain-no
Any tips for me when I go there tomorrow and try to fix these drain issues?
Thanks.
Somewhere in your system you will have cleanouts. These may exist in several different places. The basic idea is to find the cleanouts, and run a snake (aka auger) into them.
The best kind of snake is the powered one with knives. The knives are a set of three or four curved, spring-loaded knives that expand to fill the pipe. They're on the end of a cable. The cable is fed into the cleanout. A motor spins the base which turns the cable.
There are smaller, hand or drill powered versions.
If all the drains in the house are slow, you'll need to find the main cleanout or cleanouts. This could be inside the basement or out in the yard. It's likely to be near the lowest toilet. It might be a cap in a wall or in a pipe that sticks up out of the floor. Out in the yard, it will be a caped pipe. There may be one or two. The current favored approach is two capped pipes, each with a sanitary tee into the main line. They're like a U, with the one away from the house tee-ing back toward the house and the one near the house teeing away from the house. That way you run the auger into the far one to clean the portion of the line back to the house. Then you auger into the near one to clean the line from that point to the city.
An older version uses a single capped pipe with two tees, one in each direction. That's tricker to hit the one you want.
If there are no cleanouts (I have a house like this), you pull the last toilet and auger through the hole.
You might want to get a drain person to come do this, since they will have that big auger. You can rent those, too.
If you have old clay pipe, or cast iron that's separated, this will be an ongoing problem. Used to be in my principal residence I had to have it augered about once a year because it was clay pipe and the pipes were unlevel and had roots coming in the cracks. $4000 later and I have a new PVC pipe up to the street. For another $6000 I could have new pipe that last 15' from the street to the city line.
Enjoy!
Jet-speed,
If you're going to be in the rental business, then you've got to get organized. Making multiple trips to get tools is CRAZY and a total waste of time. I would suggest going to Lowes and buying several tool bags of different colors. Fill each bag with tools and parts for a different issue. For example, I have one bag for hand tools (wrenches, screw drivers, hammer, etc); another for fasteners (screws, nails); another for water problems (pipe cutters, pipe wrenches, gaskets, rubber washers for sinks, hand saw for pvc, misc. sharkbite connectors, teflon tape, etc, etc, etc); another for electric repairs; another for laying carpet; a Section 8 bucket (9V batteries, spare smoke detector, switch plate and outlet covers, and other things needed to pass a Section 8 inspection), etc, etc, etc. I keep all these bags in my truck so that I'm prepared for any repair and can simply grab the appropriate bag for the repair. However, if you can't keep the bags in your car or truck, you can keep the bags at home and just grab the appropriate bag for the issue of the day.
As to your current situation, you should be replacing all those metal pipes with PVC. Don't replace metal with metal!
Finally, why evict this scumbag now? She's already damaged your rental. I would just inspect monthly and keep the pressure on her. Kicking her out will only stop your money and necessitate an immediate rehab. Keep some pressure on her and hope she stays forever!
I also wouldn't do anything else to that window. That angle bracket, if installed properly, is a permanent repair and should pass the Section 8 inspection with flying colors. Don't try to maintain a low income rental as if it were your personal house. Tenants are PIGS! That's the business. Safe and clean are what you're shooting for.
Good Luck,
Mike
Everyone thanks so much for your replies, I appreciate it!
Jon awesome photo! Thanks for taking the time to put this up. This is the connection but metal.
Mike- I agree with you on too many trips to the store. I am learning DIY as I go in this biz. I agree with the tool organization.
One of the trips back to the store was to exchange pipe sizes. The pipe was not a "standard" size according the the guy at the store. I learned nothing is simple. I thought under the sink pipes were standard sizes. Again I am learning as I go.
Why do you suggest replacing the metal to plastic pipes?
(easier to maintain and cheaper?)
So how can I learn more about DIY other than when things come up? I am a quick learner and after I do it once I get it and know how to do it for next time.
I have time off work now and I am thinking about signing up for Habitat for Humanity.
Thanks again!
I would suggest replacing the metal as repairs come up because it is easier to work with; cheaper; and never rusts.
When I first started in the rental business, I bought one of those big home repair manuals from Lowes and simply kept it in the truck. The book covers virtually every repair and has a lot of pictures.