Blocked drain

**mrsmac** · August 5th, 2009, 09:33 AM

I arrived home from driving the kids to school this morning to find my kitchen sink blocked up cause DD2 poured the fat from the sausages last night down the drain and it has set. (I didn;t know she had done this as she proudly cooked all by herself!! I did wonder this morning where the fat had gone, now I know)
Anyway I poured some bi carb and vinegar down there with a bit of boiling water but no luck, what do I do???????????????

**BabyQ** · August 5th, 2009, 09:51 AM

sink plunger maybe?

**mrsmac** · August 5th, 2009, 09:52 AM

Don't have one, may have to go to Bunnings !!

**diannescruffy** · August 5th, 2009, 10:00 AM

Whatever you do don't pour Drano or any of those products that supposedly are supposed to undrain blocked pipes as we found out first hand the plumber told us they actually set the blockage like concrete in the pipes. Hope you get it unblocked. All the best.

Regards,
Dianne

**~Kim~** · August 5th, 2009, 10:04 AM

did you pour the bicarb down, wait 20minutes, then vinegar and wait another 20minutes and then flush it with boiling water???

God love her.

**AnyDream** · August 5th, 2009, 10:58 AM

I would try some dishwashing liquid followed with about a cup of boiling water, leave it for a minute then the rest of the kettle down after it. Try to pour it straight down the drain hole from a distance above the sink (make sure you don't burn yourself)- the force of the water is sometimes enough to push it through.

**Turkish Delight** · August 5th, 2009, 11:10 AM

I would've thought plain hot water would've done the trick.

**AnyDream** · August 5th, 2009, 11:15 AM

TD I'm thinking there's probably already some cold water down the drain, so the hot water alone may not be hot enough to fix it???

**Turkish Delight** · August 5th, 2009, 11:22 AM

would salt/lemon juice dissolve the fat?

Geez.. last resort would be to undo the plumbling beneath the sink. I hope it doesn't get to that.

**mrsmac** · August 5th, 2009, 11:29 AM

Thanks ladies, well I did what any mature independant woman would do in this situation- call her dad!!!
He took all the pipes apart and OMG there was soooooo much cr#p down there, it was blocked completely with hair (WTF)straws, a paintbrush and tonnes of set fat. We scrubbed out the S bend etc and put it all back together so its all great now!!!
DH isn't answering his phone at work so he is blissfully unaware of my plumbing apprenticeship LOL
What an interesting way to start my week off!!!
Thanks again for all the replies you ladies rock.

**Astrid** · August 5th, 2009, 11:40 AM

thats good that you got it fixed!

FYI = hot water is not enough, as the fat will just solidify further down the pipes, you need something like detergent to break it down. DH used to camera sewers and he could always tell the homes that tipped fat down the drain incorrectly. Actually his advice is just plain don't.