Bathroom sink still blocked after U-bend clean ...next step?

Tedious Bore

have a blocked bathroom sink that takes half an hour or more to drain when I fill it.

took off the U-bend which was clogged with gunk and cleaned it out completely. Removed another small bit connecting U-bend to the pipe going into the wall and cleaned it out.
Shone a torch in and hooked out any visible gunk from that pipe going into the wall but can't see what further blockage there might be beyond where that pipe bends away down into the wall.
......and cleared everything from the sink plughole down to where U-bend connects, so everything I can reach without some tool like a plumber's snake has been cleaned.

Hven't even tried drain unblocker like MrMuscle yet. Seeing as I've cleaned what I can, if I pour something like MrMuscle or whatever down the drain now will it just go as far as the U-bend and sit there doing nothing? ...or do you flush it down with water to get it further into the system?

.......and I did try a plunger (with all nearby holes blocked off and airtight), but wasn't easy to get a good seal with the plunger because of the shape of the basin. I thought i was getting somewhere with it but the bits coming up seemed to be degraded black rubber (or something?) rather than the same gunk I'd been cleaning out of the pipes.

any helpful tips much appreciated. Would like to crack it myself but tell me if you think it's a job for a plumber.

thanks

HeidiHeidi

Does the sink drain into the sealed sewer pipe, or into a normal open drain? Cos I had exactly the same problem with my kitchen sink lately - thought/assumed the u-bend must have been gunged up with grease etc so plunged and plunged and then took it off - clean as a whistle. The problem was where the drainpipe met the grating out the back - that was bunged up with all sorts of disgusting junk.

Anyway, if you have access to where it drains into the ground, check that.

If not, my guess would be after all you've tried it's a plumber job.

ETA - actually, now I think of it, I had the same problem with the shower drain - the grating outside was blocked up with hair.

Tedious Bore

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Does the sink drain into the sealed sewer pipe, or into a normal open drain? Cos I had exactly the same problem with my kitchen sink lately - thought/assumed the u-bend must have been gunged up with grease etc so plunged and plunged and then took it off - clean as a whistle. The problem was where the drainpipe met the grating out the back - that was bunged up with all sorts of disgusting junk.

Anyway, if you have access to where it drains into the ground, check that.

If not, my guess would be after all you've tried it's a plumber job.

ETA - actually, now I think of it, I had the same problem with the shower drain - the grating outside was blocked up with hair.

sink is in the upstairs bathroom and there's no issues with water draining slowly from the shower in that bathroom or any other sinks around the house so I think it must be some blockage near the sink.

I'm not against paying a plumber to do it but would like to fix it myself if I can, - for the sake of learning how more than to save the few bob

anyone know are those chemical drain unblocking products like MrMuscle any use?

HeidiHeidi

But do they all drain out the same pipe? I only ask what sounds like a stupid question because mine don't!

No idea what the drain chemical stuff is like - I was going to use that in the kitchen sink but I was afraid of melting the u-bend or something.

Tedious Bore

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

But do they all drain out the same pipe? I only ask what sounds like a stupid question because mine don't!

No idea what the drain chemical stuff is like - I was going to use that in the kitchen sink but I was afraid of melting the u-bend or something.

yeah as far as I know the sink and bath in that bathroom drain away through the same pipe.
half-thinking of buying something like this.... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drain-Cleaner-Unblock-Plumbers-Snake/dp/B004MQF8IM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1335036460&sr=8-5

paddy147

Tedious Bore wrote: »

yeah as far as I know the sink and bath in that bathroom drain away through the same pipe.
half-thinking of buying something like this.... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drain-Cleaner-Unblock-Plumbers-Snake/dp/B004MQF8IM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1335036460&sr=8-5

2 euro in any of the Euro2 shops.

Or 1 euro 50 cents in any of the Dealz shops.

ducksmalone

Powerwasher.

i did it to my ensuite sink and shower.............. perfect job! cleared all the hairs etc that was stopping the water from draining away.

wilser

What sort of plug is in the basin? Is it a pop up waste or old fashioned plug & chain? If it's a pop up disconnect the stopper part & clean it, well that's what always blocks on mine :-)

Tedious Bore

wilser wrote: »

What sort of plug is in the basin? Is it a pop up waste or old fashioned plug & chain? If it's a pop up disconnect the stopper part & clean it, well that's what always blocks on mine :-)

yeah I gave that a good clean already. thanks

anyone have any opinions on this yokey?....... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-395010-Metre-Drain-Unblocker/dp/B000O55KJC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1335036460&sr=8-3

Black Bloc

Caustic soda dissolved in hot water. Concentrated. Pour into sink and let it work its way through the waste pipes.