Snakes

topic posted Tue, September 6, 2005 - 4:49 PM by  Soooz: biker...
Hi, new to this Tribe, looks like there's some skill and talent here.
Last year, I bought and renovated with a GC an attached brick row house in NYC. We replaced 2 bathrooms and a kitchen, some copper pipe went in, some PVC for the waste lines.
I have long hair, so does my daughter, and we need to snake out the drains about once every 6-12 months. I've had a plumber here, can't afford to use him for maintenance. He told me he'd gone down 30 feet to clear the clog on the first floor, so I figured 50 ft would be long enough to clear from the second floor.
Any reccommendations on brands, where to buy? And tips for using? I'm all for ordering it online if possible. I hate Home Depot.
Thanks
posted by:
Soooz: biker/priestess
New York City
  • Re: Snakes

    Tue, September 6, 2005 - 5:04 PM
    If you have the issue now, then a snake might appropriate. If however, you have no current clog, there are enzymatic treatments that you can use to maintain the pipes. I had to use them when running ops for a very large athletic club which had several members with very long-haired weaves. They shed quite a bit of hair, and the enzymes worked like a charm. I'll try to get teh name of the one I used to use. It wasn't hermful like liquid plumber, it was a powder that you could actually put your hand in and not get hurt.
  • Re: Snakes

    Tue, September 6, 2005 - 6:18 PM
    If it's really bad, you may have something bad like tree roots clogging the drains. A clog 50-ft away is pretty hard to clear.

    My wife and I both have long hair. During really bad clogs, we've tried enzymes, vinegar, a hand-powered snake and a snake attached to a drill. We used draino as a last resort. Sad to say, nothing worked so we tried Draino. Our clog is probably less then 20 feet from the drain.

    Now, for the last year we've been using preventative solutions like baking soda followed by vinegar, pouring boiling water down the drain and occasionally use the enzyme solutions. We haven't had a clog since. These attempts sometimes require several gallons of vinegar. Vinegar can be very cheap-- $1 a gallon if you look around for it.

    (I'm not a chick, but I'll assume that's ok)
    • Re: Snakes

      Tue, September 6, 2005 - 9:03 PM
      No, roots aren't the problem, I just know I shed hair and in the kitchen, a fair amount of detrius slips by the sink strainer. Looking forward to the names of the enzymes.
      thanks

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