Our never ending drain saga has taken a different turn. The floor drain / well hasn’t been baking up, but now it seems the drain between the sink and the floor drain is clogged / very slow.
I cleaned the clay trap which was very much full alas, that isn’t the slow spot. Though, the broken paint brush I pulled out of it probably wasn’t helping things.
While I was all dirty I also changed the rusty, leaking, sprinkler hose like flexible bit on the faucet to the backup piece that came with it (clearly the manufacturer knows it crap since they sent two in the box). So, while your toes might be a little damp, your face shouldn’t be.
We have purchased a much better clay trap that will help make it easier to keep clay out of the plumbing. We’ll also have two sinks and plumbing that will be in better condition to start with.
Not knowing the condition of the plumbing under the floor, and given we only have a couple weeks left before we move, we’ve taken the approach that we don’t want to do anything that might make the problem worse since we don’t want to unnecessarily spend any money on the current building. Having said that, if there is someone that has the skill and equipment to try gently clearing the line I don’t think we would say no.
The sink does drain, but very slowly. The sink can be quickly drained via bucket brigade, using the bypass on the clay trap to fill the bucket under the sink and dumping it into the floor drain. Leaving about 2"-3" of head room in the bucket will prevent spills when you tip it out from under the bypass.
I found this article on the web. I also found a chemical called Clubber at phoniex supply on s. Mosley. It contains 93%sulferic acid and is 20$ a qt. It should do the trick according this article.
Unclogging the Drain with Sulfuric Acid
One of the most preferred products for unclogging a drain line is using sulfuric acid. Drain openers made of sulfuric acid contain over 90 percent acid and a small amount of corrosion inhibiting compounds that prevent metal drainpipes from getting damaged. However, these products are not sold on retails to limit their usage to experts.
Sulfuric acid works by disintegrating organic matter such as tree roots, rags, soap scum, hair, sanitary napkins, paper, grease, fats, and food residue. Once the organic matter disintegrates, it can be easily flushed by water.
Consequently, the clay and soil that had been trapped get cleared. However, sulfuric acid shouldn’t be used to unclog sewer systems made of stainless steel, chrome, aluminum, and galvanized steel.
