kitchen sink drain is slow - Montana Owners Club

genecurp · 01-25-2009, 11:21 AM

I want to baby the sink and the grey tank. My kitchen sink is draining slowly. What can I use to open up the drain without harming the plumbing?

jimcol · 01-25-2009, 12:07 PM

Gene, I haven't had to work on the 5'ers plumbing but do a little residential plumbing. I am not a big believer in any of the solutions you pour down the drains to clear a clog. If it doesn't clear the clog you have the same mess to deal with only now it has harsh chemicals in it to eat your hands and eveything else it comes in contact with. I would also be concerned what drain cleaners will do to the seals on the holding tank dump valve. I would check to insure the vent on that sink is not stopped up. If it is clean I would remeve the p-trap under the sink. If it is plugged beyound the trap you'll have to use a snake type auger to break the clog. Good luck and let us know what you find out.

Exnavydiver · 01-25-2009, 01:46 PM

While I was re doing the drain baskets I pulled off the P-trap and it was pretty cheesed up with grease so I fed a piece of string through it and pulled a rag through it. This cleaned everything out nicely and the drain works better... Dave

gojodo · 01-29-2009, 01:49 AM

I use 1/4 cup baking soda and pour vinegar over, let it bubble for 30 minutes and rinse with hot water. It seems to take care of any problems without damaging any of the plumbing. I also make a paste with baking soda to clean the sinks.
Dorothy

mfoss · 02-02-2009, 05:07 AM

I was getting ready to pick up some dishwashing detergent and a young gal was also standing there. When I reached for the Dawn she told me that her husband had just finished plumbing school and they told him there that the #1 problem of stopped up kitchen drains was Dawn! I've used Joy ever since. While this was never a problem for me my neighbor had to have the plumber every year until she switched brands. Dawn builds up and when I think of how my bottle used to get at the top I believe it!

genecurp · 02-02-2009, 07:13 AM

I have had some success improving the draining. After washing dishes and letting out the warm water, I would run hot water for 30 seconds to fill the p-trap. Let warm water sit 2 minutes. Repeat with a 30 second flush and a 2 minute soak. During the second soak, I plugged the sink and filled one-half full with hot water from water heater. I then turned on hot water and pulled the drain plug. Ran hot water until the sink for was drained. The idea was to cut the "grease" trapped down there with hot water.

Warning: I only used hot water from my water heater. Never water heated any other way. If I could stand it with my hand I was hoping the heat wouldn't crack my sink. Worked for me. Your results could be disaster. Be careful.

deadeye · 02-02-2009, 07:15 AM

Gene:
I had this same type of experience when I first got my Monte. I was kind of stupid. I was dumping the Grey tank and only emptying one tank. I didn't realize there was two Grey tanks with a lever between the wheels on the street side that had to be turned. I am sure you already know that by now. JB

genecurp · 02-02-2009, 07:33 AM

Thanks Deadeye. I do know about the two grey tanks...they drain fine.

Just one side of the kitchen sink is what I have been working on. So maybe it is grease, maybe soap scum, maybe some calcium build up. The hot water has helped a lot.

Gene

deadeye · 02-02-2009, 07:43 AM

If I remember right, I think you can take those drain pipes off without to much trouble... I think I have had mine apart. I used a 1 gallon ice cream bucket to put under it and catch most of the water. But then I found out that it was all in vane, from not being checked out on the unit or reading the book which really don't help much..JB

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