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Am I the only one who didn't know you could unclog a slow drain with a shop vac? Saved me $180
My bathroom sink has been draining slow since March, like standing water for 4 minutes after I brush my teeth. I almost called a plumber in Madison who quoted me $180 just to show up. Then my neighbor Dale said try a wet/dry shop vac first. I pulled the stopper out, shoved the hose over the drain, wrapped a wet rag around the gap to seal it, and hit the switch. It sucked out a black hair blob the size of my thumb plus two bobby pins and a chunk of old toothpaste. Took 15 seconds. The drain now empties in about 2 seconds flat. I ran hot water for a minute after to flush it out and it has been fine for 3 days. Dale said it works on tubs and laundry drains too, just watch out because it can splash nasty water back at you. Has anyone tried this on a kitchen sink with a disposal, or does the p trap cause problems?
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lewis.finley22d ago
Dale just saved you the same $180 my plumber wanted for a hair blob.
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joel_jones22d ago
$180 seems steep for one clog though. Dale probably cleared it in 10 minutes with a snake he already owned, so the "savings" is more like what you didn't have to pay, not money you actually got. Plumbers charge for the trip, the tools, and the fact that they know what they're doing so you don't flood your bathroom at 11pm. Fine, Dale came through, but lets not act like every clog is the same job. Some hair blobs are easy, some are wrapped around the pipe 4 feet in.
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