Do I Need Draino?

[xroad]

My bath room sink has been draining slower and slower. I took a peek down the drain and saw lots of black cruds. Possibly they are build ups from soap, tooth paste, and snot. I do not have this problem with my bath tub. When I replace my bath tub last year, I looked at the drain pipe and it was clean. When I replaced my sink down pipe last year, it has the same build up. A year has gone by, and it is starting to clog again. What can I use to clear this?

[Gary Swart]

Do not use Drano or any other chemical. You have a clog and the only way to properly clear it is to have a plumber who does not have Roto in his company name clear it.

[kingsotall]

This will also clean your pipes good but needs to be used on a regular basis:

[gardner]

Start with one of these:
http://www.zipitclean.com/

[hj]

The ZipIt shown above is all you need to clear the drain below the sink, (my wife has been after me to use ours for the last couple of days). If there is a stoppage elsewhere then you need a snake.

[tlarson]

Do not use Drano or any other chemical. You have a clog and the only way to properly clear it is to have a plumber who does not have Roto in his company name clear it.

Using a plumber is not the "ONLY" way to properly clear it. This sounds like a typical vanity clog, and I've cleaned many of them by simply removing the trap, tail piece, etc and then removing the hair and other build up. It may require replacing a seal or two, and needs to be done carefully, but it can be done by a DIY'er.

[dave36]

There are more natural ways to clean your pipes. Using harsh chemicals is never a good idea.

[Clog Pro]

I agree. It's much better to use environmentally safe and natural drain cleaning liquids rather than the normal Draino liquid from a grocery store.

[Dustinmorris8]

From my experience over time, using chemicals causes pinhole leaks in pipes and becomes a much bigger problem. Snakes help but if it is a deep clog, I would go with a drain cleaning job to be on the safe side.

[Gary Swart]

My comment about the need for a plumber was predicated on the assumption that the main drain was clogged. Certainly, removing the trap and cleaning out the hair collection does not require a professional.