Repeatedly clogging bathroom sink

Ever since we've been in this house (~11 years), the master bath sink slowly clogs every 4 months or so. The culprit is a slow build-up of this nasty slime, until the sink barely drains. Then I disconnect the stopper, remove the trap, and push the slime out with a stick and toilet paper. Clean everything up real nice, reassemble, and maybe put some Drain-O down the overflow. A few times I've tried putting some bleach down every week or so, but eventually the slime builds back, then I rinse and repeat. I've never experienced anything like this before, and it's the only sink in this house with the problem. Obviously there is some type of slime colony living in the drain, but I can't seem to kill it all off. Anyone ever encounter this? How can I solve it once and for all? I'm in Colorado if that matters. Maybe we have some weird regional slime. Thanks for your time.

Gary

2 things I can think of...the drain piping doesn't have any pitch or is pitched backward and / or the pop up is not raising high enough and it drains slowly, the water not having enough force to rinse the drain well.

1 other thought...the drain inside the wall may need snaking so it will flow better also...

gbh said:

Obviously there is some type of slime colony living in the drain, but I can't seem to kill it all off ...
Maybe we have some weird regional slime.

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The "region" is the master bath, and toothpaste and mouthwash (along with low volumes of water going through the drain) are significant parts of the problem. My wife and I have an identical situation here in the midwest.

A half gallon of boiling hot water once in a while should do it.

drain

Well, bleach might make the clog look better, but it is not going to do anything as far as eliminating it is concerned. If the obstruction is in the trap outlet, and not in the pipe in the wall, that indicates that the trap may be pushed too far into the pipe, so the "debris" cannot flow down the drain and gets caught there. Normally build ups are not smart enough to know that they should stay where they can be easily removed. And the definition of a proper trap is that the stuff should NOT stay in it to cause a stoppage.

I been getting lots of jobs from these maintenance companies that sell contracts to stores like Blockbuster, Bath,Body and Beauty Works, and many others. One of the places I get calls for all the time is the demo sink in the Bath,Body and Beauty Works. They have these liquid soaps that people can try out before they buy it. Problem with these soaps is they are like a paste, and get stuck in the pipes on a regular basis, hence them needing a plumber every few months. I convinced them to start using Bio Clean, its been a year and a half now and not a single drain clogged.

The point is, if your using some sort of liquid hand soaps, it may be the cause of your troubles. If you want to keep using them, you need a good bacteria and enzyme drain cleaner like Bio Clean.

Great replies. I definitely have some things to try going forward. Thought I would add a bit more based on comments and more discovery on my part. I'm in the process of a remodel on this bath. To pull the vanity I had to pull a section of the drain from the wall. It was also filled with The Slime . I've never cleaned that before, nor suspected it, as clearing The Slime from the vertical pipe going into the trap has always, at least temporarily, solved the issue. No liquid soaps are used, just Ivory bars. Non alcohol mouth wash is used daily. Shaving cream (Barbasol) and Crest are the only other products going down the drain on a regular basis. Cheers, Gary

nhmaster said:

A half gallon of boiling hot water once in a while should do it.

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Would the hot boiling water melt the plastic down pipe and plastic trap?

Do not use caustic drain cleaners like Draino, Liquid Plumber, etc.. They may help a localized clog temporarily, but are harmful to the plumbing and create a hazard if a plumber has to be called later. The Bio Clean would be a good alternative to use. Boiling water will not melt the pipes and would also be a good thing to employ on a regular basic. I would also check to see if the trap are was too far into the trap outlet as suggested.

Gary Swart said:

I would also check to see if the trap are was too far into the trap outlet as suggested.

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I don't understand. The down pipe slips into the first half of the trap, the "U" part. The it get connected to the "90*" horizontal piece that slips into the pipe sticking out of the wall. Which part is the part that is too far? Between the down pipe and the "U" ?

I would suspect the horizonal pipe that connects to the main drain. It's a slip joint and the pipe could be a tad too long and be shoved too far into the connector fitting on the drain line in the wall.

Gary Swart said:

I would suspect the horizonal pipe that connects to the main drain. It's a slip joint and the pipe could be a tad too long and be shoved too far into the connector fitting on the drain line in the wall.

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Ah Ha! That horizontal sip joint can be shoved too deep to reach the far side of the T (where one end goes to the drain and the other end goes to the vent) in effect, closing off the pathe of the draining water. Right?

Right , the horizontal piece can be going in the wall to far . There's nothing to stop it untill it hits the back of the tee .