Tips for clearing a chocolate-clogged drain?

Our kitchen sink has started backing up on a regular basis. I try to get as much chocolate as possible into the trash so it doesn't wash down the drain, but inevitably some gets in there and builds up. We have no garbage disposal.

Boiling water, enzymes, baking soda, etc. did nothing. Sulfuric acid and a snake finally did the trick, but even the acid doesn't seem to do much to chocolate.

Has anybody tried dissolving chocolate clogs with an alkaline solution, like lye?

Any other tips, tricks & techniques for keeping drains clear?

Thanks!

Tags: clog, drain

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Clay Gordon on June 8, 2010 at 4:04pm

The trick is to warm the pipe itself.

You could use wire tape that you wrap around pipes to keep them freezing in winter. Another solution is to use a heat gun directly on the pipe.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tracy Bradford on June 8, 2010 at 8:31pm

I wonder if putting in one of these would help in the future?
http://www.bigceramicstore.com/supplies/gleco-trap.htm
Sorry I can't offer any better suggestions for you.
Tracy

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Duffy Sheardown on June 9, 2010 at 2:16am

When putting a sink into my factory the plumber rigged up a very simple trap in the outlet pipe from the sink. He glued a simple aluminium baffle half way across a small plastic tank. Basically, the waste water goes in, the chocolate floats to the top and is held out of the waste outlet by the alluminium.
It's his version of an expensive fat trap and cost almost nothing to rig up. I haven't explained it very but if you look at professional ones you will see what you need to try and do.
Duffy