[Shop-talk] slow disposal drain

[Wayne]

There is the old "run ice through the disposer" trick that's great for 
knocking rust and grime off the inside of the grind chamber. I've had 
really good results with Drano or Liquid Plumber foaming drain cleaners 
for drains & traps, but I don't know if I'd want to run it through a 
disposer (and they recommend against it.)

PVC pipes & traps are dirt cheap, and Insinkerator makes a kick ass 
disposer. Installed their "Evo Compact" with the stainless steel chamber 
a couple years ago for $200; just avoid the el-cheapo "Badger" series.

Brian wrote:
 > The plumber replacing the pipe ... said this is why he loves drain
 > cleaners. Rather than just running a snake, he gets to charge a day
 > or two of labor and put in new pipe.

I saw this as a kid back in the 70s. Mom used to regularly use cleaner 
in the kitchen sink, which the chemical companies of the day advocated. 
Started leaking one day. The cleaner had totally eaten away the copper 
or brass pipe & trap from the inside out, and all that was left was a 
shell of chrome, about the thickness of heavy aluminum foil! PVC OTOH is 
pretty inert to alkaline & acid cleaners and doubt it would suffer.

-Wayne

On 4/14/2013 1:11 PM, Tim wrote:
> I have a garbage disposal that drains slow unless you run it. While I am
> pretty sure I know what is causing it (build up in the pipe), I am
> hoping that I don't have to pull the drain pipe to clean it out....
>
> So, that being said, does anyone know if there is something I can run
> down the drain that will clear out that build up? Regular drain cleaners
> have not worked....