clearing drains

[ponch37300]

some of my drains are a little slow to drain. I bought a ridgid power snake to try and clean out the lines, girlfriend has long hair. It worked nice on a couple of drains but when i got to the master shower it gets stuck in the trap. This shower is slow to drain and i assume there is a big hair ball down there. I looked under the trailer under the shower and i didn't just want to start cutting into the insulation to get to the trap. What is the best way to get to this trap and what am i going to need to fix where i cut into the insulation?

[oldfart]

Ponch..a few tips here...first off start by dating bald-headed wimminfolks! Mind ye it saves a helluva lot of problems! Ye kin find 'em right easy just by shinin' a light and lookin' fer the glow of their head! Okey-dokey....not an option...buy one of them screens that looks like a doiley (ask yer girlfriend..she'll know what a doiley is) to place over the drain when she takes a shower. OR!..snatch up a 12in.x12in. piece of fine screen from the hardware store..the kind they sell to fix broken screens on windows or storm-doors. Tell her to lay it on the shower drain a'fore she fouls it up with her long dangly frocks!! Now...since she's already gammahooched up yer drain..reach fer a jug of common household bleach. Yup..just the cheap stuff..no fancy smells or anything...just a jug of chlorine bleach...like she uses to git the stains out'a yer drawers. Now pour a few cups down the drain and go have a beer and watch The Outdoor Channel fer a spell. I'll bet when ya come back the clog will be gone. If not...pour the rest of the jug down the drain..go watch Mike Waddel shoot another elk...have another beer and then check on the progress. Bleach eats hair up like Doritos at a Mexican fiesta! Dissolves it into snot and cleans up drains like magic! Now....if even this doesn't work...I'm about to share wi' ye "The Magic Drain Cleanser." Boil up a quart of water and just a'fore ye pour it into the clogged drain squirt a shot (1 1/2 oz. by Imperial Measure) of Dawn Liquid Dishwashing Detergent into it and pour it down the drain. STAND BACK! This ain't gonn'a be puddy!! Safety goggles, ear-plugs and a stout apron are advised!! As soon as it hits the drain cover the drain up wi' a plastic/Tupperware bowl and hold on tight!!! PHOOM! Problem solved. Now..go shave her haid. YMHS....Audie..been there..delt with it...only date bald wimminfolks..the Oldfart...

[ponch37300]

Thanks for the advice augie! I have told her to shave her head but she doesn't seem to be taking to that idea! I will try your tricks to get rid of the hair. I've read the last 13 pages of posts on here in the last two days so i think i can patch up the belly if it comes to that. Thanks again for your help, I've done lots of work on stick houses but never a MH and I've learned so much from this great site.

[oldfart]

Well Ponch...I hope it helps. Now...mind ye...nuthin' ye've ever learned on stick-built homes applies to mobile homes. In time several things are going to happen. The roof leaks and an inside wall begins to buldge. WTH is that?? The tub/shower clogs up and the kitchen sink won't drain. A breaker trips and 1 receptacle in the kitchen stops working...there's no light in the bathroom and yer truck won't start. Go figger?? Is there a connection? Who knows? In springtime the kitchen door jams up and won't open..meanwhile the back door is flopping around and won't stay shut! When the sun sets yer gonn'a hear creaking and poppin' noises. When it rises..same thing..only different! One things fer sure..life is never boring. I just cain't wait to see what happens next as I stand there scratchin' my balding pate and holler..."What the ++++ is this!!" HAW!HAW!HAW! Audie.......

[ponch37300]

Well Audie i didn't have any bleach so i just went for your dish soap trick hoping it wasn't just a joke, it was a little hard to tell! I didn't have dawn but some other brand and i don't think it worked. No bangs or anything like that. Guess I'll have to try the bleach tomorrow and see what happens. If that doesn't work guess I'll have to take the trap off and clean it out. When i crawled under the trailer i noticed that the belly and insulation around where the master toilet drain comes threw is torn and i could see the water lines for the toilet and the tub so i need to repair this before freezing. Is there any tricks to closing up the belly around the toilet drain or just use some of the belly tape they sell on this site? Thanks again for your help. Scott

[JD]

Dang Augie! You are hilarious! You really should be writing editorials for the newspaper.

Ponch, get he underbelly repair kit available through the Book & Parts List above. The spray adhesive and poly type underbelly will repair both plastic and rigid underbellys. I use a clean dry rag and wipe off all cob webs and dust. I cut out any worthless pieces of torn up underbelly. Spray the adhesive at least 12" (18" is better) around the hole where you can. Along the edges of beams and rim joists you spray what you can. Cut the patch material to fit before you spray the hole area. Spray the patch and hole at the same time. Let the adhesive tack up real good. It should not stick and come off onto your finger when it is ready, just like contact cement (which is what it is). When I press it into place, I start on one side working all the way across that side first, then roll the rest of the patch up into place. You may need to touch up some of the edges if you missed with the adhesive on the hole area. All edges should be glued down tight. I am not sure what the minimum operating temperatures of the spray adhesive is. Read the instructions. Real easy to do. It is just hard to get around down there and dirty. Keep your patch material clean though. Just don't let dirt get on the clean side. I spray the patch while laying somewhere under the hole to keep from moving it more than necessary while the glue is drying and lifting up into place. This should fix it up for you.

JD

[ponch37300]

thanks jd. is there any trick to sealing the belly material around where the toilet drain comes threw or just cut the material as tight as possible?

[Arlo]

I used this drain cleaner in my shower last week with great results: 1 cup of arm & hammer soda poured in drain followed by a cup of vinegar. It foams up like a science experiment. It worked but drain was just running slow before. It was not terribly clogged. It's perfect now and the ingredients don't come much cheaper.