Tried using a shop vac to unclog a kitchen sink drain after watching a YouTube video...

I had a slow drain for weeks and after dumping $12 in chemicals down there with no luck, I stuck the shop vac hose over the drain opening with a rag and it pulled out a clump of grease in about 30 seconds... has anyone else tried this trick or am I just asking for a pipe collapse?

2 comments

2 Comments

laura_knight541d ago

Used to think shop vacs were only good for sawdust and car interiors, but honestly this trick totally changed my mind after I tried it on my own sink last month. Had the same nasty grease blob situation that was laughing at my drain snake, and the vac pulled it out like it was nothing. Just make sure you've got a good seal around the drain opening, maybe wet the rag a bit so it doesn't slip off. Been doing this for slow drains ever since and haven't had a pipe crack on me yet.

the_nancy19h ago

Ive done this exact thing with my own shop vac and a wet rag. Worked like a charm pulling out a solid 6 inch chunk of congealed bacon grease that had been clogging my kitchen drain for a week. No pipe damage so far and I have old metal pipes from the 1950s. The key is to not crank the vac on full blast for too long. Just give it a few short pulls and you can hear when the blockage lets go. I think this method beats drain snakes because you dont shove the mess further down the pipes. Just my two cents from a messy kitchen.