Paint Jammed Sink

J

JHWelch

Member
So, I assume that a lot of theatres have this problem in their shop. We have a sink that just won't stay clean of paint. I have two problems

First: What is a good way of cleaning out the sink: I have tried pipe snaking as well as using pipe cleaner on the pipes. I think there is a bigger problem further along in the pipe, so I think it may be time for a plumber.

Second: What is a good way of keeping the pipes from filling more? I was thinking of some kind of filter maybe? I don't know, what solutions have other people found?
 
What you want is what is common in most scene shops; a paint trap. It's in-line with your sink drain and collects paint too solidified to drain safely. They are drum-shaped, and enter waters in the bottom of the drum, then gets pushed through a filter to the top of the drum, which is where the outlet is. This allows the water to naturally filter. It also keeps some water pooled in the trap at all times to prevent any paint from drying. They have removable tops so that you can pull the filters out in under a couple minutes and clean the collected paint out. Depending on how much paint you dump down the sink, you may have to clean the trap anywhere between every few months and one or twice a year.

If you may already have to call a plumber to investigate the drain, then you might as well have him install a trap while he's at it. Paint traps are usually PVC plus the inner filter, so parts probably won't cost you very much. You'll spend a lot more on the labor, but it'll keep you from having to ever call a plumber again short of a to fix a catastrophic plumbing event.
 
I agree with what Mike suggests, but in the meantime has anyone taken apart the existing trap?

How far does the sink drain travel before it connects with a main drain pipe? What else feeds into that pipe (like a kitchen or laundry)? That is, the paint may not be the culprit.

Joe
 
jwl868 said:
I agree with what Mike suggests, but in the meantime has anyone taken apart the existing trap?

How far does the sink drain travel before it connects with a main drain pipe? What else feeds into that pipe (like a kitchen or laundry)? That is, the paint may not be the culprit.

Joe
Click to expand...

Yep. Gotta have a paint trap. They can be nasty to clean out of neglected for a year, though... Cobalt Studio has a waterfall paint trap of several steps of wire mesh leading to the final drain pipe. The heavier stuff falls through the successive layers of screening. Homemade.
 
There is a large (1.5'x2'x1' or something) metal box that is attached to the pipe near the sink. I have no idea what it is, I think that is where the problem is. For all I know, it could be filtering paint itself and is clogged. Any idea what it could be?
 
I think I just realized that the metal box is a Grease Trap. I am going to try and open it up tomorrow. This might be horrifying.
 
If the sink has a standard “P” trap or “U” trap, check that, too.

The box sounds like a filter or solids interceptor or a grease trap. If the device has a manufacturer’s name and model number, record it, and see if you can find the specifications and/or maintenance instructions for it online.

(It might actually be a filter or solids trap; what people call it [“grease trap”] and what it really is are often two different things.)

Joe
 
You may want an oxygen mask and a hazmat suit if your trap's been left alone for several years. :p

(kidding, but it'll be pretty smelly and gross, so crack some windows and have something ready to circulate the air around)

On the plus side, you might not need to consult a plumber depending on how well your cleaning goes.
 
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Our paint trap is probably less than a foot down stream from the drain in the sink. It had been installed for 10 years and never emptied before I decided to clean it out within my first six months of starting here. Apparently it overflowed all the time and no one could figure out why...

After opening the top the answer was 8 five-gallon buckets full of the most horrifying sludge you could imagine. There is a large metal basket inside that I've given up trying to remove, I'm fairly certain it is forever fused to the box itself but now we clean it out every 6 months or so and have no problems.

Like others said before the water/gunk flows into the bottom of the trap from the sink and the out pipe is at the top of the other side of the box. The water must fill the tank before it drains to the sewer giving the heavier particulate matter of the paint time to sink to the bottom of the trap and eventually be scooped out by a lab student or student worker who is on my bad side one day.
 
JBrennan said:
...and eventually be scooped out by a lab student or student worker who is on my bad side one day.
Click to expand...


The moral of the story kids: Be nice to the person with the sink keys.....


:excitable:
 
Just pour a bunch of turpentine down the drain then light it. [/joke]

And to clarify, I'M JUST KIDDING. DON'T EVER DO THIS.
 
Thanks! I should try that, though they really didn't leave any clearance. There seems to be a good number of awful design flaws in my theatre, though doesn't everybody?
 
Oh man...those pictures made me gag a bit, that stuff looks absolutely nasty! Glad you fixed your problem though haha!
 
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