NationStates Jolt Archive


Problems with my sink.

Kahanistan
29-03-2006, 17:31
I don't usually go to General with personal issues, but it's the only place I can think of to go now. A few days ago, I was cleaning my bathroom sink, and I used the wrong kind of cleaner. When I woke up the next morning, much of the porcelain around the drain was eaten away, along with the silvery coating over the stopper.

Well, I managed to find some enamel at Home Depot, and the porcelain is fine now, but I couldn't find the silver that's supposed to coat my now bare plastic drain. The Home Depot guy said that I probably wouldn't find any of that. Does anyone here know anything he wouldn't?

Thanks.
Philosopy
29-03-2006, 17:35
No idea, but if we're talking about stupidity with domestic appliances, I today created a significant quantity of smoke to emerge from the tumble dryer by putting clothes in it that were far too wet. The worst thing is that I knew they were too wet, but put them in anyway because I was too lazy to get the hangers out.

Whoops.
Smunkeeville
29-03-2006, 17:40
what kind of drain do you have?

I can't seem to picture the problem enough to help you with a solution.
Upper Botswavia
29-03-2006, 17:52
I don't usually go to General with personal issues, but it's the only place I can think of to go now. A few days ago, I was cleaning my bathroom sink, and I used the wrong kind of cleaner. When I woke up the next morning, much of the porcelain around the drain was eaten away, along with the silvery coating over the stopper.

Well, I managed to find some enamel at Home Depot, and the porcelain is fine now, but I couldn't find the silver that's supposed to coat my now bare plastic drain. The Home Depot guy said that I probably wouldn't find any of that. Does anyone here know anything he wouldn't?

Thanks.

I would suggest you take the whole stopper out, take it to Home Depot and buy a replacement. That would probably be a cheaper solution than trying to recoat it anyway. Stoppers are usually fairly easy to remove.

I would also suggest (if you know anything about plumbing) that you might want to take the trap out too and see if your cleaner damaged the pipe. If it ate through porcelain and metal, it may well have also eaten away at the trap, especially if it is pvc (plastic) pipe.
Kahanistan
29-03-2006, 18:00
Just an ordinary white bathroom sink like the kind you see in 90% of USA homes. The problem isn't with the drain, everything works fine, the problem is with the exterior. I just want to know where to find some of the silvery stuff that normally covers stoppers. I don't even know what the stuff is called.

My stopper is fairly difficult to remove, and I'm not much with plumbing. The pipe works fine, the cleaner was held in the sink for several hours, then washed straight down when I woke up and discovered to my horror that the silver was eaten away. The pipe is fine.
AB Again
29-03-2006, 18:04
I am sorry to tell you that to recoat the drain you would have to remove it anyway. These things are normally electroplated or dip coated (Being plastic probably the latter). If you have to remove it anyway, then it will be cheaper to replace it than recoat it.
Smunkeeville
29-03-2006, 18:04
Just an ordinary white bathroom sink like the kind you see in 90% of USA homes. The problem isn't with the drain, everything works fine, the problem is with the exterior. I just want to know where to find some of the silvery stuff that normally covers stoppers. I don't even know what the stuff is called.

My stopper is fairly difficult to remove, and I'm not much with plumbing. The pipe works fine, the cleaner was held in the sink for several hours, then washed straight down when I woke up and discovered to my horror that the silver was eaten away. The pipe is fine.
you should be able to remove the stopper, and replace it. They are pretty cheap.

the stopper just hooks into a wire that is attached to the plunger on the top of the faucet, you should be albe to wiggle the hook free.
Upper Botswavia
29-03-2006, 18:31
you should be able to remove the stopper, and replace it. They are pretty cheap.

the stopper just hooks into a wire that is attached to the plunger on the top of the faucet, you should be albe to wiggle the hook free.

This is true... go under the sink and take a look... the whole arrangement is usually pretty simple. Just be careful not to force or bend anything or you may render it inoperable. My stopper connects to the plunger with a metal strip and a small nut and bolt arrangement, which can easily be unscrewed, freeing the stopper to be lifted out.

Anyway, good luck.
The Jovian Moons
29-03-2006, 19:19
hit it with a hammer