Drain King

This is a picture of one of the most wonderful inventions in the history of mankind! 

It is called the Drain King, and the title is well deserved.

I mentioned yesterday that I was probably going to have to dig up and clean out the grease trap outside our kitchen.  Instead, I picked up one of these things at my local hardware store. In 10 minutes or less, it did the job I was expecting to take over three hours of hard labor.

Simply hook the thing up to a garden hose and feed it into the clogged pipe.  When you turn the water on, the black rubber bulb expands to seal off the pipe, then water pressure forces the clog down the pipe until it clears.  Sure beats digging, or even trying to clear the pipe with a plumber’s snake.

They’re pretty cheap, too - $11 at my local hardware store or only $6 at Ace Hardware on-line if you have time to wait.  It comes as pictured above, or as part of a kit that includes something called a crossbar drain adapter.

The Drain King  also comes in a couple of sizes.  I’ve had one for years that was one size too small for yesterday’s job. 

Was it a temporary fix?  Well, yes it is.  Then again, all grease traps eventually require cleaning and mine will not  need it today.