Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default what is the plaster like gunk that clogs my drainpipe?

replying to Ed Pawlowski, carey wrote:
I have soft water and do NOT send oil or grease down the sink with the
exception of leftover olive oil from a daily salad. We bake, but I minimize
the flour that goes down as well. Yet, the level 8" pipe from my garbage
disposal to sink drain pipe has been clogging up with the white junk... almost
solidly the whole length. This pipe drains to the U-pipe that comes up about
the same level to the final pipe drain at the wall... Meaning, the water may
not drain cleanly unless pushed along. I'm starting to guess it's the small
amounts of olive oil collecting over the months between cleanout. What else
could it be? I thought it was the flour, which may be the other part of the
gunk. Fortunately, this section is plastic/PVC pipe that is easily unscrewed
and cleaned (takes about 1/2 hour total since I take everything apart, clean,
and back together).

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...pe-296647-.htm


  #2   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default what is the plaster like gunk that clogs my drainpipe?

replying to carey, John Grabouski wrote:
No disposal, no DW. Appear to have same stuff, I too am a chemist, but no
longer have lab access. In my case, I live in the rental formerly Single
Family residence now 8 plex. My kitchen sink stacks up with the one above it
and nothing else on that line. Also (unfortunately) when the plumbing for
these sections was done (before my time here) the drains were in copper.
Supply lines in Galv pipe. Having been working on a clogged drain today in
the kitchen (runs through the basement. I have been under the impression,
the white chunks are grease which have come out of solution when the hot water
containing the grease cools as it feeds away from your sink. We also have
very hot water in this area, so that could help with the process.

Generally sticking any acid (even vinegar) is not a good thing for a copper
drain, so I have refrained. I have had luck with KOH/NaOH. That is...until
today. When even that didnt work. SO I am in the process of cutting out the
12 ft copper section now (12 years on my todo list) and replacing it with
PVC....and a couple of cleanout plugs strategically placed. Ask me again in
another 10 years. THis thread was started in 2008?? So 10 years might be
around!


No disposal, no DW. Appear to have same stuff, I too am a chemist, but no
longer have lab access. In my case, I live in the rental formerly Single
Family residence now 8 plex. My kitchen sink stacks up with the one above it
and nothing else on that line. Also (unfortunately) when the plumbing for
these sections was done (before my time here) the drains were in copper.
Supply lines in Galv pipe. Having been working on a clogged drain today in
the kitchen (runs through the basement. I have been under the impression,
the white chunks are grease which have come out of solution when the hot water
containing the grease cools as it feeds away from your sink. We also have
very hot water in this area, so that could help with the process.

Generally sticking any acid (even vinegar) is not a good thing for a copper
drain, so I have refrained. I have had luck with KOH/NaOH. That is...until
today. When even that didnt work. SO I am in the process of cutting out the
12 ft copper section now (12 years on my todo list) and replacing it with
PVC....and a couple of cleanout plugs strategically placed. Ask me again in
another 10 years. THis thread was started in 2008?? So 10 years might be
around!

WHile I dont put any grease down the sink, I can guarantee my tenants above
have not. And as some grease is dissolved by the hot water soap solution,
that could still hold with my theory.

PS..dumping hot water down the pipe will likely only move the problem farther
down the pipe....but perhaps that is far enuff.

I have heard plumbing is designed to last 50 years in a new construction
house. This one dates to the 1890s. Much of my maintenance involves
plumbing (or roofing)....Wont be building my own anytime soon. GOOD LUCK.

Unfortunately I have not replaced this section of Feed pipes (galvanized pipe)
with PEX, so water pressure isnt great either. Which means, anything WASHED
down the pipe, doesnt get very far.

Would be curious to know what anyone else has found out.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...pe-296647-.htm


  #3   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default what is the plaster like gunk that clogs my drainpipe?

replying to John Grabouski, John Grabouski wrote:
Meant to say....we have very HARD water here. [Not so much HOT water.] BTW.
MrRooter website also has some thought, I am NOT employed (nor ever have been)
with Mr Rooter. I did find several points applicable to the original post.

https://www.mrrooter.com/greater-syr...-of-drain-blo/

One more thought. My parents lived in a house built 1950s. Had the original
stool in place when I finally remodeled to a 17inch high model. Folks were
there 35 years and during that time, NEVER had the stool been removed. It
always seems to drain slow, and an occasional overflow was not uncommon. So
we used the other bathroom (more often than not) for multiple (number 2)
reasons.

So when I finally removed it (about 2001), I was surprised to find a "tongue"
of hard water deposit which extended past the middle of the 4 inch hole and
was nearly 4 inches wide. YEP, it prevented a full flow of waste down the
hole. Reminded me of a stalactite (which forms over 1000s of years?).
Apparently flushing a half dozen times daily is the near equivalent. How is
this RELEVANT. Hard water deposits which accumulate. [Although I still
subscribe to the grease coming out of solution when the soap solution cools
from the original HOT solution which helped dissolve the grease, but it could
be helped to come out of solution by those same minerals which help with hard
water deposits.


--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...pe-296647-.htm


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Cutting a hole in a metal/iron drainpipe Scratch UK diy 7 August 9th 06 10:27 PM
Guidelines for capping off a PVC drainpipe in the basement flush with floor? 427Cobraman Home Repair 9 January 9th 06 03:54 PM
repairing broken flange on drainpipe [email protected] Home Repair 9 January 1st 06 01:46 PM
Clear PVC 'drainpipe'. Ian Stirling UK diy 13 June 18th 05 08:26 PM
Flexy tub leaks at drainpipe, noisy radiator vents Lee Hurd Home Repair 5 October 26th 04 07:45 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:16 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"