Plumbing Woes
Jul 4, 2019 11:34:47 #
Harry0
Loc: Gardena, Cal
He has extra problems.
He has 2X 90 degree angles. Automagic restrictions.
1/2" vents are waay too small.
Galvanizes pipes get fuzzy. They turn into filters, restrictors, and.or plugs.
I've tried the garden hose bladder thingie. "Brand new" doesn't mean it wasn't on the shelf for 5 years. The brass end blew off- and I had to pay a "real" plumber $$ to fix my repair.
My best working one was the pressurized plunger. Pump it up, lean, fire! Clog be gone. My plumbing was all glued up PVC pipe- a little thud and problem solved. I lent it to a work friend, whose wife's hair plugged up the tub ("I don't like stepping on those strainers!"). 2 shots- drained like a hole. Problem was his drains were those standard plastic compression fittings- it blew off the end of the "P" elbow under the floor. @ 5 years later he needed a new subfloor.
As always, YMMV.
He has 2X 90 degree angles. Automagic restrictions.
1/2" vents are waay too small.
Galvanizes pipes get fuzzy. They turn into filters, restrictors, and.or plugs.
I've tried the garden hose bladder thingie. "Brand new" doesn't mean it wasn't on the shelf for 5 years. The brass end blew off- and I had to pay a "real" plumber $$ to fix my repair.
My best working one was the pressurized plunger. Pump it up, lean, fire! Clog be gone. My plumbing was all glued up PVC pipe- a little thud and problem solved. I lent it to a work friend, whose wife's hair plugged up the tub ("I don't like stepping on those strainers!"). 2 shots- drained like a hole. Problem was his drains were those standard plastic compression fittings- it blew off the end of the "P" elbow under the floor. @ 5 years later he needed a new subfloor.
As always, YMMV.
Jul 4, 2019 11:40:17 #
Are your pipes cast iron? If so, roots can/will get in when the joint packing has out lived it's lifes expectancy.
If that's the case, you have to replace the pipe. A plumber can run a live view camera down the pipe to see the problem. I had that same situation at my house in Catskill NY. The 4" cast iron pipe was in 2 foot sections and roots in the pipe at every joint.
Cutting, removing, and replacing concrete is not a big deal. That's what I did for 30 years.
Be happy to answer any questions you have.
If that's the case, you have to replace the pipe. A plumber can run a live view camera down the pipe to see the problem. I had that same situation at my house in Catskill NY. The 4" cast iron pipe was in 2 foot sections and roots in the pipe at every joint.
Cutting, removing, and replacing concrete is not a big deal. That's what I did for 30 years.
Be happy to answer any questions you have.
Jul 4, 2019 11:43:04 #
My first thought, clogged vent stack. Wonder why no one suggested it before you. Might be a dead animal in the vent, happens now and then.
Jul 4, 2019 11:50:21 #
Wire a rag or some wire like a coat-hanger around the end of your snake and push it down the full length of your snake. This will help remove or clear anything stuck inside the pipe. My tank had been very close to max and our kitchen sink line went straight to the main line at that same level as the tank inlet. Grease from the garbage disposal had floated at the inlet level and made a plug form in the sink line. i used a rag to push through to the main line and then had the tank pumped. NOTE, my snake was too short to reach from the sink so I cut into the drain line about 5 feet from the sink and could reach far enough to get the Dam#&@%* line open. Good luck!
Jul 4, 2019 12:34:05 #
Jul 4, 2019 12:36:00 #
nadelewitz
Loc: Ithaca NY
Manglesphoto wrote:
If the pipe is soldered it would be copper, copper don't rust!!!!
Copper doesn't RUST, but it can CORRODE. It can also get clogged up in other ways.
Jul 4, 2019 12:49:07 #
Earnest Botello wrote:
We had the same problem at our house a few months back, the snake did not do any good, 25 foot, from kitchen to septic drain pipe. Turns out it was where the laundry drain pipe meets with the main pipe that was
the problem, it was stopped up with grease from the kitchen sink. Cut the laundry room pipe, ran the snake through that way, now everything is fine.
the problem, it was stopped up with grease from the kitchen sink. Cut the laundry room pipe, ran the snake through that way, now everything is fine.
That's good to know. Thanks.
Jul 4, 2019 12:52:51 #
Harry0 wrote:
He has extra problems. br He has 2X 90 degree angl... (show quote)
Agree, can’t believe 1/2” vents meet code anywhere. Typically 3-4” (main stack) for WCs, 1-1/2”-2” for lavatories and sinks. Grease is the enemy of kitchen drains. I never allow any down the drain - I wipe out anything greasy before washing. I have seen 1-1/4” brass drain lines (we have some in our house built in the 60s), but never copper, although codes and practices are different in the south.
Jul 4, 2019 12:54:50 #
Harry0 wrote:
Problem was his drains were those standard plastic compression fittings- it blew off the end of the "P" elbow under the floor. @ 5 years later he needed a new subfloor.
As always, YMMV.
As always, YMMV.
That's why I'd rather not use pressure.
Jul 4, 2019 12:58:17 #
TriX wrote:
You simply stuff them in the pipe and turn on the water, the rubber bladder expands to block the pipe and then pulses a high speed blast of water until the pipe clears - usually takes about 30 seconds. They cost $5-$10 and will clear almost anything - I even used them to clear gutter drain pipes. Since it’s a kitchen drain and it may be grease, I’d hook the hose to the washer hot water line and use hot water IF you have a rubber hose that will tolerate hot water.
Thanks, but I'm hesitant us use high pressure. I looked them up on Amazon, and it seems that they either work, or they don't. Not working can make the situation worse. Nineteen percent of people gave it only one star, which is unusually low.
"I suspect if this device clears the clog it gets 5 stars. The problem is, if it DOESN'T clear it. We removed the undersink plumbing and inserted this directly into wall. It expanded and completely blocked the line filling the drain with high pressure water. It isn't possible to determine if and when the clog is clear and water is flowing. Our water pump kicked in and kept running and we thought we heard water running through the drain in the basement. It seemed as if all was well. We shut the water off in preparation to remove the device and the plug came shooting out from all the high pressure behind it (the clog hadn't been cleared and the pressure had just been backing up) Along with the device came all the dirty sewer water. It shot out about 10 feet requiring cleanup of the floor, the table, all the cleaning supplies that had been removed from under the sink, plus all the cabinetry as well as myself. If it works, I bet its great, but when it doesn't, prepare for a huge mess!"
Jul 4, 2019 13:05:21 #
Harry0 wrote:
He has extra problems.
He has 2X 90 degree angles. Automagic restrictions.
1/2" vents are waay too small.
He has 2X 90 degree angles. Automagic restrictions.
1/2" vents are waay too small.
If I said I have 1/2" vents, that was a mistake. The elbows are brass, and the pipes are copper. One turns toward the back of the house after a bout a foot of travel. The next one turns left after maybe another foot. Then I'm guessing the pipe runs straight to the septic tank. As I've said, everything else drains fine. I'll see what happens when the longer snake arrives tomorrow.
I think someone mentioned copper wearing. That's true. The drain from the upstairs bathtub actually wore through and leaked into the laundry room below. I had to rip out the ceiling, install a new poly pipe, and replace, tape, and paint the ceiling. That happened right after the local Lowe's opened. Great timing.
If my wife was still alive, this would have been a total nightmare. My son doesn't care about the mess at all.
Jul 4, 2019 13:13:23 #
jerryc41 wrote:
Thanks, but I'm hesitant us use high pressure. I ... (show quote)
I understand, but if you’ve ever used the device, you can hear when the pipe is opened - the sound and the rhythm of the pulses changes. If it’s going to work, it only takes a few seconds. I wouldn’t worry about the pressure unless it’s 1-1/4” plastic under sink drain pipes and traps. Copper, galvanized, PVC, etc. can all easily withstand standard water pressure which is typically in the 40-80 PSI range.
Jul 4, 2019 13:41:37 #
jerryc41 wrote:
If I said I have 1/2" vents, that was a mista... (show quote)
I don't think you said you had 1/2" vents. I said I had 1/2" vents. Those vents connected the 3" soil pipe from 2 bathrooms with the 1.5" PVC drain in the kitchen and then went up to the roof vent, which was 3". And I have had several of the 1/2" and 3/4" copper supply pipes getting pinholes from acid water. All the leaks were in the basement, so there was no water damage.
Have not seen brass piping other than an occasional J trap, with chrome plating. However, my current house has at least one copper 2" drain pipe. Most of the plumbing is hidden in walls and ceilings but there is an unfinished room with the oil tanks and the drain goes across that ceiling through the foundation out to the septic tank. There must have been some aversion to cast iron soil pipes back in the early '60s when the house was built.
Jul 4, 2019 15:55:22 #
Bill_R
Loc: Southeastern Wisconsin
Reading this thread reminds me yet again of why I swore off plumbing several years ago. Yes, I know plumbers are expensive, but saving the wasted time and aggravation is definitely worth it to me.
Jul 4, 2019 16:01:49 #
skylinefirepest
Loc: Southern Pines, N.C.
That's exactly why I hate unions in any way, shape, or form...I don't care if it's firemen or street cleaners...unions take the ambition away from any job. Why do better if the town idiot is always going to make the same as you?
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