Keeping sediment off internal household drain pipes?

[irv]

My wife was just doing laundry when I heard water splashing on the floor. I ran into the laundry room and sure enough water was pissing out of the drain hose and the wash basin wasn't draining.

Long story short, the main drain pipe was clogged with sediment. She noticed in the wash basin before doing the laundry what she thought was wet cat food or vomit but didn't mention anything to me! 

She ran the dishwasher last night and, imo, some of this sediment fell off and clogged the main pipe. I removed the clean out and dumped 2 Drano's in there and waited. After 15 minutes, I filled the basin with hot water but it didn't drain. I then stuck the short garden hose in and down and blasted it with hot water and eventually it took but not before it backed up into the basin.

The shit that came into the basin and was visible inside the main pipe was disgusting. Just chunks of sediment, which, thankfully, didn't stink. Is there anything to help control this buildup on the insides of pipes or should a person just run a bunch of hot water down the drains every so often? 

Edit: meant to add, we are on city water and it is not hard water. 

Edited June 15, 2019 by irv

[Anler]

Probably have to rod it out at this point. 

[irv]

Just now, Anler said:

Probably have to rod it out at this point. 

What do you mean, a snake? All is good now, it's just the sediment that has built up inside the pipes from over the years that I am talking about. It's probably only a few mils thick as the majority of the pipe is still open.

[Zambroski]

Can you get to the P-trap from underneath?

[hwytohell]

Roebic products have worked well for my rentals for years , K-1 drain cleaners and K-87 soap and debris  ;http://www.roebic.com/products.shtml

[Anler]

9 minutes ago, irv said:

What do you mean, a snake? All is good now, it's just the sediment that has built up inside the pipes from over the years that I am talking about. It's probably only a few mils thick as the majority of the pipe is still open.

Yeah a snake, you'll have to push that stuff thru. Around her we use a power rodder to clean the pipes. Sometimes it'll give you a good indication of what's clogging it depending on what comes back with the rodder. 

[Momorider]

It's soap and oil scum it builds up I think if you use some of the liquid foam or gel stuff it cuts but doubt it does it all the way to the sewer main but you can also just wait till it clogs and snake it out.   think we have plumbers on here they probably know but won't say cuz they want a call so they can charge you $200/hr

[hwytohell]

Also here in MI  , I have cleaned all sorts of stuff from the drain waste vent stacks , maple tree seeds , dead birds , chipmunks etc. 

[irv]

11 minutes ago, Zambroski said:

Can you get to the P-trap from underneath?

I did but the clog was in the main drain where the basin drains/goes into about 2 feet away from the basin.

3 minutes ago, hwytohell said:

Roebic products have worked well for my rentals for years , K-1 drain cleaners and K-87 soap and debris  ;http://www.roebic.com/products.shtml

Those look like good products but I'll have to see if they are available up here?

Thanks. 

2 minutes ago, Anler said:

Yeah a snake, you'll have to push that stuff thru. Around her we use a power rodder to clean the pipes. Sometimes it'll give you a good indication of what's clogging it depending on what comes back with the rodder. 

A snake would need some sort of a scourer in order to clean the inner walls of the pipe. I doubt such a thing exists or if it does, it is probably meant for straight runs and not meant for going into bends, etc?

1 minute ago, Momorider said:

It's soap and oil scum it builds up I think if you use some of the liquid foam or gel stuff it cuts but doubt it does it all the way to the sewer main but you can also just wait till it clogs and snake it out.   think we have plumbers on here they probably know but won't say cuz they want a call so they can charge you $200/hr

 

I just seen this stuff but I have no idea how well it would work? Looks to be what I am after so I guess I should try a few bottles.

[Rigid1]

@Ez ryder I think deals with stuff like this

[irv]

3 minutes ago, Rigid1 said:

@Ez ryder I think deals with stuff like this

There's likely not much one can do, in all honesty, other than try this foaming Drano stuff or vinegar, (if that would even work at coating the inner walls of the pipe?) Running boiling hot water occasionally through the pipes is also likely important but again, how much is going to get on the walls on the pipe to removed the sludge? 

We've been in this house 18 yrs and this is the first time this has happened. The house was built in 74 so maybe this is the 1st time ever, who knows? 

 

[Woodtick]

The snakes have different heads you put on them,and yes they can make turns. You can rent snakes with cameras on them. They blue tooth to your phone. HD rents them.

[Big Crappie]

I will crank up the water heater every couple of years then run the taps until the hot water is gone. I pulled the trap under the kitchen sink after doing this last year and there was no sign of any greasy sediment.

[hwytohell]

Irv , Do you have cast iron or plastic drain line ??

[Momorider]

30 minutes ago, Big Crappie said:

I will crank up the water heater every couple of years then run the taps until the hot water is gone. I pulled the trap under the kitchen sink after doing this last year and there was no sign of any greasy sediment.

Thats some very dedicated home maintainence 

[Mainecat]

Soap crud is the worst. 

[steve from amherst]

I dump one of these about every 8 months

[hwytohell]

8 minutes ago, Mainecat said:

Soap crud is the worst. 

Younger women that use every type of body wash + body rinse . It can be pure hell if you have older plumbing or mixed type repairs.

[irv]

45 minutes ago, Big Crappie said:

I will crank up the water heater every couple of years then run the taps until the hot water is gone. I pulled the trap under the kitchen sink after doing this last year and there was no sign of any greasy sediment.

Not a bad idea, actually. An old plumber once told a group of us at work to boil the kettle once a month and pour it down drains, the kitchen especially.

23 minutes ago, hwytohell said:

Irv , Do you have cast iron or plastic drain line ??

They're plastic. 

[hwytohell]

Be careful on using a powered snake rooter with the wrong bit on the end , I have done in myself with the wrong bit on plastic.  The reason I asked about type of pipe material , I purchased a home for rental use , it had cast iron drain pipes with very little slope under the basement floor, the owners used for decades caustic type drain cleaners , the cleaners had etched a perfect cut in the pipe for over sixty feet from the rear of the house to front and another 80 feet to the municipal sewer connection. It was not a fun job.

[irv]

2 hours ago, hwytohell said:

Be careful on using a powered snake rooter with the wrong bit on the end , I have done in myself with the wrong bit on plastic.  The reason I asked about type of pipe material , I purchased a home for rental use , it had cast iron drain pipes with very little slope under the basement floor, the owners used for decades caustic type drain cleaners , the cleaners had etched a perfect cut in the pipe for over sixty feet from the rear of the house to front and another 80 feet to the municipal sewer connection. It was not a fun job.

Thanks for the heads up. At this point, I don't think I am going to go the snake route unless it happens again in a short while? It's been a while that I have used any products or hot water actually so I need to get back on schedule and maybe do a bit tomorrow?

Thanks for the info everyone. Muchly appreciated. 

[1jkw]

 

Get some professional strength drain cleaner , hot power, clobber, ETC. depending on where you are you may need to sign a paper to get it. The stuff smells terrible but really works well, any drain cleaner worth a damn comes in a plastic bag with the plastic bottle inside.

[irv]

28 minutes ago, 1jkw said:

 

Get some professional strength drain cleaner , hot power, clobber, ETC. depending on where you are you may need to sign a paper to get it. The stuff smells terrible but really works well, any drain cleaner worth a damn comes in a plastic bag with the plastic bottle inside.

I'll see what's available up here but I doubt it will be anything like you mention? We can't even purchase weed killer for our lawns so I doubt anything to potent is available to us. 

[steve from amherst]

54 minutes ago, 1jkw said:

 

Get some professional strength drain cleaner , hot power, clobber, ETC. depending on where you are you may need to sign a paper to get it. The stuff smells terrible but really works well, any drain cleaner worth a damn comes in a plastic bag with the plastic bottle inside.

this

[Ez ryder]

On 6/15/2019 at 4:34 PM, Rigid1 said:

@Ez ryder I think deals with stuff like this

no I call my drain guy to snake em to the stack .

in the rentals I tell people not to use draino I always use steel traps because they tend to stay in place  better when people shove shit under the sink and draino rots that cheep steel in a hurry