Blocked drain

vinniemac

I have an outside drain that's blocked with fatty buildup from the dishwasher and waste disposal. Tried rodding it but there's still a lot of sludge in the drain. I know caustic soda can be used to clear fatty deposits, but my drains are made of plastic or pvc pipe, and I'm wondering can I use caustic soda safely or would the heat generated be in danger of meting the pipe?

antoinolachtnai

The heat won't melt the pipe. If it sits there long enough, the caustic soda might corrode the pipe. In general outdoor drainpipes are made of pretty sturdy stuff, although this obviously depends on the condition and age of your pipes.

If this is a 4-inch pipe, I think you'd need quite a bit of caustic soda to make a difference. You obviously need to be very careful with caustic soda, health and safety-wise. If the pipes are reasonably modern, I would consider getting it jetted. This is basically using high pressure water to clean the sides of the pipe.

It could well be that there is something wrong with the way your pipes are fitted, i.e, there isn't enough fall to carry stuff away. You really need someone knowledgeable to look down that hole.

Joey the lips

Caustic soda will work fine. Just follow the instructions.

Another possibility is if you have a karcher pressure washer you can buy a draining clearing attachment for it. I dont have one but seen it work. Its the dogs.

If you decide to go down the road of getting a professional company let me know.

paddy147

vinniemac wrote: »

I have an outside drain that's blocked with fatty buildup from the dishwasher and waste disposal. Tried rodding it but there's still a lot of sludge in the drain. I know caustic soda can be used to clear fatty deposits, but my drains are made of plastic or pvc pipe, and I'm wondering can I use caustic soda safely or would the heat generated be in danger of meting the pipe?

This is my post from another recent thread regarding the subject..........................

I wouldnt say that the grate is cemented into place.
More like its stuck thanks to the general crud and soil that does get in and around the drain grate over time.The crud tends to kind of solidify after a certain amount of time.
A small to medium sized flathead screwdriver and lever the grate up and out.
Its probably just general crud and leaves blocking up the the neck/bend of the drain below the grate.
Nothing a small hand trowel/shovel and your arm/hand cant sort out in a matter of minutes.


Oh and a 1.5 litre coke bottle cut in half and then used to scoop out the excess water.
The more water that comes out,then the easier it will be to see the blockage at the bottom of the pipe and scoop it out.

Then some bleach/disinfectant and a couple of buckets of hot water thrown down the drain,and problem solved in a matter of minutes.
Then jump into a good hot shower/bath.
Works a treat for me.

Simples.:)