NA: Plumbing Question

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

May the force be with you
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First Officer 6PC
My kids come out of the bathroom noting that there is "Water everywhere! Yea! they said"
I go in and the sink is at max capacity. This one doesn't have one of those overflow drains.

Step 1 I get the shop vac and vacuum out the water and the drain.
Step 2 I test it and it fills up and doesn't drain again.
Step 3 I go get the acid from the pool equipment.
Step 4 usher everyone out of the house because the death cloud has us coughing up pieces of lung.

So basically clogged like a mutha.

One thing I notice is some sand and black flakey crap coming out of the drain.

Today I go get the black water dildo out of the garage and shove it into a pipe in the wall

2.jpg

1.jpg

Now here's the legit question. After it slipping out a couple times, I finally got it in and cranked it on and Whoooosh the pressure forced whatever, wherever and all was good again.

Look at the pipes. Where does the drain in the back of the wall go?
Where might that black tube connect?

I suspect the black tube comes from one of the a/c drain pans. I know I can hear air in the sink drain so it is open.

Everything is working but my feeling is that that black rubber pipe is delivering some sort of sediment to the sing pipe and it is clogging up in the wall.

I am guessing thought I have fixed my problem but I have to go through this about every two years.

Other things to note. I really feel like the crap coming out of the drain (Sandy stuff) is composite shingle granules. Looked similar.

Other curious thing. After blowing the clog out that back wall pipe, the metal pipe starts dripping. I can't imagine the back wall pipe and that black tube are connected in any way.
 
That sandy stuff: Drain some water out the bottom of your water heater, check for sediment there. Hard water can make a mess of things.

That other drain hose? No idea.
 
The drain going into the wall ( from the trap under the sink ) connects into your main drain system of the house, maybe in the basement, maybe somewhere between that sink and the basement/crawlspace/whatever.

I don't know where that other drain hose comes from, you think the A/C? Maybe. That condensate probably doesn't have any minerals dissolved in it, but sometimes it can get pretty moldy and slimy and clog things up. If it is from an A/C drain, you might run some diluted bleach solution down it once in a while.
 
Matthew said:
The drain going into the wall ( from the trap under the sink ) connects into your main drain system of the house, maybe in the basement, maybe somewhere between that sink and the basement/crawlspace/whatever.

I don't know where that other drain hose comes from, you think the A/C? Maybe. That condensate probably doesn't have any minerals dissolved in it, but sometimes it can get pretty moldy and slimy and clog things up. If it is from an A/C drain, you might run some diluted bleach solution down it once in a while.
Click to expand...

NO basements or crawl spaces in Texas :(
But you bring up a great idea. I can have Eren listen by that drain and I will pour a pitcher of water in each of the A/C unit drain pans and see if she hears it coming to that pipe.

Thanks.!
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
NO basements or crawl spaces in Texas :(
But you bring up a great idea. I can have Eren listen by that drain and I will pour a pitcher of water in each of the A/C unit drain pans and see if she hears it coming to that pipe.

Thanks.!
Click to expand...
Tell her to put her ear right up close to that drain!

(I had a problem with an icemaker valve. I needed to make sure the water line actually worked, so I turned off the valve downstairs, disconnected the water hose from the fridge, and set it in a bucket. I had my daughter hold it for me while I went back downstairs to open the valve for a couple seconds. I came back up and asked if any water came out. She looked at me with water dripping off her face. That's when I knew it was the icemaker valve that was the problem.)
 
Last time I replaced the shower faucet cartridge, I forgot to turn the water off at the curb.
It was like a scene from a movie. Soaked head to toe sprinting down the sidewalk to the main cutoff.

My neighbor was like "I bet I can guess."
 
If your sink doesn't have an "overflow" how does it vent? Probably from the black hose.
 
Years ago, my neighbor was pounding on my door, telling me she had a water leak in the basement. I grabbed a screwdiver and a wrench or two (pretty much all you'll need to turn things off) and headed over. She was really in a hurry. I went into her basement and her husband was holding a towel over a spray of water coming out of an overhead waterline. A saddle valve had come loose. He was soaked, water was streaming down his arms. It was an easy fix, but what a mess.
 
Stewartb said:
If your sink doesn't have an "overflow" how does it vent? Probably from the black hose.
Click to expand...
I don't think my bathroom sinks have an overflow drain. They vent through the vent stacks that go through the roof.
 
Is that black hose someone's idea of an air admittance?
Don't see a p-trap but likely it is on the floor out of the picture.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Is that black hose someone's idea of an air admittance?
Don't see a p-trap but likely it is on the floor out of the picture.
Click to expand...
My guess on the p-trap is the same. It looks like that T was added, then the p trap connects below. The ring is still attached to the lower part of the drain in the picture. I don't know where that hose is coming from. We'll hear back from Brian after he pours some 100LL through the AC drains.
 
Most likely the clog is hair, especially if your kids have long hair. If you used a snake instead of your dildo you would know but probably would have gagged from the smell so the the dildo is better IMO. Sinks usually don't clog fully instantly and give plenty of notice by draining slowly months before they finally clog. A little PM once a year or so with your plumbing "dildo" will prevent this in the future.
 
Yup, have to take the bathroom sinks & shower drain apart every year or two and clean out all the hair and whatnot. Man that stuff stinks.

That black flaky stuff probably mold.
 
I will do the water thing tonight.

When re assembled, there is a J bend off the bottom pipe that goes back into the wall.
The black rubber pipe connects to a smaller PVC pipe in the wall.
I can always hear air in that sink so I had thought maybe it was going to one of those PVC roof pipes but then I recall in my last house an A/C guy mentioning those drain pans join up at one of the bathroom sinks. This would make more sense and explain why I hear air.

It is really strange there is no overflow. It just spills over onto the floor.

I tried a snake but I think I got it something like 20 feet in and retrieved nothing.

I think everyone should have one of those rubber water dongs. That thing is awesome.
(except at first I didn't get it in all the way and I turned the hose on from the outside and when I came back to the bathroom it was like a water wiggle just having a party all over the bathroom.)
 
Haven't seen one of those black water dildo's before - anyone have a more google friendly name for it so I can add it to my toolbox? Amateur tip - I use one of those zip-it bath snares to fish out hair with good success. Funny how the ladies clog the drains but want nothing to do with that cleaning :-/
 
masloki said:
Haven't seen one of those black water dildo's before - anyone have a more google friendly name for it so I can add it to my toolbox?
Click to expand...

Think that's only in Bryan's toolbox, if ya know what I mean. ;)
 
masloki said:
Haven't seen one of those black water dildo's before - anyone have a more google friendly name for it so I can add it to my toolbox? Amateur tip - I use one of those zip-it bath snares to fish out hair with good success. Funny how the ladies clog the drains but want nothing to do with that cleaning :-/
Click to expand...

Shove it in a pipe. Turn the water on and it blows up to lock itself into the pipe.
Water comes out a small hole in the tip and the pressure blasts everything downstream.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Medium-Drain-Bladder-BC00332/100586170
 
Bryan can that thing be used for other, uh, you know, let's say other tasks? Save some money by skipping the Love Shack!
 
Bryan read one review and a guy did what I was thinking I'd do. A valve and another piece of hose that you can control at the drain. Saves you the trouble of running outside to turn the hose on and off.
 
Who here thinks 6PC needs to move to one a condo ith maintrenance people? LOL
mscard88 said:
Yup, have to take the bathroom sinks & shower drain apart every year or two and clean out all the hair and whatnot. Man that stuff stinks.

That black flaky stuff probably mold.
Click to expand...
Losing your hair? LOL
 
flhrci said:
Who here thinks 6PC needs to move to one a condo ith maintrenance people? LOL

Losing your hair? LOL
Click to expand...

Yup. Still covers the head though, the one above my neck.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I will do the water thing tonight.

When re assembled, there is a J bend off the bottom pipe that goes back into the wall.
The black rubber pipe connects to a smaller PVC pipe in the wall.
I can always hear air in that sink so I had thought maybe it was going to one of those PVC roof pipes but then I recall in my last house an A/C guy mentioning those drain pans join up at one of the bathroom sinks. This would make more sense and explain why I hear air.
Click to expand...

It sounds more and more like that A/C drain might be what you see attached. If you keep hearing air through that sink drain, you might consider adding another trap for that A/C drain. It's going to keep some amount of water trapped in it and act as a seal.

SixPapaCharlie said:
It is really strange there is no overflow. It just spills over onto the floor.
Click to expand...

None of our bathroom sinks have an overflow drain. Dunno why, they came with the house.

SixPapaCharlie said:
I tried a snake but I think I got it something like 20 feet in and retrieved nothing.

I think everyone should have one of those rubber water dongs. That thing is awesome.
(except at first I didn't get it in all the way and I turned the hose on from the outside and when I came back to the bathroom it was like a water wiggle just having a party all over the bathroom.)
Click to expand...

Some of those drain cleaner chemical blend things are optimized for hair, and some for "slow drains". By they time they get 20 feet down the line they might be too diluted though. If you were that far in, you might have been at some junction where several drains came together to create the perfect storm of 6PC DNA.
 
mscard88 said:
Bryan read one review and a guy did what I was thinking I'd do. A valve and another piece of hose that you can control at the drain. Saves you the trouble of running outside to turn the hose on and off.
Click to expand...

Where's the fun in that?

If you are going to be on the floor covered in the nastiest of the nastiest crap, you gotta find a way to make it fun and challenging.
 
I was in MCI (Kansas City Int'l) about a month ago. In one of the bathrooms a guy was snaking out a drain-line under a sink very much like 6PC had to do. That sludge is narsty.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Where's the fun in that?

If you are going to be on the floor covered in the nastiest of the nastiest crap, you gotta find a way to make it fun and challenging.
Click to expand...

Yeah we definitely think different. ;) :D

But I know why you like getting soaked like that. Showing off your 'man boobs' to the Mrs right?

man boobs.jpeg
 
Most sinks have overflows built into them. The overflow bypasses the stopper in case someone puts the stopper in, turns the water on and walks away. They drain through the same pipe and do nothing if that pipe is clogged.
 
I'm pretty sure that AC pipe should have it's own trap on it. The last thing you want is the sink trap to dry up and have sewer gas in your AC system.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
except at first I didn't get it in all the way and I turned the hose on from the outside and when I came back to the bathroom it was like a water wiggle just having a party all over the bathroom.
Click to expand...

The hardware store has adaptors so you can put your hose onto the outlet of your lav fixture. Double bennie is you can be there to stop the water before the device gets out of control and you can use hot water.

I have one troublesome drain (kitchen) with too many sharp bends so I have a pvc adapter to which I can attach the hose to in 3 minutes, blast the drain pipes with hot water, back in business in 10.
 
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