Clogged Pipes | Episode 009
Last Updated on April 7, 2020 by Tim Harman
Do you know how to tackle clogged pipes? On this week’s show we discussed how to keep those pipes flowin’ free. Join us as we talk backed-up toilets, sinks, bathtubs, and the dreaded main sewer line. Don’t let your first thought be calling the plumber. Do it yourself! You can, man.
We also welcomed a guest on the show – our good friend Matt. He recently dealt with a major main sewer line backup and tells us all about it. The above image is the powered snake from Harbor Freight Tools that Tim let Matt borrow.
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If you’re dealing with roots in your main sewer line, you may want to try regime of copper sulfate down your toilet. Provided, of course, you’ve already cleared the pipe. It’ll kill roots and hopefully prevent it from happening again. At the least, it should bide you some time before you have to bite the bullet and have that junk dug up. $$$
BONUS SEGMENT
Josh handled our bonus segment with two stories from India about men who were serious about digging. Listen in to hear the incredible stories of Dashrath Manjhi and Bapurao Tajne
image: Moral Heroes
image: Times of India
Very informative. A few tips from my own homeowner experience:
1. Bathtub–Buy a perforated cover/grate (cost usually <$5) to put atop the drain. It will trap most of the hair (and can just be wiped off), so the hair never gets down the drain to clog it up.
2. Sewer line:
a. An option that you didn't mention, that sometimes is worth trying first, is a sewer rob–essentially a flat spring steel tape, with a ball on the end. Available in multiple lengths (e.g., up to 50 ft). It is inserted into the line identically to the Harbor Freight power snake, but is manually moved forward and back against the clog. Sometimes, it can break through the clog (i.e., solve the problem). Even if it doesn't clear the clog, one can measure how much went in until the clog was encountered, and thereby locate the approximate location of where, in the sewer line, the problem is.
b. Orangeburg–This is a composition material, widely used in the 1950s and 1960s (not the same as PVC). It tends to break down over time, enabling roots to enter the line. The final failure of the pipe is when decomposition of the pipe causes it to collapse. At that point, obviously replacement of the line is the only solution.
Typo–Sewer rod, not sewer rob.
Thanks for tips, Edward!