Odd plumbing problem

[Alpo]

I'm not the guy hassling little old ladies in Wal-Mart. That was you, wasn't it?

 

[ditcherman]

How much bacon fat you run through your drain tiles, bub?

In the kitchen, all of it. Everything goes into the disposal and into the septic tank, via all my lines including the leach field that are above the frost line.
And there’s plenty of trash and stubble not to mention a little soil that goes through the farm tiles that are generally on a tenth of a percent grade, 1’ per 100’, and that will work for 100 years or more.
On grade or not blocked are the keys here, bub.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I'm not the guy hassling little old ladies in Wal-Mart. That was you, wasn't it?

Telling someone "No thank you, have a nice day" isnt harrasing. They're the one harassing me and preventing me from peaceably going about my business if anything.

I'm sorry, was one of those old folks you?

 

[Alpo]

LOL

 

[femurphy77]

 

[Cameramonkey]

Ugh. Its never ending.

I was informed that the bathroom sink upstairs was clogged. With 2 females, its typically a clog wrapped around the plunger lever. Nope. Pulled the trap. Nope. Past the Union as it goes into the wall. Nope. Ran a toilet snake as far as i could. Nope. Wherever it was, it was in the lateral behind the wall.

On a whim I put it all back together and hooked up the wet vac to the drain. Sure enough, I pulled a hairball the volume of an italian sausage.

Hopefully I'm done for a while.

Now it you'll excuse me, I have to go to walmart and hassle the old folk.

 

[Alpo]

See. Your problem isn't plumbing. It's females.

 

[ultra...good]

I'd guess that being an older house the building standards weren't well developed and they didn't dig their lines deep enough.

I have seen this issue in older buildings but we could never figure it out. Also never spent much time trying. But I have seen it.

If a sewer line only slows when it is cold, there can be a few things happening. Most common is that there is a belly, or an area of negative pitch where the water can pool up. Properly pitched sewer lines were at 1/4" per foot until recently, they are half that now. If pipe is not below the frost line, then that standing water freezes. Also, if not below the frost line, the ground can heave and change the pitch of the pipe.

I have only had one problem with sewer lines because of cold in about 25 years of residential construction, and that was drain tile on a septic field freezing up. Simple fix, brought in a bunch of topsoil and buried it deeper.

In the winter of 13-14, the temperature was below 0 for over a month. Not the daily low temperature, the high temperature. My mothers garage door would not close. The concrete floor heaved so far up that the garage door would not go down far enough to hit the limit switch. I adjusted it and when the ground re-settled in the spring there was a gap under the door, about an inch and a half. Things you do not think about until you have to deal with them.

 

[ultra...good]

This is why I'm an electrician and not a plumber. That and I've never opened a junction box and found it full of

Friend of mines wife owns a dog grooming business. An outlet stopped working so she calls an electrician. He opens the box and it is packed with dog hair. All of the electrical boxes in the shop were. No idea why the hair is attracted to the boxes, but it is. It is now on a list of regular maintenance to remove the outlet and switch covers and vacuum out the boxes.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Friend of mines wife owns a dog grooming business. An outlet stopped working so she calls an electrician. He opens the box and it is packed with dog hair. All of the electrical boxes in the shop were. No idea why the hair is attracted to the boxes, but it is. It is now on a list of regular maintenance to remove the outlet and switch covers and vacuum out the boxes.

Negative pressure in the walls due to HVAC would be my guess. Ive got a similar issue at my kitchen light switch. My return plenum is a void in that wall about 4' away, but they didnt seal the studs to the drywall. So it draws in some air around the switch. Granted I dont have to remove much hair, but it does get rather dusty and fuzzy around the switch plate.

 

[dudley0]

Properly pitched sewer lines were at 1/4" per foot until recently, they are half that now.

So now the pitch is 1/8" per foot? Wow, I was always afraid that 1/4" wouldn't be enough. When did they change the code?

 

[CHCRandy]

I have a weird electrical problem or it may be a plumbing problem, not sure. Every time I try to turn on the light by my kitchen sink.....I start hearing this terrible growling and grinding sound coming from the sink. Sounds like a daggone badger or wolverine. Any thoughts?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I have a weird electrical problem or it may be a plumbing problem, not sure. Every time I try to turn on the light by my kitchen sink.....I start hearing this terrible growling and grinding sound coming from the sink. Sounds like a daggone badger or wolverine. Any thoughts?

 

[ditcherman]

I have a weird electrical problem or it may be a plumbing problem, not sure. Every time I try to turn on the light by my kitchen sink.....I start hearing this terrible growling and grinding sound coming from the sink. Sounds like a daggone badger or wolverine. Any thoughts?

I think you're looking for the Mr. Obvious forum
watch

 

[ditcherman]

So now the pitch is 1/8" per foot? Wow, I was always afraid that 1/4" wouldn't be enough. When did they change the code?

I was told that too much pitch and the solids get left behind. Just repeating what I've heard.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I have a weird electrical problem or it may be a plumbing problem, not sure. Every time I try to turn on the light by my kitchen sink.....I start hearing this terrible growling and grinding sound coming from the sink. Sounds like a daggone badger or wolverine. Any thoughts?

have you tried reaching in to see if you can set him free?

 

[WebSnyper]

have you tried reaching in to see if you can set him free?

Just make sure you turn on the light switch before or while sticking your hand in there, so you can see what you are doing. I know that growl sounds bad, but I'm sure it is all bark and no bite.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I’m not sure which was better. This bit or the broken dishwasher one.

 

[ultra...good]

So now the pitch is 1/8" per foot? Wow, I was always afraid that 1/4" wouldn't be enough. When did they change the code?

I was told that too much pitch and the solids get left behind. Just repeating what I've heard.

That is what I was told also.
Not sure when the code for pitch changed, but I was told that by a master plumber 5, maybe 6 years ago.

 

[dudley0]

Yeah I always fought with the too much verses too little pitch. When I ran waste lines for my place I made a little wedge to go on the end of my level to help me stay accurate.

But then when you go from one floor to the next it is just a straight drop down. How do the solids and the water stay together then? It seems to work as I got the second potty going upstairs and had to field test it to be sure.