My 86 year-old neighbor flagged me down today to get me to look at a drainage problem:
His dishwasher (about a year- old Kitchenaid) drains into a standpipe in the wall, similar to a washing machine drain. He’s been getting overflow behind the dishwasher and only noticed it because he saw moisture on the stemwall outside (not good!).
Further discussion revealed that he had a similar problem with his washing machine a couple of weeks ago which is about 25 feet upstream on the primary waste line. He says he solved that by running a blast of water down the washer drain with the nozzle he uses to wash down his milking parlor.
His house (nice place, well built) is vintage 1952 with cast iron waste pipe. His shower, bathtub, toilets, etc. all drain fine, he says.
My suspicion is that he has a build up of gunk or scale or both or other in his main waste line. I’ve seen those older pipes really get clogged up out here but don’t quite know how to advise him.
Is there a product available like Drano on steroids that would clear the pipes (if that indeed is the problem)? Should he just replace the pipe or have it rooted out?
The old guy can afford a proper repair, but his wife is laid up with a bad knee and he’s the chief cook and bottle washer and I’d like to just get him headed in the right direction. Suggestions?
Replies
FWIW: Sound like his wife used to scrape the dishes, he just plops 'em in the DishW. - crud accumulates fast.
Clogged trap? Try sticking air nozzle from compressor into vacuum break outlet to clear - be sure Dish W door is closed!.
As well as what Junkhound said, clean the screen inside the dishwasher. And to solve the problem of overflow can you hard plumb the drain to the stand pipe? Usually an adaptor or two and a couple of pipe clamps does the job.
My friend recently had to call a plumber to clear the line of accumulated lint downstream from the washing machine.
(It had never been checked for this before during the 20 years he lived in the house, which was built in the 1950s.)
His kitchen drains were affected by this problem.
His baths, on a different drain path, were not affected.
Plumber dig into the ground and tapped in a cleanout access.
Also, roots protruding into drain tiles can become lint traps.
I saw a plumber use "drano on steroids" on a "tough to access" in-wall urinal drain some months back. Don't know what the stuff was called, but he had to go to a plumbing supply place to get it. Came in two parts like epoxy. You mix um together and pour down the drain. Got the trap too hot to touch. So be careful.
Also ask the old guy about scraping dishes. I just put in a new dishwasher, and it actually says that you don't have to scrape any food etc off the dishes......problem is they don't mention in the instructions exactly who will be coming out to clear my lines a few years down the road. I had to replace my 40 yr old drain lines (2.5" galv lines with only about a 3/8" diameter hole left on the bottom for drainage. Having done that once, I scrape the dishes, and sometimes even run water on them. Can't hurt, and it sure beats tearing out the drain lines again.
Thanks, guys!
I suggested to the ole guy this morn that he get a plumber with a camera to check the line...sure enough, he had about an inch of clearance left in that waste line and they rooted it out in about 30 minutes.
I'll mention to him about scraping the dishes! (That will take his mind off his shoulders that are sore from bucking hay! 86 years old and he still has a few dark hairs amongst the gray!)