Laundry Detergent to the Rescue! - Plumbing Zone

Kevan · 07-22-2010, 01:24 AM

Today I was running a 3/8" cable down a 1-1/2" galvanized vent and hit a rusted-up 90 that hadn't seen a cable in fifty years. I fought that thing for an hour in the bright Memphis sun and finally went downstairs to drink water, cool off, and think about it.

"My old friend laundry detergent!"

I poured some liquid laundry detergent into a Coke bottle and cut it 50% with water and carried it back up. Poured it in a little at a time and I turned that 90 within two minutes.

Is anybody else a fan of the stuff?

affordabledrain · 07-22-2010, 03:04 AM

I have heard of that working for others also. I try not to get stuck. But Like every one that does this. It happens. I keep dawn and sun on the truck for just that reason.
I had one get stuck in a urinal line once. man was that a mess. Had to cut the cable and pull like a tug boat to get it unstuck.

Tommy plumber · 08-11-2010, 11:33 PM

Hey thanks for the tip. I am an inexperienced drain cleaner, I need all the help I can get. I saw in Ridgid catalog an auger head that is shaped like the letter "H". It goes down a collapsed line and it's supposed to come back out by worming its way back through collapsed section. I need to get that one. Ridgid calls it 'saw tooth cutter'.

Kevan · 08-12-2010, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tommy plumber

I need to get that one. Ridgid calls it 'saw tooth cutter'.

For sixty bucks??? You might start another thread and get some experienced guys to weigh in on the question, but I, myself, (and this is just one man's opinion) would never run that thing down a line. I tried a lot of whiz-bang doo-dads like that back in '91-'92 and I always got hung up, broke the cable, and lost the sucker.

In my opinion, they don't work; they're made to sell.

Tommy plumber · 08-13-2010, 01:26 AM

Kevan, thanks for response. I don't do enough drain cleaning. I hold my breath when I hear RPM's drop on my machine. If I can get the line open and get my cable back, then I jump in the air and click my heels together like an irish leprechaun doing the Irish jig!

Aussieplumber · 08-13-2010, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevan

Today I was running a 3/8" cable down a 1-1/2" galvanized vent and hit a rusted-up 90 that hadn't seen a cable in fifty years. I fought that thing for an hour in the bright Memphis sun and finally went downstairs to drink water, cool off, and think about it.

"My old friend laundry detergent!"

I poured some liquid laundry detergent into a Coke bottle and cut it 50% with water and carried it back up. Poured it in a little at a time and I turned that 90 within two minutes.

Is anybody else a fan of the stuff?

Thats an old Gal pipe. On our old houses over here we just replace the the pipe with pvc. Fixes the job up for the next 20 years and its quicker than clearing the drain. But where I live most houses that age are off the ground.

Kevan · 08-14-2010, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aussieplumber

On our old houses over here we just replace the the pipe with pvc.

Here, the vents are within the walls, so if we replaced a vent pipe, the reconstructive carpentry would cost more than the time spent cabling.

07-22-2010, 01:24 AM	#1
Kevan Plumb Good Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Memphis Posts: 95 My Photos	Laundry Detergent to the Rescue! Today I was running a 3/8" cable down a 1-1/2" galvanized vent and hit a rusted-up 90 that hadn't seen a cable in fifty years. I fought that thing for an hour in the bright Memphis sun and finally went downstairs to drink water, cool off, and think about it. "My old friend laundry detergent!" I poured some liquid laundry detergent into a Coke bottle and cut it 50% with water and carried it back up. Poured it in a little at a time and I turned that 90 within two minutes. Is anybody else a fan of the stuff? __________________ Kevan "That'll hold it for now."

08-11-2010, 11:33 PM	#3
Tommy plumber Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 4,145 My Photos	Hey thanks for the tip. I am an inexperienced drain cleaner, I need all the help I can get. I saw in Ridgid catalog an auger head that is shaped like the letter "H". It goes down a collapsed line and it's supposed to come back out by worming its way back through collapsed section. I need to get that one. Ridgid calls it 'saw tooth cutter'. __________________ Hire a licensed master plumber.

08-13-2010, 01:26 AM	#5
Tommy plumber Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 4,145 My Photos	Kevan, thanks for response. I don't do enough drain cleaning. I hold my breath when I hear RPM's drop on my machine. If I can get the line open and get my cable back, then I jump in the air and click my heels together like an irish leprechaun doing the Irish jig! __________________ Hire a licensed master plumber.

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07-22-2010, 03:04 AM	#2
affordabledrain Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 158 My Photos	I have heard of that working for others also. I try not to get stuck. But Like every one that does this. It happens. I keep dawn and sun on the truck for just that reason. I had one get stuck in a urinal line once. man was that a mess. Had to cut the cable and pull like a tug boat to get it unstuck.