The gardening plumber

[DirtMechanic]

An upstairs drain clogged up, so my hall bathtub and the master toilet would not drain. DW has a sister arriving in a couple weeks so the husbandly maintenance duties have notched up a level anyway, and naturally this happens on a Sunday which is the worst day possible since plumbing speciality trade stores are closed. This line is adjacent to the vent so my access was poor, and I did not want to reset a toilet or deal with a power snake anyway so I was hoping to find some draino or acid in the closet but no such luck. The only thing I had that was close to pro grade strength was a gallon of 30% agricultural vinager. I poured it in the toilet which was downline of the tub. Into the tub drain went the baking soda. You know the risks right? It could have been a sewage shower. Anyway the slowly draining vinager from the downstream toilet got hit from behind with the slowly draining tub water full of baking soda, and the action started. The toilet started a regular bubbling, but nothing really happened. I went into the bath and put a hand held shower wand to the tub drain to force more baking soda into the acid. That worked! Bloop! The drains all gurgled and everything went at once! I never got a chance to try the vinager on weeds! Definitely ordering more though, it works on drains!

 

[SienaMeyer]

If the drain pipe is not installed according to technology, for example, with a wrong angle, over time sediment will accumulate in the pipe and clogs will occur. Lack of adequate flush ventilation also leads to clogging of the drain.

 

[DirtMechanic]

If the drain pipe is not installed according to technology, for example, with a wrong angle, over time sediment will accumulate in the pipe and clogs will occur. Lack of adequate flush ventilation also leads to clogging of the drain.

Time...in the 1970s cast iron pipe was cut and joined with rubber sleeves that had a metal sheath that was clamped around them. Not only does the metal rust over decades but the very joints were broken with tight chain clamps and are jagged as hell. You are correct however, the plumbers here have a saying that stuff runs downhill and payday is on friday.