how to stop fats clogging up the pipes/drain?

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Batman

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#282744 9-Mar-2021 14:34

so every few years the sewer pipe that gets the stuff from our dishwasher/sink drains into clogs up with fat.

we don't go and pour tubs of fat down the sink, just whatever that is rinsed off the dishes and can't be scraped off the pots.

any ideas how to remedy this?

i don't suppose those NaOH drain unblockers is a good idea once in a while?

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#2670491 9-Mar-2021 14:46

I run a dishwasher cleaner tablet every now and then, I've not had the dishwasher pipe clog up. I tend to rinse anything fatty / oils before it goes into the dishwasher. Do you do hot washes? That tends to dissolve fat better.

I have had our sewer pipe the dishwasher discharges to block recently, and found that the pipe had broken probably due to either age or a tree root. That took 4 days to fix and was fairly expensive as it involved digging through a lot of concrete. Don't bury your utilities under industrial strength concrete...

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#2670496 9-Mar-2021 14:59

the dishwasher pipe is not the pipe that's blocked.

it's the sewer pipe that the dishwasher and sink discharges to.

i've amended my post.

rinsing all the fat into the pipe is what's causing it to block i guess

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#2670502 9-Mar-2021 15:06

This has happened to me. Yet to find a solution.. but wiping away the excess oil/fat with a tissue slows the problem down...

MikeB4

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#2670506 9-Mar-2021 15:25

Simply do not put fats down the drain at all not even rinsing before putting utensils in the washing machine . Fats are cholesterol for pipes and arteries alike. Drain as much fat as possible into a container like an old jar or tin and dispose of in the general waste. Wipe any remaining fats off pots, pans, dishes etc with a paper towel before washing. Dispose of the paper towel in general waste.

Every so often treat the drains with fat eating treatments available at Bunnings and Mitre 10

This is the product we use and it really does the job

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/drain-clean-liquid-enzyme-1-litre-printed/p/227825

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

timmmay

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#2670512 9-Mar-2021 15:31

I put draino down the various sinks occasionally, I wonder if that is accidentally helping with this problem.

Fred99

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#2670517 9-Mar-2021 15:38

It might be able to be water-blasted by a drainlayer / drain cleaning company. (they use a 360 deg nozzle at the end of flexible hose). Maybe get it inspected in case something's causing issues. I got all our sewers and stormwater inspected and cleaned after quakes to check for damage, cost was about $200 all up (8 or 9 years ago, so will probably be a bit more now.

Caustic soda should be okay, but it's only going to work if it's in contact with the blockage long enough to saponify the congealed fats.

I wonder if the new "more child-safe" formulas used for dishwash machine powder/tablets exacerbate the problem with "fat-bergs" etc. They used to use sodium metasilicate which was far more caustic than the sodium disilicate that's been used over the past decade or so, I think legally they can't use the metasilicate in retail dishwash detergents any more, too many kids ended up with life-threatening injuries.

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timmmay

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#2670519 9-Mar-2021 15:41

Fred99:

It might be able to be water-blasted by a drainlayer / drain cleaning company. (they use a 360 deg nozzle at the end of flexible hose). Maybe get it inspected in case something's causing issues. I got all our sewers and stormwater inspected and cleaned after quakes to check for damage, cost was about $200 all up (8 or 9 years ago, so will probably be a bit more now.

Part of the problem I had recently was the camera for the plumber got stuck in an old style drain under the concrete. That was one reason he had to dig up the concrete, second reason was to fix the actual problem. So with older houses be a bit careful with this.

neb

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#2670521 9-Mar-2021 15:42

Fred99:
It might be able to be water-blasted by a drainlayer / drain cleaning company. (they use a 360 deg nozzle at the end of flexible hose).

You can also DIY it if you feel like it with auger attachments that are driven by an electric drill, may be cheaper if it's a recurring problem.

ratsun81

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#2670525 9-Mar-2021 15:46

Baking soda and 10% Concentrate White Vinegar will help out for unclogging and cleaning.

neb

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#2670527 9-Mar-2021 15:48

MikeB4:
Every so often treat the drains with fat eating treatments available at Bunnings and Mitre 10 This is the product we use and it really does the job

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/drain-clean-liquid-enzyme-1-litre-printed/p/227825

Do you have a feel for how it compares with the generic Mr.Muscle drain unblocker? I'm always suspicious of the claims for this sort of stuff, for the "live bacteria that have been selected for their appetite for fats, grease, oils and soap scum" they'd have to remain in contact with the material for a long period of time to break down any volume of it, like days or weeks. If you look at the MSDS the main ingredients are surfactants and solvents, which is almost identical to their generic drain cleaner which just substitutes sodium hydroxide and has a lot less surfactants.

timmmay

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#2670529 9-Mar-2021 15:48

neb:
Fred99:

It might be able to be water-blasted by a drainlayer / drain cleaning company. (they use a 360 deg nozzle at the end of flexible hose).

You can also DIY it if you feel like it with auger attachments that are driven by an electric drill, may be cheaper if it's a recurring problem.

Does that actually work? The ones the professionals use have pretty good sized motors, sometimes truck mounted, with a cable an inch thick.

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Batman

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#2670532 9-Mar-2021 15:53

Yes it works. Every couple of years they come and blast the crap out of that drain. And I get accused of pouring fat into the pipe by the guys who clear it.

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#2670534 9-Mar-2021 15:54

ratsun81:
Baking soda and 10% Concentrate White Vinegar will help out for unclogging and cleaning.

I haven't done chemistry for a while but doesn't the acid react with the base and neutralises each other?

andrewNZ

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#2670538 9-Mar-2021 16:03

I suspect the cause of this is likely the lack of warm soapy water being run through the pipes. Back when everyone washed by hand, there was a lot more warm detergent laden water going down the drain. Detergent does a pretty good job of breaking up the fat in the sink and letting it flush properly.

The main issue I have isn't fat, it's just general bits of waste that never get fully flushed and settle in the pipes. I'm pretty sure it's a result of not enough water to flush it through.

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#2670541 9-Mar-2021 16:07

Batman: Yes it works. Every couple of years they come and blast the crap out of that drain. And I get accused of pouring fat into the pipe by the guys who clear it.

Is there any chance it is something else and not fat? Perhaps some hand made cleaning product you get from a farmers market, or some regularly used beauty product or something that is making its way into the pipes and congealing.

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