Plumbing – Drain Clearing
Day 19
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
POSSIBLE SERVICE CALLS:
• “My sink gurgles”
• “My sink wont drain”
• “My sink drains slow”
• “My toilet bubbles before it goes
down”
• “My kitchen sink fills when my
washer drains and then goes
away”
• “My tub drains slow”
Where do I start?
What do I do?
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
• Cleanout Covers, Flood-Safety Check Balls,
Water Alarms
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
• Cleanout Covers, Flood-Safety Check Balls,
Water Alarms
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
• Cleanout Covers, Flood-Safety Check Balls,
Water Alarms
• Plastic Sheeting, Drain Care Enzymes,
Citrus Cleaner
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
• Cleanout Covers, Flood-Safety Check Balls,
Water Alarms
• Plastic Sheeting, Drain Care Enzymes, Citrus
Cleaner
• 2-Way Cleanout, Fernco’s, Pop-up Plug
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
• Cleanout Covers, Flood-Safety Check Balls,
Water Alarms
• Plastic Sheeting, Drain Care Enzymes, Citrus
Cleaner
• 2-Way Cleanout, Fernco’s, Pop-up Plug
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
• Cleanout Covers, Flood-Safety Check Balls,
Water Alarms
• Plastic Sheeting, Drain Care Enzymes, Citrus
Cleaner
• 2-Way Cleanout, Fernco’s, Pop-up Plug
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• MATERIALS USED:
• Raised Plugs, Recessed Plugs, Compression
Plugs, Brass Plugs
• Cleanout Covers, Flood-Safety Check Balls,
Water Alarms
• Plastic Sheeting, Drain Care Enzymes, Citrus
Cleaner
• 2-Way Cleanout, Fernco’s, Pop-up Plug
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• Termination points:
• Public sewer
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• Termination points:
• Public sewer
• Private septic
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• First – Ask questions
• Do you children/any toys missing?
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• First – Ask questions
• Do you children/any toys missing?
• Do you have any pet toys missing?
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• First – Ask questions
• Do you children/any toys missing?
• Do you have any pet toys missing?
• Do you flush femanine products?
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• First – Ask questions
•
•
•
•
Do you children/any toys missing?
Do you have any pet toys missing?
Do you flush femanine products?
Do you use wipes?
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• First – Ask questions
•
•
•
•
•
Do you children/any toys missing?
Do you have any pet toys missing?
Do you flush femanine products?
Do you use wipes?
Do you save used oil/grease?
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• First – Ask questions
•
•
•
•
•
Do you children/any toys missing?
Do you have any pet toys missing?
Do you flush femanine products?
Do you use wipes?
Do you save used oil/grease?
• Second- check outside cleanout (if they
have one)
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• First – Ask questions
•
•
•
•
•
Do you children/any toys missing?
Do you have any pet toys missing?
Do you flush femanine products?
Do you use wipes?
Do you save used oil/grease?
• Second- check outside cleanout (if they
have one)
• Third – check crawlspace or piping
system (see what kind of pipes they
have) see if vents are obstructed, also
verify there are no waves in pipe and
that it has proper fall.
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• First – Ask questions
•
•
•
•
•
Do you children/any toys missing?
Do you have any pet toys missing?
Do you flush femanine products?
Do you use wipes?
Do you save used oil/grease?
• Second- check outside cleanout (if they
have one)
• Third – check crawlspace or piping
system (see what kind of pipes they
have) see if vents are obstructed, also
verify there are no waves in pipe and
that it has proper fall.
• Fourth – test up stream/down stream.
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• First – Ask questions
•
•
•
•
•
Do you children/any toys missing?
Do you have any pet toys missing?
Do you flush femanine products?
Do you use wipes?
Do you save used oil/grease?
• Second- check outside cleanout (if they have one)
• Third – check crawlspace or piping system (see
what kind of pipes they have) see if vents are
obstructed, also verify there are no waves in pipe
and that it has proper fall.
• Fourth – test up stream/down stream.
• Fifth – locate access point.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cleanout
Trap adaptor
Vent
Closet flange
Tub waste and overflow
Floor drain
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
• First – Ask questions
•
•
•
•
•
Do you children/any toys missing?
Do you have any pet toys missing?
Do you flush femanine products?
Do you use wipes?
Do you save used oil/grease?
• Second- check outside cleanout (if they have one)
• Third – check crawlspace or piping system (see
what kind of pipes they have) see if vents are
obstructed, also verify there are no waves in pipe
and that it has proper fall.
• Fourth – test up stream/down stream.
• Fifth – locate access point.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cleanout
Trap adaptor
Vent
Closet flange
Tub waste and overflow
Floor drain
Where Is The Blockage?
•
Inspect all accessible piping
•
Where water will or won’t drain
•
Add water upstream and
downstream and look for
changes in standing level
•
Cameras and Locaters
•
Outside Cleanouts
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
How Should I Access It?
• How Should I Access It?
• Look for cleanouts
• Trap removal
• Closet flange
• Floor drains
• Overflow Plate
• Size and Distance
DRAIN CLEARING/ RESTORING FLOW
What Should I Use?
• Plunger/Closet Auger
• Handheld Augers
• Cable Machines
• Rodder/Jetter
• Pressure Bag
Power jetter
Toilet• Could be mainline, branch or toilet only.
• Check outside cleanout.
• Check flow downstream.
• Check flow upstream.
• Check piping if accessible.
• Closet auger if toilet only.
• Recommend resetting with new wax.
Lavatory• Inspect piping in basement or crawl.
• Run water downstream.
• Run water upstream.
• Check pop-up and remove p-trap.
• Use handheld manual cable, handheld power
cable, or small drum machine.
• Replace p-trap and check for flow/leaks.
Tub• Inspect shoe and piping.
• Could be branch or mainline.
• Run water upstream.
• Run water downstream.
• Remove overflow plate to access.
• Use handheld manual cable, handheld power
cable, or small drum machine.
Shower• Inspect piping.
• Run water downstream.
• Run water upstream.
• Remove strainer plate to access.
• Use handheld manual cable, handheld power
cable, or small drum machine.
• Bucket test.
Drum Trap
• Drum trap cannot be cabled.
• May want or need to replace tub waste
as well.
• Commonly lead and brass.
• Picture p-trap in it’s place before you
cut- clearances can be tough here.
(Inverted drum?)
Kitchen• Inspect waste assembly and piping.
• Run water downstream.
• Run water upstream.
• Remove p-trap to access.
• Use handheld power cable, or small drum
machine- make sure cable turns down and isn't
heading up vent.
• Replace p-trap and check for flow/leaks.
Laundry• Could be mainline or branch.
• Inspect piping.
• Run water downstream.
• Run water upstream.
• Use handheld power cable, or small drum
machine.
• Run test load.
Mainline• Check outside cleanout.
• Run water upstream.
• Run water in cleanout.
• Pull toilet to access.
• Use large cable machine with right head.
• Televise with camera to verify and inspect.
Types of mainline failures
Main line
Orangeburg collapse
Roots in cast iron
Roots in terracotta clay
Televising/Locating• Push camera out to main tap.
• Pull back and watch closely.
• Look for imperfections.
• Locate problem areas.
• Use before you cable to gather info…
• Locate pole lines and find sonde in
between.
• Hover over to find depth.
Venting and Stoppages• Only a factor when high
volume, installation
errors or partial
blockages exist.
• Fairly uncommon.
• Drawing air vs. pushing
air.
• Gurgle, gurgle…
• Remove trap to allow air.
• Look down roof vent.
DRAIN REPAIRS
• PIPE BURST
RELINE