# what are they putting down there?



## bct p&h (Jan 19, 2013)

Let me start off by saying this, I don't do drain cleaning. The most I'll do is auger a toilet or pull a hair clog from a shower. I have no desire to clean drains and I don't have the proper equipment to do so. I do respect the people that do it though.
Yesterday I got a call from a major fast food chain. They said both men's room lavs were clogged and the drain cleaning guy couldn't get it cleared because he believes it was piped with a double tee wye, double san tee for some of you. His cable wouldn't drop and it kept getting stuck. They asked me to open up the wall and cut in a dandi then put an access panel in.
Long story short, ot wasn't what he thought. Both sinks went into the slab independently. I cut in the two clean outs and told the manager to call back his drain cleaner.
My question is, what could they be dumping down both hand sinks to cause this? Both risers were clogged solid with this. It has the consistency of thick mud. I had to use threaded rod to clear it out of the pieces I took out.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Soap, hand grunge, cleaning supplies from employees, mop water dumped in the lavs, crap falling down the vents, a few backups of sludge from the building drains, and cast iron pipe.

Perfect storm which did not happen over night. It has been giving them problems for years and has compounded because of not really being cleaned and flushed out....ever.


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

Looks like a fun line to jet. Make sure the floor drain works before you do it though lol


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## bct p&h (Jan 19, 2013)

If I told you which fast food chain this was you wouldn't think cleaning supplies would be used haha
The vents don't go straight up. The sink on the left 90s to the right, picks up the sink on the right and keeps going horizontal to the main vent stack. I'm not saying it's impossible for things to fall down the vent and end up there but it is highly unlikely.
Like I said, I don't do drain cleaning so I'm not sure how they are going to tackle it. The floor drain and fco covers have both been replaced with diamond plate. Not sure if it was an attempt at replacing damaged covers or what. I have no idea if the floor drain works.
The idea I have is the main has a slight clog causing it to back up into the sink drains whenever a lot of water goes down and the floor drain is plugged solid so it wouldn't come out of there.
The store is getting to the age where the corporation is going to force the owner into a major remodel or a completely new building. Hopefully it turns into a new building because they don't replace drains until the board of health sees water bubbling up from the slab.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

I see it all the time on lavs with cast iron.  It all boils down to not enough water.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Love those low flow aerators and sensor faucets that keep shutting off....:thumbup:

Green Plumbing puts Green In My Wallet!:yes:


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## Shoot'N'Plumber (Apr 27, 2013)

Redwood said:


> Love those low flow aerators and sensor faucets that keep shutting off....:thumbup:
> 
> Green Plumbing puts Green In My Wallet!:yes:


Yup! I do a lot of fast food restaurants and when I take them over I see the lines looking like that from years of low flow faucets and $65 hole pokin drain cleaning. With an arsenal of drain equipment and years of skill those lines can be cleared and cleaned. 

I've got a restaurant that I've really gotten aggressive with low water use and was very clear that the lines will need more frequent maintenance cleaning to prevent this.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Any auto repair shops close by that frequent the place? I worked as a three phase electric winder for a few years and that gunk would build up at the shop like crazy. Of course having the background I was tasked to clean it with the POS equipment the boss would rent.

There is a big difference between MI and say SoCal and Arizona when it comes to water supply... generally speaking, we have plenty of water, the real cost is waste treatment and overflow prevention into the rivers. 

As a drain cleaner I tell customers that the more water flowing through their drain lines the better.

One up-sell you could make is Bio-Clean. Tell the manager to have them treat the lines after closing once a week or so and adjust accordingly. I'm sure they provide anti-bacterial soap, which, from what I've seen, can cause extra build up. I had one restaurant customer who had to have their line cabled and even jetted once and sometimes twice a year. They started using it and our business with them dropped, but they stayed loyal because of it.... win/loose situation.


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