# Beware of Pumpkin



## Kevan (Jul 5, 2010)

If you don't count construction junk like concrete or adhesives, the absolute worst stoppage I've ever encountered in a 2" line has been *pumpkin*.

It happens at this time of year, of course. The hapless homeowner just wants the shell to carve for a jack-o-lantern and the entire mass of pumpkin guts goes through the disposal.

I've hit clogs that seemed to be twenty feet long. You run the cable back and forth, again and again, and the junk won't flow. I've run such lines repeatedly from the roof with the kitchen sink full of water and a rag on the end of the cable and _still_ had a devil of a time finally getting the line to clear. The stuff will move some, then dam up again. Wretched.

Ordinarily I charge a flat rate, but I have to quote pumpkin by the hour. There's no telling how long it might take.

What's been your experience? Ever hit pumpkin?


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## PlungerJockey (Feb 19, 2010)

I've never hit pumpkin. I had a serious bout with some eggplant a few years back.


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## UnclogNH (Mar 28, 2009)

Oh yes the pumpkin or the pasta and draino mix. 
Cable takes to long. 1200-1500 psi electric jetter with 1/8 trap hose and laser tip a bucket to catch water jet in short blasts to control water filling bucket till your past the clog then let her have it full blast work back and forth.

Next month is "Brown Thursday" Thanksgiving day kitchen sink clogs galore :thumbsup:
Corn husk is a PITA also.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

I'm going to charge 30% more this year for drain cleaning. If I don't get the calls... I don't really care.

Every drain call I do...it seems like it is never enough for paying to work in that bad stuff.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Never ran into a pumpkin but it could never be as bad as a whole container of metamusal. That stuff turns into jell when it hits water. You could sit there for days running the snake or jetter it just sticks to the pipe.


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## Kevan (Jul 5, 2010)

Eggplant, corn husk, Metamucil -- these are all new to me, but they sound like they'd take the prize. Especially Metamucil.

For some reason, I've hit many more kitchen sink stoppages on Jewish holidays than on Thanksgiving. Even when I was with Roto-Rooter and did drains exclusively, I distinctly remember watching for a "Thanksgiving Boost" in kitchen sink lines that never appeared.


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## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

About a month ago I had a 2" line FULL of squash :laughing:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

The worst drain line stoppage in my humble opinion is un-cooked rice dumped down the disposal. One time a nice couple did this because the rice in their cupboard had little bugs in it. So they dumped a few pounds down the drain. After it plugged up they called for the plumber. I believe at the time I had a Spartan 300. I broke the PVC drain line under the sink trying to clear that stinking clog. Finally got it clear, reprimanded the nice people by asking if they learned anything that day, :laughing: then packed up and left.

Some time later while watching the Discovery channel, I was watching a show about the Great Wall of China. The narrator stated that scientists for many years couldn't explain why the mortar between the bricks has lasted for centuries without crumbling or cracking. His answer was that the scientists discovered the chinamen's secret: they added un-cooked rice to the mortar!!


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## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

"I believe at the time I had a Spartan 300."


What size cable were you running ?


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

AssTyme said:


> "I believe at the time I had a Spartan 300."
> 
> 
> What size cable were you running ?


 
I don't recall, it was a while back, like 8 or 9 yrs ago. Probably 1/2" or thereabouts.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

OldSchool said:


> Never ran into a pumpkin but it could never be as bad as a whole container of metamusal. That stuff turns into jell when it hits water. You could sit there for days running the snake or jetter it just sticks to the pipe.


I've been there and done that one! 
It was about like RTV Silicone but didn't adhere to the pipe as well...

A couple of others round out the top 3...

A 5 gallon pail of cooked rice dumped into a commercial garbage disposer in a kitchen at a country club...

A bag of hamster food dumped into a disposer...


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## Plumbducky (Jun 12, 2010)

No pumpkin, but have to agree with cooked rice in a comm kitchen.
Worst in a residential setting was a Kohler Triest, where they plugged up all three drains and the horizontal with pea husks. Seemed like it took forever.


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## UnclogNH (Mar 28, 2009)

Had a badger 5 with a 4 LB lobster jammed in it. What a waste his son was a lobster men and his dad already ate one the night before this one was left in the fridge over night. Dam I would have waved the service fee to relocate that lobster into my pot.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Kevan said:


> If you don't count construction junk like concrete or adhesives, the absolute worst stoppage I've ever encountered in a 2" line has been *pumpkin*.
> 
> It happens at this time of year, of course. The hapless homeowner just wants the shell to carve for a jack-o-lantern and the entire mass of pumpkin guts goes through the disposal.
> 
> ...


When the weather's hot and sticky, that's not the time for dunkin' dicky,
but when the frost is on the punkin', that's the time for dicky dunkin'.


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## retired rooter (Dec 31, 2008)

I once had a time with a bottle of pills(metamucal?) to make you think that your tummy is full so you wont eat so much.A lady got so bloated she got scared and poured the bottle down the disposal.It was just like jello.I finally got it open with my small general jetter , boy what a mess!!!!!


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## rrman (Oct 29, 2008)

*2nd year apprentis*

Hook up the wet vac after running the cable.Run water ,cable, vac.Ive sucked a out blobs of pulled pork ,and also filled the vac up w/rice etc.


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## john_mccormack (Feb 27, 2010)

About the worst I've run into was a woman that decided the box of instant mashed potatoes were too old to use. An entire box down the disposal followed by copious amounts of hot water. I actually considered going in the basement and cutting the entire 1 1/2" drain out and replacing it! Got it cleared with Rigid Drain Cleaner with 25 foot line. All I had in the van.

The worst I heard about was my old boss on Nantucket who got a call for a clogged kitchen drain in a summer rental: an entire Blue Fish down the garbage disposal and sitting for a couple of days. Weeks later he swore he could still smell it.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

john_mccormack said:


> About the worst I've run into was a woman that decided the box of instant mashed potatoes were too old to use. An entire box down the disposal followed by copious amounts of hot water. I actually considered going in the basement and cutting the entire 1 1/2" drain out and replacing it! Got it cleared with Rigid Drain Cleaner with 25 foot line. All I had in the van.
> 
> The worst I heard about was my old boss on Nantucket who got a call for a clogged kitchen drain in a summer rental: an entire Blue Fish down the garbage disposal and sitting for a couple of days. Weeks later he swore he could still smell it.


Thats pretty nasty!
Though I suppose a bunch of bunker would have been worse...:laughing:


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