At one of my rental properties I noticed a broken ABS pipe. See Photo attached. It is mysterious how this part of the ABS has lost broken like this. This serves the waste line from a kitchen sink and from a laundry drain. Any ideas on what the cause might be? Thanks.
ABS pipe has broken off a piece
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Jeff H Young
In the Trades
hole in the side? Rats
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Oh really. There are no rats that I am aware of, but would they just chew off random ABS like this?
I do know that there is a high efficiency furnace in the basement whose condensate gets pumped up into the standpipe of the washer drain. The condensate is weak carbonic acid. Could that cause. ABS to corrode like this? This was all inspected and installed per city code. I am given to understand that schedule A ABS is not affected by weak acids and such?
GReynolds929
Active Member
That's not a broken pipe. It's a pipe chewed on by rodents, big ones...like a rat, or squirrel...usually a rat.
Fitter30
Well-Known Member
Look close with a flash lite should see teeth marks.
Fitter30
Well-Known Member
Dumped straight furnace condensate in abs for 30 years never had a problem.
Jeff H Young
In the Trades
Well its my guess its rats Thats what Ive seen befor
Do you neutralize the condensate before dumping into ABS?
Thanks everyone. You were all correct it was chewed on by rats. It wasn't just this, they chewed on a PVC line feeding out of the water heater pan, a 1/2" PEX sending up condensate into the washer standpipe and the 2" ABS serving a kitchen sink. This obviously caused a whole huge mess but has now been taken care of.
What's the most effective rodent abatement treatment you would recommend. The house is just 4/5 years new and all the crawl vents etc are tight and there are no open areas that a visual inspection leads to.
What's the most effective rodent abatement treatment you would recommend. The house is just 4/5 years new and all the crawl vents etc are tight and there are no open areas that a visual inspection leads to.
Breplum
Licensed plumbing contractor
Acidic condensate is fine on ABS, the main issue with acidic condensate would be if there are any metal pipes nearby that connect to it, because acidic waste will eat away at cast iron. Photo is a enameled floor sink without neutralizer, where the condensate ate the enamel and is melting away the cast iron now.
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Fitter30
Well-Known Member
Would give them a tasty treat.
Rat poison block mice can get through a 1/4" rats less than 1" hole
Rat poison block mice can get through a 1/4" rats less than 1" hole
Jeff H Young
In the Trades
Id set traps and plug the openings . High dollar investment are you DIY and do everything your self ? kinda figured you might have other things to do but what fun it is to deal with contractors and pest control and pay those guys
Thanks, that is a very illustrative example. Non neutralized Condensate from the furnace is pumped up through a 1/2" PEX into an ABS standpipe. There is no metal in this pathway. Is PEX pipe affected by non neutralized condensate?
It is a headache dealing with the different trades. Thankfully I am DIY and saw the plumbing when it was installed - from ground up, so I know where is what. It helps to keep pictured from before the time that drywall went on!
Breplum
Licensed plumbing contractor
Snap traps that are on a wire or string attached to a fixed point are the preferred abatement method to protect raptors from eating contaminated rodents.
Abatement pros usually leave lots of un-sprung traps the first few days before setting the trap, to lull the rodents into a false sense of security.
You definitely have a ingress source, whether you can find it or not.
Abatement pros usually leave lots of un-sprung traps the first few days before setting the trap, to lull the rodents into a false sense of security.
You definitely have a ingress source, whether you can find it or not.
Jeff H Young
In the Trades
Well I did have rats chewing holes in ac conenstate lines and p traps in side dry wall cieling oon model homes that were around 2 years old from being built but never lived in to show prospctive buyers, when they sold the house and began testing things there was leaks. So even on a new house they get in. good luck on it I can understand DIY vector control has tips , and I like Breplum suggestion try baiting a bunch of traps but dont set the first time sounds like a winner , I dont like poison because of the stink I dont know all the tricks
For the life of me we couldn't find any Agras that they could possibly enter from. But obviously they are getting on somehow. I dod bait the place with traps just like you suggested.
please also let me know if untreated condensate is okay through PEX pipe? I really don't want to put a neutralizer inline if I can get away without installing it and another thing to maintain/
Jeff H Young
In the Trades
Id check with manufacture of pipe and possibly your sewer authority but I wouldnt think that lkittle bit could hurt them.
