Sand/grout in laundry drain

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thestooge

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Hi all,

Struggling with sand or grout causing a slow draining laundry pipe, and I've tried a few things like hot water, cleaning products etc.

The drain is 50 mm PVC, and the blockage seems to be 5-6 m under a concrete slab, behind 3 90deg elbows. Not sure of the layout of the pipe, but there is another toilet and sink pipe that this pipe joins into further down under the slab somewhere. The toilet was suffering slow drainage and the sink was making bubbling noises, but I jetted the sink drain out which resolved those two issues.

I have tried jetting this drain out but water keeps backing up and the jetter stops moving forward. I purchased an amazon tube camera to see what's going on, and it looks like sand, but feels like really fine grout when pulling the jetter back out.

I have also tried poking with an electrical snake as well as pushing a smaller irrigation tube down to try and vacuum the sand out, but to no avail as they both get stuck at the second elbow. The only way to get so far down into the pipe is with the spring head, but even this is hard due to friction.

The house is about 10 years old, and looking back, some of the builders may have cleaned their tiling tools in the sink, or we may have washed sandy clothes in the washing machine and that has built up over time. I have a feeling the initial blockage is at the join where this pipe meets the other toilet/sink pipe, as they are flowing fine now but this pipe isn't. I havent tried the camera down the other sink drain yet. There is no a cleanout in the back garden, but I have tried jetting and poking there to no avail. There is no access to the actual culprit pipe, because it is under the house slab.

Any advice on how to tackle this? The pipe has been left to dry for weeks now as part of my plan to try vacuuming it out

Thanks!



sand in drain.jpeg
 

Sylvan

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Easiest way to clear cement /grout /packed grease etc. is to invest in a general clog chopper head.

Use once and it pays for itself. Just go very slowly to allow the cutters to cut through.

I use water jetting indoors all the time on kitchen waste line NEVER on grout or hair.

Water Jetting it ideal for soft stoppages, sand grease.

Once flow is established with a cable then water jet



 

christopherdbrown

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Hi all,

Struggling with sand or grout causing a slow draining laundry pipe, and I've tried a few things like hot water, cleaning products etc.

The drain is 50 mm PVC, and the blockage seems to be 5-6 m under a concrete slab, behind 3 90deg elbows. Not sure of the layout of the pipe, but there is another toilet and sink pipe that this pipe joins into further down under the slab somewhere. The toilet was suffering slow drainage and the sink was making bubbling noises, but I jetted the sink drain out which resolved those two issues.

I have tried jetting this drain out but water keeps backing up and the jetter stops moving forward. I purchased an amazon tube camera to see what's going on, and it looks like sand, but feels like really fine grout when pulling the jetter back out.

I have also tried poking with an electrical snake as well as pushing a smaller irrigation tube down to try and vacuum the sand out, but to no avail as they both get stuck at the second elbow. The only way to get so far down into the pipe is with the spring head, but even this is hard due to friction.

The house is about 10 years old, and looking back, some of the builders may have cleaned their tiling tools in the sink, or we may have washed sandy clothes in the washing machine and that has built up over time. I have a feeling the initial blockage is at the join where this pipe meets the other toilet/sink pipe, as they are flowing fine now but this pipe isn't. I havent tried the camera down the other sink drain yet. There is no a cleanout in the back garden, but I have tried jetting and poking there to no avail. There is no access to the actual culprit pipe, because it is under the house slab.

Any advice on how to tackle this? The pipe has been left to dry for weeks now as part of my plan to try vacuuming it out.
Old houses often create issues like these, last year i also bought an old house and don't know how i neglect its gutters and the home inspector also forgot to check them, my bad luck, i feel trouble when after a heavy rain my gutter were pouring water and i was thinking what' happening then i remind that i didn't clean out the gutters since purchased nor i inspect them, so next day i call gouttiere drummondville to clean out the blocked gutters, they came as scheduled and did a great job also they set me reminder for next inspection as the winter was knocking, so these old house have issues like these.

Thanks!



View attachment 102229
Agree with Sylvan on using general clog chopper head and water jetting for clearing softer blockages like grease and sand. Since you've already ruled out venting and basic clogs, trying a clog chopper head could be a good next step to clear any buildup in the lines. After that, water jetting could help remove grease or cement like blockages in the drains, especially if you're still experiencing slow drainage or sewer gas smells. Just make sure to go slow and avoid using high pressure on grout or hair buildup.
 
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jasperwkingsley

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Hi all,

Struggling with sand or grout causing a slow draining laundry pipe, and I've tried a few things like hot water, cleaning products etc.

The drain is 50 mm PVC, and the blockage seems to be 5-6 m under a concrete slab, behind 3 90deg elbows. Not sure of the layout of the pipe, but there is another toilet and sink pipe that this pipe joins into further down under the slab somewhere. The toilet was suffering slow drainage and the sink was making bubbling noises, but I jetted the sink drain out which resolved those two issues.

I have tried jetting this drain out but water keeps backing up and the jetter stops moving forward. I purchased an amazon tube camera to see what's going on, and it looks like sand, but feels like really fine grout when pulling the jetter back out.

I have also tried poking with an electrical snake as well as pushing a smaller irrigation tube down to try and vacuum the sand out, but to no avail as they both get stuck at the second elbow. The only way to get so far down into the pipe is with the spring head, but even this is hard due to friction.

The house is about 10 years old, and looking back, some of the builders may have cleaned their tiling tools in the sink, or we may have washed sandy clothes in the washing machine and that has built up over time. I have a feeling the initial blockage is at the join where this pipe meets the other toilet/sink pipe, as they are flowing fine now but this pipe isn't. I havent tried the camera down the other sink drain yet. There is no a cleanout in the back garden, but I have tried jetting and poking there to no avail. There is no access to the actual culprit pipe, because it is under the house slab.

Any advice on how to tackle this? The pipe has been left to dry for weeks now as part of my plan to try vacuuming it out

Thanks!



View attachment 102229
try suggestions by senior members and please post update, old houses have their own issues.
 
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