Household Drains Backing Up

[bigston]

not the nicest topic, i know,
but, i do have a lot of hair, on my head, and yes there is a little, but it seems to be a mass of congealed soap.
it was the same at the rental place as well
never once had a problem back home ...
the thot plickens...

[Nereus]

You can buy a form of "Draino" here, Mr. Muscle brand. It comes in both a one shot packet, or a plastic bottle. The one shot is better if there are kids in the house. It eats hair, and you dont need to open anything. Just be careful tipping it down the hole, as it will spit back a bit when it hits the water in the trap. Leave it to soak a bit before flushing any water after it.

The problem is more to do with Thai plumbing, than anything else. Water runs up hill in Thailand, so has to be allowed for!

[bigston]

Thanks for the tips, best shut this one down
ill try showering horizontally , see where the soap goes..

[Ginjaninja]

I recall PeteC posting a while back about this mentioning that it was the bars of soap causing the blockage and he switched to liquid soap - the solid soap re-solidifying after entering the drain.
Perhaps he can find his post and add the link as I don't think I'd have much luck searching for "soap"...

Edit: wasn't that hard to find..
https://huahinforum.com/viewtopic.php?f ... ap#p466105

[PeteC]

Yes, thanks GJ. This thread now merged with that one.

I stay with what was said then. Bar soap apparently uses fats and ingredients as a binder that re-bind once dry and sitting inside your drainage pipe.

Also mentioned before is the slope of the drain pipe right before it goes into the trough outside the house. The slope is there to retain some water in the pipe to keep out gases and possibly critters trying to to use the pipe as a highway. Ours is about 40 degrees and it's too much. The soap residue settles in the bend and behind it and does nothing but build up. The water pressure coming down the drain pipe is usually not enough to fully flush the residue out.

Last but not least is the kitchen drain. If it links up with the same pipe handling the bathroom drainage that in itself causes problems sometimes. Wiping dishes of greasy residue before washing them is very important. Any grease or food bits from the kitchen drainage just compounds the problem.

[bigston]

Thanks Chaps...

[Nereus]

Also mentioned before is the slope of the drain pipe right before it goes into the trough outside the house. The slope is there to retain some water in the pipe to keep out gases and possibly critters trying to to use the pipe as a highway.

Not sure where you get this from Pete. A water seal is provided under a sink, be it hand basin, bath, shower, urinal or any other waste outlet. There are 2 types, one called a "P" trap as that is its shape, or another called an "S" bend. The actual waste pipe should have continuos "fall" on it to wherever it discharges into a main drain, OR a soak well. AND that is the problem with the plumbing here. It can be anything from uphill to excessive fall.

Not enough, or even no fall, and the pipe will block up. The worst case is with flushing toilets, where not enough fall the flow just stops, too much fall and the water will seperate from the solids with the same result.

No "black water" toilet waste pipe should connect directly with any "grey water" waste pipe. Grey water should drain into either a soak well or field, where it can mix with treated water from a septic system.

For soap I have found that "Madam Heng" bar soap does not tend to block up any drain, There are several different grades with different additives, so probably need to try a couple of different types.

[HHTel]

There's another type:
The Bottle Trap which is fitted under all our bathroom sinks. So easy to clean as you just unscrew the base/trap. Empty/clean it then screw it back on. 5 or 10 minute job.

Not suitable for kitchens for example as the water flow is not as fast as say the 'S' or 'U' type.

[Nereus]

There's another type:
The Bottle Trap which is fitted under all our bathroom sinks. So easy to clean as you just unscrew the base/trap. Empty/clean it then screw it back on. 5 or 10 minute job.

Not suitable for kitchens for example as the water flow is not as fast as say the 'S' or 'U' type.

Actually there is a whole list of different types, not all of them available here.

https://civiljungle.com/what-are-traps/

[PeteC]

Also mentioned before is the slope of the drain pipe right before it goes into the trough outside the house. The slope is there to retain some water in the pipe to keep out gases and possibly critters trying to to use the pipe as a highway.

Not sure where you get this from Pete. A water seal is provided under a sink, be it hand basin, bath, shower, urinal or any other waste outlet. There are 2 types, one called a "P" trap as that is its shape, or another called an "S" bend. The actual waste pipe should have continuos "fall" on it to wherever it discharges into a main drain, OR a soak well. AND that is the problem with the plumbing here. It can be anything from uphill to excessive fall.

Not enough, or even no fall, and the pipe will block up. The worst case is with flushing toilets, where not enough fall the flow just stops, too much fall and the water will seperate from the solids with the same result.

No "black water" toilet waste pipe should connect directly with any "grey water" waste pipe. Grey water should drain into either a soak well or field, where it can mix with treated water from a septic system.

For soap I have found that "Madam Heng" bar soap does not tend to block up any drain, There are several different grades with different additives, so probably need to try a couple of different types.

Where I get it from is looking at the 40 degree pipes all the time when I have to flush them out to unclog them. There is no S or anything when dealing with the floor drains. They are a straight shot into the discharge pipe and into the trough. Yes, the sinks have an S or P type trap but not bathroom showers or the floor drains. There is no real septic system in this neighborhood. We have two septic tanks, and when the liquid rises to the top it simply goes into the same concrete troughs either side of the house, out to the street and then onwards. It doesn't go into any of the pipes we're speaking about above.

[Nereus]

Where I get it from is looking at the 40 degree pipes all the time when I have to flush them out to unclog them

Sounds like a typical Thai SNAFU! Which is the main point of my post(s).

I remember when you were having that house built and you asked about cable sizes for the electricity supply. I guess that I thought that you had a good builder, as the cable sizes were being discussed!

[PeteC]

Yes, wiring with 3 phase and 40amp meter etc., was a hot item to get right. Being 16 years ago now during build I don't even remember looking at the outdoor pipes at all. All 60 houses are the same as what I describe as they all have their unclogging work to do a few times a year the same as I do. I did show many how to do it though with the garden hose, on a good pressure day, and blocking certain downstairs drains with a rag to stop any blow back. Many were paying through the nose calling a company with an electric snake to clean them out.

[Nereus]

My house in Hua Hin is only single storey. The biggest problem that I have had with drains is with the dishwasher drain. But only during the time that I had it rented out on short term rentals.

I installed a 2" PVC ball valve on the kitchen sink drain just under the bowl, and then another one on the dishwasher drain so that I can isolate both units from the main drain. Then an additional inlet to the main drain so that a garden hose from a pump can be connected to it without having water flood the kitchen floor!
Never had a problem since, but the current client has been there 5 or 6 years and knows how to use a dishwasher.

One other problem was; one bathroom does not have a floor drain, or scupper as I call them. The toilet rinsing hose blew off while they were out and flooded the whole house! Most of the furniture was ruined as it soaked up the water. About 100K Baht, which my insurance paid most of!

[Ginjaninja]

are rods easily obtainable in Thailand? I stay in a Condo so not a real concern to me at the moment but long-term a house may be on the cards.
Mrs. GN. has had to get the rods out in Scotland whilst I was offshore and unblock the main waste drain outside our house. She accomplished the task well and saved the plumber a job when he arrived later on to check.
Also had her driving the tractor and did a good lot of landscaping our front lawn including a tree stump removal. The only casualty was my favorite metal bucket that received a big dent

[Nereus]

are rods easily obtainable in Thailand?

Yes, you can buy them here.