Blocked Domestic 4inch underground drains

[Centralheatking]

We operate a drain and jetting trailer machine - It has been apparent
for the past 2 years or so that when we go to these jobs

1. The blockage is often crusted detergent about 3/4 m away from
the propertyy - we see all sorts of others but
2. We wonder if these low temp detergents are crusting up before they
get to the wide drains

Has anybody a similar thought - bearing in mind all detergents are basically
chemical magnets we think they are - the low temp ones reforming more quickly
than the high temp ones and rocking up.


centralheatking :sleeping:

 

[Roger Welton]

I agree, and I thing the washing machine manufacturers recommend a 'service wash' at 60deg or higher once a month to prevent similar problems within the machines.

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Good point mate, don't think the manufacturers will ever admit to anything though.

 

[lame plumber]

all Iknow is low temp washes dont leave your clothes clean, or ever get grease stains out!

 

[WHPES]

I find that those "disposable" moist wipes that they suggest you can flush down the loo are a constant cause of blockages.

 

[kris]

Not just wipes now some of the standard loo rolls are becoming so thick that theyre behaving like wipes and not disolvin the same...

 

[Cello]

I wonder if the "detergent crusting" problem might be due to the ongoing effort by washing machine manufacturers to use less and less water per wash. If there is not sufficient water to dissolve the detergent powder properly, it would not be surprising if the solid material ends up in the drain. I have seen a similar effect in a completely different application.

 

[Centralheatking]

Please go on more -' I have seen a similar effect' Chking ..........

I wonder if the "detergent crusting" problem might be due to the ongoing effort by washing machine manufacturers to use less and less water per wash. If there is not sufficient water to dissolve the detergent powder properly, it would not be surprising if the solid material ends up in the drain. I have seen a similar effect in a completely different application.

 

[Cello]

Not much to tell without getting too technical. The other application was an industrial chlorine dioxide generator and sodium chloride (common salt) was being formed which blocked the pipework. The solution was to inject additional water. The problem is that there is a limit to how much solid material can be dissolved in water and if you exceed that limit, not all the stuff will be dissolved. Hence, with the case you have instanced, water economy measures might well mean that there is insufficient to dissolve all the washing powder. Also, solids are usually more soluble at higher temperature so low temperature washing might make the situation worse.

 

[newcastle phill]

Used to see it all the time a few years ago .
The powders congeal and it seemed to me to be concurrent when they did away with the hot fill red pipe.

Most machines today are cold fill only.

Also important to note that not one manufacturer I can remember actually did a wash at the stipulated temp in the name of energy efficiency and equivalence.

40 washes were about 30
60 were about 45 degrees
they would just simply agitate for longer and use less water.

Net result more concentrated solutions and undesolved powder at colder temps

At the time I worked for GDA and had access to the manufacturer service data.