IrishAyes
IrishAyes's JournalHey, pass me a shot, would you? I could use one. Or a dozen.
At long last, here's what it's come down to. After a couple inches of drain cleaner sat on top of the salt jam for several days now, some of it must've been absorbed because the level kept going down; but when I took the narrow metal conduit and gave a few mighty shoves this afternoon, barely a dint. About that time it dawned on me that even if I succeeded, I might knock off a big enough chunk to fall all the way down to the trap where it couldn't be reached but it would surely plug the pipe forever.
So tonight I removed as much drain cleaner as I could with the turkey baster. Started back with the boiling water. No luck. Tomorrow I'll carefully stuff some paper towels in to make sure nothing is in the liquid state before I try to move the machine over far enough to reach the pipe, say 2" above the floor, drill a test hole to make sure there's no liquid seepage, and then take my precious electric saw after it. I meant it for cutting wood, so pvc will probably ruin the blade. By then the ice jam ought to be gone on its own. I just hope the salt jam doesn't go down that far. I didn't put in all that much! God forbid the salt jam reached within 2" of the floor, but if it did I'll try the plumbers snake.
Then until I can fit a second section of pipe on to restore the original height, I'll have to drain the machine hose into a big plastic bin and haul THAT bucket by bucket to the bathroom sink. It will be great exercise. I should lose several pounds. Strengthen those 68-yr-old back muscles.
One thing for sure, I'll remember this the next time I get impatient or my head swells more than usual. It's amazing that after I escaped the dread burst pipes and missed all sorts of other disasters - plus the one I'm currently faced with might even be fixable on my own after enough blood/sweat/tears/swearing - I can still find enough energy to feel a little sorry for myself. But at least I'm not blaming anyone else, and I still wouldn't trade places with most people. And I'm warning the general innocent public not to do what I did. Maybe this sad experience has at least provided a shred of entertainment for onlookers. Maybe I'm addicted to any sympathic advice available.
Pass the rest of that bottle, would you, please?
Not to beat this horse to death, but
I was thrilled out of my skull when the cold water started flowing at last in the kitchen and downstairs half bath sink and toilet. Now my only problem is the washing machine exit pipe being blocked. Probably the last place to self-thaw will be the ice jam in the trap, and then I'll be down to the notorious de-icer salt melt jam. After giving the ice jam underneath another couple days to thaw, I'll take on the salt block again with hot water baths every fifteen minutes after first siphoning out the drain cleaner now sitting on top. And the manufacturer's major chemist is supposed to call me this morning for a consultation.
Please extend my thanks to your husband as well. The emotional support from both of you has been most helpful. Yesterday I'd worked myself into a real sorry state, but after a good night's rest I feel much renewed, thank you.
Thank you. I'm sure it will help when I return to the matter in a couple days. Very kind of you to
go to so much trouble for an idiot. Someone else suggested I wait for the ice trap to thaw itself for however many days it wants to take, and then proceed. That could make it easier with the plumber's snake. My nerves are too shredded for me to be much use anymore w/o a break. In my current state, there's no telling how much worse I could make things.
Come spring, considering what I've gone through, do you think the law would look on it harshly if I used a pistol to encourage someone to crawl under the house (less than 2' clearance) and wrap that pipe and trap for me? I've already offered a premium w/o takers. 
That really makes good sense.
Besides the fact that I'm so twisted in knots over this that my nerves are shot to hell, and I need to walk away from it a few days to avoid premature, over reaction. It's not like there are kids to worry about. After my first visit to the neighbor friend's house, I have enough clean laundry for a week, and she insists that I do at least one more load there. Poor lady is getting housebound because she's in no shape to drive anymore; I don't have a car and love to drive. So one hand washes the other. I do appreciate that she's not the type who thinks favors should only flow in one direction.
Then if worse comes to worse, I bought a tall narrow Christmas wrapping paper container to fit between the washer and dryer; I can reroute the washer hose to that, then carry buckets to the bathroom to dump if necessary - although I hate doing that. Knowing how much worse things could be makes me really embarrassed about my level of distress. I'm so tied up in knots that there are times I just sit down and bawl. Which might have as much to do with cabin fever as anything else.
But you're right in that impatience got me into this but it won't extricate me. I need to pull back a bit.
I bought a plumber's snake yesterday - should have one anyway - but I think
I'd better wait to try the snake until tomorrow if I survive removing the drain cleaner first.
Oh yeah, I know what I stepped in this time. Live and learn. I've even called the manufacturer of the de-icing salt, and their leading chemist is supposed to call me back - someday. Don't know if he'll have any answers.
Thanks. That'll be my next stop.
I even posted the problem on my FB timeline, which I never use for social purposes. I joined a particular organization which aggregates progressive website content. But I know my timeline post will be seen by a lot of people. I'm trying to extricate myself!
Apparently not this kind, once it's clumped. I spent a couple hours at it with a tea kettle,
pouring boiling water down there, waiting 15 minutes and siphoning it out, then repeating. Didn't make a dint. I'm ashamed to say I then put a little caustic drain cleaner on top of the rock salt clump, and two days later, the clump is still impenetrable.
Desperately need a chemist(?) to help me out of the hole I dug.
How can I dissolve a clump of de-icing salt in the exit pipe for my clothes washer?
There was an ice jam in the trap, which can't be reached under the house because the clearance is so low nobody's crazy enough to crawl under there. When boiling water, vinegar and baking soda, and even anti-freeze didn't work on the ice jam, things really went south when I tried de-icing salt, which I had no idea would form an impenetrable clump on top of the ice jam. Even though I've mostly lived green and certainly regret my recent desperate measures, I did put a couple inches of very caustic drain cleaner on top of the clumped de-icing salt, which has done nothing to soften the rock salt clump in 2 days. I'm desperate because I can't find an answer and I can't afford a plumber!!
Putting heat on the pipe won't do anything to relieve the rock salt clump, and the pvc exit pipe is crammed up against the wall anyway, making me fearful of using too much direct heat. I was always afraid of heat tape because I've heard about it starting fires, but believe me, in the future if I can get out of this mess I'll be willing to risk heat tape rather than go through this again. I do learn from my mistakes, and this has been a doozy.
In the belief that this rock salt clump is in the section of pipe above the floor, I'd even be willing to try to cut the pipe off just above the floor, throw away the clogged portion, and refit an extension to restore the proper height. But that in itself presents hazards I'd rather avoid if possible. Of course I don't want to use a much thinner piece of conduit pipe to break off big chunks of the rock salt clump because it might well then fall down into the trap (once the ice melts on its own) and make an even worse problem. Best if I can find a way to dissolve the salt clump and flush it down gradually and safely.
If worse comes to worse, could I siphon off the present caustic drain cleaner and if necessary cut off the pipe down to where the rock salt clump starts, then take a titanium drill bit to it???? Bore through it so whatever might come loose would be in very fine particles? And then extend the exit pipe back to the proper height needed for operating the washer?
Thank you very much.
When I went back to the hardware store this morning for an auger, I told the store owner and he said he wouldn't have expected the de-icing salt to clump either; so at least I felt a little less stupid. Still don't want to cause anyone else to make the same mistake, though. There's a downside to creativity! No end to the trouble you can cook up.
Boiling water does little to nothing to soften that salt clump either; but when the weather warms enough for the ice jam in the trap to go away on its own, I'll mount a serious attack with the auger. If that doesn't work, I'll buy one of these long plumber augers that fits on a drill.
OFF-TOPIC WARNING! AND ABJECT APOLOGY
We indulged in some weather related posts recently in this group, which is fine. But I posted some bad advice here, so I think I should follow up also with an alert and apology to anybody who might've followed my rash example:
1/8/2014 WARNING: If you put more than the tiniest bit of de-icing salt in an open ice-jammed exit pipe, you're likely to compound your problems rather than solve them. IT CLUMPS. ONLY USE NON-TOXIC LIQUID ANTI-FREEZE. I'll never forgive myself if my bad advice causes anyone else more problems than they started with.
Maybe I misread something on the home improvement website, who knows. Regardless, I screwed up big time and earnestly hope nobody else followed me over the cliff.
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Gender: FemaleHome country: US
Current location: retired to MidWest
Member since: Mon Feb 18, 2013, 10:15 PM
Number of posts: 6,151
