Blocked sewer line

[Willemjm]

1 1/2 Years in new house and the sewer line in the crawl space got blocked about 6’ before it goes into the septic system.

Plumber who did the installation came and unblocked the line. Says it was fat and the picture below sure looks like fat. I looked at it as they cleared it.

Septic is new for us, so we have taken extreme care not to put anything down the drain.

Wifey promises me she has never put fat down the drain, but she does have the habit of rinsing dirty dishes, pots and pans with hot water before they go into the dishwasher.

Could that have done it?

Never ever had this experience before, ever.

 

[wndopdlr]

Any kind The of grease is a no no. It can settled somewhere in the system and then continue to grow as you add more....same as plaque built up in your body. Any grease can be poured into capped bottles and put in the trash once it is cool enough to deal with. If you live way out in the country, you may have woods to dump it in-

 

[tri4sale]

Wifey promises me she has never put fat down the drain, but she does have the habit of rinsing dirty dishes, pots and pans with hot water before they go into the dishwasher.

Could that have done it?

Yes, the grease she washing off the dirty items could build up, and once it hits a spot and starts building up, the next time you run something down it acts as a damn and just grows bigger. Greasy dishes should be wiped clean with paper towel and thrown in trash. No need to pre-wash if you've got a good dishwasher.

 

[Gotcha6]

It's never a good idea to pour grease down any drain whether it be a private septic system or public sewer. We once added a deli to a supermarket and the deli manager poured their waste grease into the sewer line. There was a 1,500 gallon grease trap installed between it and the septic. When it was filled, the grease ended up in the drain bed and ruined it. They had to put in new drain bed with an alternating pump at the cost of tens of thousands of dollars.

 

[cv123]

Fabric softner will make a mess of your leach lines.

 

[Oka]

Fat is a huge blocker for plumbing lines. Best advice avoid dumping fat in the drain, avoid using fabric softener alot and avoid over using the garbage disposer. Simple.
I do not clean plumbing lines haven't for 40+ years, the last one for me was at a mortuary.

 

[cpw]

I wipe greasy dishes as much as possible with paper towels before I rinse. I keep a foaming pump dispenser of thinned Dawn by the sink and I will hit the dishes with that and work it over the surface before I rinse. At that point, most of the time it's just as easy to finish washing it. The point is, I try not to wash plain grease down the drain.

 

[Skymaster]

I let the grease cool till it becomes solid,wipe it off with a paper towel,toss towel, plate into dw

 

[chris_goris]

I think you need to do a taste test to make sure of what it is! . In all seriousness, is that a 4" line? within 1.5 years??

 

[Willemjm]

I think you need to do a taste test to make sure of what it is! . In all seriousness, is that a 4" line? within 1.5 years??

Yep. new construction completed July last year.
Was quite an experience, water treatment backwashed into sewer line, line was blocked, overflowed into the bathroom, ran into one of the AC vents and filled up an AC line.

I guess I forgot to do a bending moment and stress calculation of the AC line, because it ruptured in one spot. But then again my education was ISO, we use different terminology, so it does not work in America. (Just jokin with you)

 

[chris_goris]

water treatment backwashed into sewer line???

 

[Willemjm]

water treatment backwashed into sewer line???

Yes, I have a Calcite Corosex filter and a water softener, delivering pH 7.0 with a softness of 0 milligrams per liter from the well.
Both backwash into my drain line going to the septic system. That is pretty much standard practice.

 

[JimD]

My little dog loves to pre clean any dishes with anything like grease on them . I keep a jar near the cooktop for any left over cooking grease or bacon fat. If the doggie doesn't take care of my plate, the debris goes into the trash can and the plate goes into the washer. No pre-cleaning (other than doggie licking). I have a septic that appears to be as old as the house, about 55 years. I've only been here 7 years but no issues. I had it pumped when I bought it, which was not necessary, and again last year.

 

[cpw]

My little dog loves to pre clean any dishes with anything like grease on them . I keep a jar near the cooktop for any left over cooking grease or bacon fat. If the doggie doesn't take care of my plate, the debris goes into the trash can and the plate goes into the washer. No pre-cleaning (other than doggie licking). I have a septic that appears to be as old as the house, about 55 years. I've only been here 7 years but no issues. I had it pumped when I bought it, which was not necessary, and again last year.

That's a good way for your little doggy to end up with pancreatitis. We learned the hard way.

 

[gritz]

If she uses a lot of make-up, that could contribute to a fat clog.

 

[JimD]

I put in a garbage disposal because my ex insisted but I insisted she hardly ever use it. Putting food scraps through a garbage disposal and out into the septic can also clog it. That's why I scrape plates into the trash.

I also limit the amount of "human food" my dog gets to very small portions. I am aware it isn't particularly good for her. She gets zero chocolate and other things that are really bad for her.

 

[Brantnative]

My bathroom sink kept clogging and I thought my wife was using my sink to brush her hair again. When I opened up the trap there was no hair (I'm follically challenged) but a good glob of toothpaste residue.

 

[chris_goris]

Yes, I have a Calcite Corosex filter and a water softener, delivering pH 7.0 with a softness of 0 milligrams per liter from the well.
Both backwash into my drain line going to the septic system. That is pretty much standard practice.

a year and a half to clog a 4" line is alarming, especially if youve been careful. What about laundry detergents and personal hygiene soaps? Do you or your wife use alot of "natural" soaps?. I would also ask what exactly is being backwashed from the water purification system, since ALL incoming water is being filtered. It could very well just be an odd combination of all of those things.