pressurize blocked waste pipe

[Erwin Swart]

My toilet waste pipe is blocked and I want to flush the waste pipe with under high pressure.
Does anybody have experience by doing this? Do you have to close the seacock partially to build up the pressure?

thanks for suggestions

 

[Tranona]

Depends on what is blocking it. If it is limescale, no alternative to removing the offending pipe and either breaking the scale out or replacing the pipe. Water, even under pressure will not move it.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

My toilet waste pipe is blocked and I want to flush the waste pipe with under high pressure.
Does anybody have experience by doing this? Do you have to close the seacock partially to build up the pressure?

thanks for suggestions

Not a good idea

 

[Trundlebug]

I've cleared blockages like this before using a cheap pressure washer.

Having tried all sorts before to clear it, including rodding it with a flexible wire thingy, the pressure washer with a cone shaped fitting on the end and some tape wrapped round the thick end to seal it well against the end of the waste hose worked a treat.

Only for a while though, we had to replace the hose eventually because the real problem, as pointed out above, was limescale which is impossible to remove properly or fully without removing the hose.

We bought the pressure washer from a local Halfords (Hellfrauds).
It needed mains power but was the best solution. High pressure, low volume.

 

[Dockhead]

A fair part of my last year's summer cruise was spoiled by a horrendously unpleasant block in a toilet waste line resulting in several days spent lying in sh*t in the bilges taking the plumbing apart and trying to unblock it.

We finally managed to clear it not by applying pressure to the line, but suction. We happened to be berthed right next to the holding tank pumpout station at Poole Boat Haven and the brilliant idea occurred to a crew member. Coins were put into the pumpout machine, the pumpout hose was passed through a hatch and pressed to the end of the blocked pipe -- et voila, in two seconds was accomplished what days of misery had failed to do.

Recommend you give it a try.

 

[CharlesSwallow]

In Greece,

the chandlers sell hydrochloric acid in red bottles for the very purpose of clearing all the limescale from the insides of WC pipework. It is very quick & effective. However, don't leave it in too long as it will distort the joker valve.

Should it be considered unkind to the environment by some readers, then go tell Sailing Holidays Ltd - they used a bottle on every one of their vast fleet fitting out in Gouvia Marina last year. I counted the empties afterwards.

Chas

 

[KellysEye]

>hydrochloric acid

Don't use hydrchloric acid it's lethal. Use Muriatic acid - 20% hydrochloric acid and 80% water. It eats limescale. Don't mix the acid yourself.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Are you sure it's a blocked waste line and not a blocked vent line on a holding tank, if indeed that is your setup? If no holding tank, forget the question. Have you seen the other topic on waste lines?

 

[Erwin Swart]

thanks for all replies.
decided this afternoon t replace the waste pipe; took me 2hrs and it was done. better than wrestling for hrs

grtz

 

[CharlesSwallow]

>hydrochloric acid

Don't use hydrochloric acid it's lethal. Use Muriatic acid - 20% hydrochloric acid and 80% water. It eats limescale. Don't mix the acid yourself.

same thing - chemical formula - HCl - Conc. Hydrochloric Acid is rarely available on the commercial or domestic market nowadays except to licenced laboratories.

diluting it with water doesn't alter it's chemical composition only it's strength - usually expressed in "Volumes" (Vols) in a chemical reaction.

Chas

 

[electrosys]

>hydrochloric acid

Don't use hydrchloric acid it's lethal. Use Muriatic acid - 20% hydrochloric acid and 80% water. It eats limescale. Don't mix the acid yourself.

Muriatic acid IS hydrochloric acid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrochloric_acid