Hard water deposits.

Usually Calcium / lime, or a mixture of both.

A strong drain cleaner used repeatedly should clear it up.


ED

 

That was a thought as well, but I cleared it and it was there a week later. Could it build up that fast?

Could it be dishwasher soap? We use those cascade packs.

 

It could have dislodged upstream , and caught in a restrictive bend or narrowing there again, and if you are overstuffing the dishwasher dispenser. CUT IT OUT.

Take the sample to your County extension office and see if they offer an analysis of the stuff.

Might have a fee, but most counties have a free service, because your taxes have paid their wages.


ED

 

I just use the dishwasher packs.

 

I'm not saying it couldn't be hard water deposits. That's certainly possible as ED pointed out, but it looks like something more, like someone flushed or poured something down the drain where it got lodged and caused the backup. It really could be just about anything. If your drain line is made up entirely of PVC all the way to the street, it would not likely be tree roots, however if some of your drain line is made up of clay pipes, well, those get lots of tree roots. Also, it's not unheard of for a former owner, in haste, trying to patch up walls, etc. before selling, poured some quickset joint compound down the drain where it hardened up like cement and lodge in the pipe causing a back up. I've seen that happen numerous times over the years.

At this point I think what you have removed is only temporarily alleviating the problem. You may want to rent a roto-rooter and try to dislodge or cut out the blockage yourself or call in a plumbing service to clear the lines for you. The nice thing about a plumber is that most today have a remote camera device that can go through the lines and pinpoint the problem.......money well spent when it comes to plumbing issues.

 

It's only PVC from the kitchen sing and dishwasher to the sewer line, which is old cast iron.

The clog is happening where the PVC connects to the old cast pipe at a 45* angle.

 

It's a combination of grease, soap and everything else that goes down your drain. We have had it a few times over the last twenty five years in my place. In our house it only happens between the kitchen and the septic system. Looks exactly the same as what you have in your picture. It will completely clog the pipe. It's easy to knock through. I put a clean out right before the septic tank and used a commode snake. A drain machine would probably do a better job. It easy to dislodge though

 

Is there some special trick to preventing it from reoccuring? Like using hot water in the washing machine instead of cold or regularly flushing with baking soda and vinegar or just boiling water down the kitchen sink? I've spent over $500 on two plumbers in less than a year and this substance is what they tell me is the issue but they are no help at all on what it is so I can stop it happening again?

 

That is certainly not hard water mineral deposits, not in a weeks time.

And it probably came from the sink, not the dishwasher.

It is probably just what it looks like. Drywall dust or joint compound.

You said you just purchased the house. Previous owner probably had drywall repairs made and some idiot washed drywall tools off in the sink and put drywall mud down the drain.

You can keep cleaning it out at the rubber coupling, as you have twice now. Or you can remove the trap under the sink and run a drain snake down the drain. Then stick a hose in the drain and flush well. Hope that you get it all (probably will).

I would wait and see. Let lots of water run at the sink during normal use for the next few weeks.

 

I retrieved the same kind of debris (a little whiter in color) from AC drain. Very odd, I expect the AC condensation water to be pure. After many days of pouring in vinegar, wait 24 hours and vacuum piece of this kind of debris, I still cannot open up the pipe. I have tried CO2 pressure gun, suction, water pressure....

 

Ac drains are definitely not pure. You can get some pretty nasty stuff in there. When it's real bad we just replace the entire drain pipe. Most of the time we use co2. Sulphuric acid works pretty well if pipe replacement is not feasible. We only change the 3/4 line, nothing larger. But at times it even stops up the main line 1/12 or 2 inch pipe. We get the homeowner to call a sewer service at that point.

 

Grease cake.

Never throw grease down a sink can it and trash it.

Order this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001N09KN...=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9015354&hvtargid=pla-353444068692

I have never had a blockage in 17 years I use this stuff BIO CLEAN.

 

Use a sewer jet and push it to larger sewer.

 

Did anyone ever find out exactly what this is? As I've just had this clog my floor drain twice in less than a year. Plumber is blaming our laundry detergent but the clog smells a bit like oil. And I use dissolving laundry strips so wondering if it could be them? We've lived here for over 8 years and this is the first times this has happened.

 

I suspect the pods are the culprit. They need to be used with regard to some factors that may cause problems. One is how much cycle run time is allowed before the water is dumped and the other is how hot is the water. They work best on normal or long wash cycles and with water temperature of 140° F.

Even though the OP is not likely to read this, his a/c drain should not have been directly connected to the sewer drain, it's a code violation for good reason. That was why the gunk was coming out when he vacuumed the line. He was using the detergent pods in the dishwasher so perhaps his water temperature versus cycle time was a factor too.

Of course grease from cooking and food pieces are the biggest reason drains get clogged. Once the pipes get a good grease coating, stuff builds from there. Solids that normally wash on down, like egg shells, will stick to the pipe and build up over time, along with other stuff like bits of plastic and paper that go down the drain if care isn't taken.

Some say facial tissues shouldn't be flushed but I've done it forever and no problem... same for egg shells, never any problem dumping them down the disposal. A healthy ungreased drain will handle almost anything you can put down it.

If you use good practices and still get clogged, you may have roots in the system or some large heavy thing that got flushed down the toilet and is acting as a screen to catch stuff and cause a stoppage. My plumber friend says you wouldn't believe the things he pulls out of drains. Everything from wash cloths to underwear and toys, both kids and grownups toys!

 

Thanks but I don't have a dishwasher nor use powdered laundry detergent. I have a 'fat can' for all bacon grease and do very little frying. What I don't understand is in 8 years here, it's just happened in the last 9 months (twice). The only thing that is different in the last year is that I now use eco laundry strips which fully dissolve. Since these are a new product, it seems logical to think they are the culprit BUT how is it that the exact same type of clog could have occurred in other people's drains years ago BEFORE these strips were in circulation. They are organic, no dyes, no perfume and I have tested to make sure they really do dissolve fully in cold water and they do. Guess all I can do is do hot water flushes, baking soda and be even more anal about food products in the sink. Thanks again.

 

I am having the same issues, occured twice in less than 12 month, first time I blamed the wife, thinking she empty oil from Tuna cans in sink ....., I know last 12 month we never empty anything except water, however a blockage again, we own the house for 15 years, never issues.
The washing machine and dishwasher use different drain ( OK ). the only new item that we use in the water softner, I am wondering if its not the root cause of this !!. do u have a water softner that flush in that drain every 24H ??

 

To determine the substance make up a sample taken to the county extension service or the university lab folks for testing may be required.


Grease and Lye ( Drano ) - the 2 important ingredients in making a bar of Lye soap.:biggrin2:




Mixing baking soda and vinegar often looks impressive because of the reaction but in general that result only ends in making salt water.


Edit: Edit:

 

To determine the substance make up a sample taken to the county extension service or the university lab folks for testing may be required.


Grease and Lye ( Drano ) - the 2 important ingredients in making a bar of Lye soap.:biggrin2:




Mixing baking soda and vinegar often looks impressive because of the reaction but in general that result only ends in making salt water.


Edit: Edit:

Grandma Inez and I used some of the grease from rendering the pork fat into cracklins for the required fat and used the lye we got from leaching it out of the stove ashes. I got to do the stirring of the large cast iron pot that sat over a wood fire. Grandpa Charlie's contribution was building the lye leaching box and the soap mold. I sure do appreciate a bar of store bought soap nowadays, like Irish Spring for example. :vs_laugh:

 

The white chalky material is the product of fatty acids ( components of fat) combined with minerals( calcium, magnesium) and soap/detergents.
It has nothing to do with your dish washer. Hard water, soap, detergents and grease from kitchen sources combine to form the material.
The best way to clear it is mechanical such as a snake. Liquid decloggers or hot water are generally ineffective. One should minimize pouring grease into the sink. Water softener may help some. Invest in a powered snake will save you lots of money over time.

 

Pit some in a cup of vinegar. If it fizzes or bubbles like crazy it is likely hard water deposits. If not, likely grease as has been mentioned.

 

Sorry I'm late for the party, but I've hard the same issue at my new apartment and google search brought me here.
When I moved in I noticed the slow drain in my tub. It would slowly fill over my feet during my showers but I can't find my snake after the move and maintenance help is a long waitlist. One day I got so desperate I pulled out (with only tweezers & fingers) this large clog of hard white stuff mixed with hair. This building was only built in 2019, but this city water is quite hard w no softener in the building.
I'm not sure if this helps at all, but I'm guessing the prior tenant wasn't dumping grease down the shower drain so I'm thinking mineral deposits (shower head has some)

Update:
That was a good tip above- to test it with white vinegar to see if it bubbles! I just tried it... no bubbles!?!? So my guess is the shower drain is connected to the kitchen sink and it's a mix of grease, calcium, skin cells & hair? Maybe even from the upstairs neighbor?

I hope to god it doesn't come back in a few weeks like the OP gross. It's about 1/4 in wide and 4 in long... originally, I thought it was grout or sheetrock that maintenance guys dumped down after cleaning the unit for me to move in.
Do you think that's still a possibility?

-Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to add pics on here- EDIT: photos below !

Thanks in advance! ✌💓🌍

 

piece soaking in white vinegar- no bubble reaction

 

Some of it does look like grout residue. Dipsticks. Hair don't help. Maybe a hair strainer to replace the original one?

Everbilt 5-3/4 in. Shower Strainer 865230 - The Home Depot

This 5-3/4 in. drain strainer is for use in stand alone showers only. Strainer helps keep unwanted debris out of shower drains to keep them flowing freely. Strainers sits on top of drain meaning there

www.homedepot.com

 

That happens when people believe the TV commercials about scrape and load.

Drain and scrape the grease and crap for your dishes before before you load them in the machine.

Use a rinsed jar and put the grease in the trash. When draining ground beef do it over a plate or bowl lined with foil, make a grease kiss by folding the edges up and putting it in the trash .

Just in case no one has yet mentioned it, when you snake a line you open a tiny hole that the grease in the line packs into again very quickly.

 

I’ve been a plumber since 1978 and taught the apprentice program for nearly 20 years. Many of the answers prior to me are possible. Barring sabotage with paint, plaster, drywall mud or cement I think the culprit is this:
Hard water (high calcium content and high pH) can combine with detergents and chemicals in laundry, kitchen and dishwasher products to saponify greases into a hard, crumbly gunk as shown in your photos. This can be exacerbated by low spots in horizontal drains or rust corrosion in old cast iron. The chemicals in these products raise the pH just like lye will in making soap. That is how they get grease stains out of clothes. When the grease is saponified in hot, high pH water it washes away, but then solidifies when it is traveling slowly down a cold pipe. I suggest you take apart the pvc to cast iron wye connection and then use a dull chisel or maybe a piece of 1 1/2” pipe to break out the rust in the branch of the cast iron wye. Then reconnect. Good Luck.

 

Wow! The thread is still alive! Thank you for your responses. This made my day. Management has been blowing me off, so thanks for making me feel heard. I've saved this "treasure" to show the maintenance guy when they come here (guess there's a wait list)
So I guess that in apartments water lines are different than homes, so my kitchen sink drain runs to the shower? And/or the upstairs neighbor's sink runs thru my shower?
Or maybe other tenants flush their grease?

Btw, I have a grease jar that I keep that junk in from cooking and would never flush 'flushable wipes' or tampons. My neighbors on the other hand and prev tenant that died here? ...shady.
I hope this is the last of my rental issues.
Thanks again.

 

That was a thought as well, but I cleared it and it was there a week later. Could it build up that fast? Could it be dishwasher soap? We use those cascade packs.

By coincidence? a similar white stuff clogged my drain and I use Cascade packs.

 

Bleach dissolves hair .

 

It will also dissolve fabric, and skin, if you have a victim to dispose of.

Ranchers used to have a pit that they drug carcasses (winter kill) to and used a product called Quicklime into, to rid the range of things that might attract scavengers.

And plain Ol LYE will also clear a drain.

ED

 

Of course grease from cooking and food pieces are the biggest reason drains get clogged. Once the pipes get a good grease coating, stuff builds from there. Solids that normally wash on down, like egg shells, will stick to the pipe and build up over time, along with other stuff like bits of plastic and paper that go down the drain if care isn't taken.

Some say facial tissues shouldn't be flushed but I've done it forever and no problem... same for egg shells, never any problem dumping them down the disposal. A healthy ungreased drain will handle almost anything you can put down it.

You have got to be kidding!
Put all that stuff in the waste basket. The only thing that should be put down the drain is water. I wipe greasy pans with a paper towel that has a little dish soap on it and throw in waste basket before I wash the pan. I don't use a garbage disposal. I throw all that stuff in waste basket.
Use a can to collect fat and grease then throw the can in the waste basket.

 

The general public ain't going to do that . My wife is a smart girl and she thinks hot water solves all drain problems .

 

Before you occupied the house I'll bet some drywall work was done and they cleaned their tools in the sink instead of a bucket outside. The joint compound solidified in the drain pipes.

 

People see a sink that has a pipe that disappears into the wall they must say"Wow, what a great place to put trash!"

 

About 20 years ago, manufacturers were required to remove tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) from their laundry detergents; ten years later, from dishwasher detergents. This is when the above white stuff started showing up in people's drain/sewer lines. The long-term solution is to add about 1-2 Tbsp of powdered TSP to each large load of laundry, available on Amazon, and about half a teaspoon to your dishwasher, each run. Aside of preventing these above from coming back, both your clothes and dishes will be noticeably cleaner. I kid you not.

 

I have noticed that the Bright Colors of my laundry, have gotten duller lately.

Was thinking that maybe my eyesight was changing, now I'm going to try this idea.

ED