melted candle wax in drain pipes

[dee]

A candle melted and leaked down into my washing machine. I thought that I had it all removed but when I washed a load of clothes, the draining water backed up into my tub and bathroom sink. There was red candle wax all over the place. Needless to say now my bathroom and washing machine drain pipes are stopped up. I've used 2 bottles of sulfuric acid and this hasn't helped. Can anyone please tell me how to dissolve the wax that is down in the pipes or please tell me how to fix this problem. Thanks

[John Lawrence]

[Speedy Jim]

For real?

Chances are that the wax particles (solids, not liquid) combined with the usual hair/soap mess found in drains and delivered the final blow to what was already nearly clogged.

My vote in this situation would be for a drain cleaning machine. You *might* get away with a canister type which fits on a drill or is hand-powered, but I doubt it. After that, it means a professional-size auger. If you're a determined DIY'er, the machine can be rented.

Jim

[pipedown]

If all that is clogged is the drain outside of the washer, just use a plumbing snake and try not to burn yourself on the sulphuric acid soup you made. Almost nothing will dissolve wax at room temp at any kind of rate you would want, you need to use mechanical means to scrape it.

If there is still acid pooling, pour in a box of baking soda to neutralize it.

[Richard J Kinch]

Petroleum distillates like mineral spirits dissolve paraffinic wax. But you shouldn't put them down a drain.

[Tom The Great]

Sounds trollish.

tom

[EXT]

Yes, how did a candle melt and leak down into a washing machine, then how did the melted wax get from the washing machine into the drain? At some point it would have solidified in place long before it got into a drain.

[glenn P]

Completely troll - what a life...

[maradcliff]

I was thinking the same thing. Of course people do some really stupid things at times, and this is one of the more stupid I have heard. If it dripped in the machine it would have solidified upon hitting the tub bottom, and scraping it out would be required. Aside from a few loose particles during removal, none should have gotten in the drain pipes, unless the guy scraped it loose and expected the machine to "eat" the scrapings. It could be a coincidense that the drain plugged at the same time too.

I could be nasty and suggest burning the house down. The heat would melt the wax......

But I'll be nice tonite. A hand snake or power auger is probably the only solution. If this is on a septic tank, the tank could be plugged too, or a sewer line is clogged.

If other fixtures work in the house, then the clog is probably local to that machine and surrrounding fixtures.

[Shane Hecker]

Speaking of candle wax, what temperature does it melt at? It is a bit of a stretch, but some machines have a sanitize cycle which brings the water to at least 150 degrees. Some wax is designed to melt, like the small plug in a bottle of dishwasher cleaner, which melts at 135 degrees. I've never known anyone to have this happen to them, let alone anyone who has put a candle in a washer, but if this is true, what a freak accident.

[m Ransley]

Does sulfuric acid even disolve wax, I know Lundmark Wax remover does and is safe unlike acid.