What is the obstruction in this cleanout interior drainpipe?

[ShadowTek]

What is the obstruction in this cleanout interior drainpipe?

on the orange "Download File" button on the lower right.)

I have a drain that backs up after the water is run for about a minute. I ran a snake as far down the pipe as it would go, but couldn't find the clog. I got under the floor and found a cleanout access for that pipe. I opened the cap, looked inside, and saw that there was something that looked like an internal flap that I guess is supposed to direct water towards the drain and away from the cleanout cap. I poked at it, and it appears to be made out of some sort of foam-like material, as it gave a little when I pushed against it.

But what goos is a cleanout access if you cant get into the pipe to clean it out???

Am I just supposed to tear that thing out of there, or what?

[Joe]

The SaveFile link is pretty sad. You would be better served posting Photobucket or Picasa links that don't want you to buy a subscription, and in fact work quite well.

Joe

[ShadowTek]

I tested the download link and it would allow a 50k download speed without subscribing.

Anyway, I just used the first video host that I found a link to. I'll give Photobucket a try next time. Thanks.

[willshak]

on 7/13/2009 11:31 PM (ET) ShadowTek wrote the following:

There shouldn't be anything in the pipe, whether it is near the cleanout or anywhere else in the pipe. Got a toddler in the house? Maybe he/she flushed a sponge or rag down the drain. Got a woman in the house, or had women visiting? Maybe a Kotex was flushed down the drain.

[John Grabowski]

*It looks as though someone made their own "Y" fitting by jamming a piece of pipe into another. The foam you feel may be a DIYer seal of some sort.

[ShadowTek]

Well I hope that tearing it out isn't going cause a leak, but it's in my way and I need to find whatever is obstructing that drain. For all I know, *that* thing is what's clogging the pipes.

I didn't get a chance to get under there today, but I'll likely get at it tomarow, as I got enough sun today to make me want to stay in the shade for a while.

[John Grabowski]

*Let us know what you find.

[ShadowTek]

The obstruction was a damn bottle of Wonder Bubbles. lol

Everything's flowing just fine now! lol

Here another cleanout access I found that I thought was funny:

Here's a spot that looked convenient for a junction box, but I guess they just didn't feel like messin with it:

[Tekkie®]

ShadowTek posted for all of us...

didn't feel like messin with it:

You going to remedy this mess? I like the jaunty nail cable support!

[ShadowTek]

There's a *lot* of work that needs to be done to this particular house, much of it being of higher priority, but I think it *would* be good to correct that particular area, especially since it's right next to the water heater.

The reason that non-galvanized nail is so rusty is that the nearby water heater has leaked and flooded that basement at least twice that I know of. The last time, hammering of the pipes hear the heater's output connection hose had caused a spraying leak to spew from the part of the (flexible) hose where the flexible material meets its ridgid end peice.

I created a fine mist that went unnoticed for however long, until it got so bad that the water was draining faster than it could fill and the heater's internal breaker tripped, finally creating a symptom when the hot water was no more.

So yeah, it's probably a good idea to straighten up the electrical in that area.

And that reminds me of yet *another* thing that needs to be done: the water heater has no drainpan, and the overflow valve is just connected to a short, angled pipe that's pointing straight down at the basement floor.