dishwasher detergent clogging drain

I know this message was a couple of years ago, but we are currently experie ncing the same problem. I found this thread hoping to find ways to get it unclogged and prevent it from happening again.

I won't say which brand of powdered dishwasher detergent it was (except tha t it was a major brand), but I stopped buying it because I noticed it was c lumping together, sticking to the sides of the dishwasher, and giving our d ishes a powdery-film appearance.

When the dishwasher stopped draining, I opened up the filter to clean it ou t and found huge clumps of the dishwasher powder all caked together...subst antially larger than the filter-holes themselves, meaning it clumped togeth er inside the filter itself.

(Doubters please note, companies can change their ingredients without notic e, get a one-time shipment of ingredients that are substandard or fake, and some ingredients have changed due to recent federal regulations...especial ly ingredients previously used to soften hard water).

Reply to
blackheart11
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I don't doubt you, in fact I've wondered why it doesn't happen at times- having seen the problems you can get with liquid washing fluid in washing machines. In the past I've noticed quite a serious build up of 'gunge' in the waste. It seems, from what I've read on the net, the grey gunge is a mix of fat (body oil), washing fluid, and hard water deposits. Given there will be fat in dishwasher water, while the water is softened. unless the detergent is very different, why no gunge?

Changing back to washing powder seemed to do the trick with our washing machine, along with convincing my wife not to use too much.

Reply to
Brian Reay

Run an occasional hot wash with a full 1kg of washing soda.

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Reply to
alan_m

way excessive

Reply to
tabbypurr

I have no dishwasher but a plumber told me some time ago that although this detergent removes grease, the grease and the detergent can clump into what he termed fat Burgs in sewers which are surprisingly solid, and obviously filters and plumbing in houses have the same problem. I've certainly not found any answer, as even hand washing greasy plates with Fairy liquid seems to result in this congealing effect further down the drain. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

replying to Rusty, John wrote: I have the same problem. Since we preprinted dishes it?s not grease buildup. We have a septic tank so all plumbing in in basement ceiling. It is definitely the detergent. We have been using the he?ll packs but will be going back to liquid Same thing happened to my daughter?s house. She used powder detergent. It filled the pipe with a sandy substance, which I assume are the filler materials added to the detergent

Reply to
John

Never seen it with a dishwasher but, in the past, we had problems with liquid clothes detergent in a washing machine. The outlet and drain became gunged up with a grey, chalky, paste.

Some research indicated it was a known issue- detergent residue, body oil/fat (from clothes), hard water deposits, .... all mixed up. We don't get it with power.

Reply to
Brian Reay

A lot of that doesn't make sense. If you have sandy deposits your drain isn 't draining well enough. I'd check the machine outlet is running freely & c heck the waste plumbing flow & layout.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

replying to tabbypurr, Its Getting Late wrote: Got the same problem here, pipes blocked, dishwasher tablets don't appear to be fully dissolving I'd guess by what I found coming out of the pipe once I started clearing it, yet they start dissolving in water only once we press our finger on them, not just by being in a stream of water. Going to try dishwasher gel next.

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Reply to
Its Getting Late

Yes it is the powdered/pods that is plugging the drains From your kitchen! What a mess! Pulled all lines and replaced! Low flow Water efficiency dishwashers and powder or powder pods! It will be liquid dishwasher liquid for us from now on!!

Reply to
woody1roz

I'm having this exact same issue.

White pasty cement consistency that builds up on the dishwasher drain spout.

I actually had to pick away at it with a screwdriver and it broke one of my smaller screwdrivers.

I just did a new renovation and after a week the stuff built up to the point that it clogged and my dishwasher pump couldn't push out the water.

I thought maybe it was the powder dishwasher detergent

Any help is much appreciated

Reply to
zecevic.danny

As what?

You have got salt in the dishwasher's softener haven't you?

Andy

Reply to
Vir Campestris

replying to woody1roz, Rufus wrote: I have just spent time today removing chunks of congealed fat from blocked drain - look identical to pics above. Hardly ever eat meat and never pour left over oil down sink, so certain the issue is my dishwasher tablets. Tablets are cheaper than powder but now switching to see if it makes a difference to drains.

Reply to
Rufus

same chemicals.

Reply to
tabbypurr

I agree. The clumps of white stuff surfacing from my U bend cant be fat based. As a vegetarian hardly any solid fats in my diet. Although it looks and feels greasy, and floats, I kept a couple of pieces which have now dried out to a white crumbly lump which very much resembles the contents of the dishwasher sachets. However unintuitive it seems.

Reply to
Zap Zenn

Yes it definitely will congeal into a hard solid white mass of powdered soap. I just cleaned my P traps and pipes by breaking off chunks of it with a large screwdriver. Pipes drain fine now!

Reply to
george

6 years later and it is still clogged.
Reply to
jon

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