Wtf!?! Oh Yeah! It's On!

[Critter]

Have a clean out access to the pipe ? Use the snake to go back to the clog. Had that problem at my parents, to keep it from happening again, Put a plug at the end of the vent pipe, that involved a step ladder on a slanted roof.... Drilled holes in the plug so the pipe would vent.

 

[NSTG8R]

Have a clean out access to the pipe ? Use the snake to go back to the clog. Had that problem at my parents, to keep it from happening again, Put a plug at the end of the vent pipe, that involved a step ladder on a slanted roof.... Drilled holes in the plug so the pipe would vent.

Nope, no clean out. Apparently Pacific, MO has no building codes to speak of.

Leaving work early since it's supposed to rain the rest of the week. Got a "Plan C" in mind. I'll report back later.

 

[Ekh]

Got home after a long day at work yesterday, wife tells me the kitchen sink is backed up. Went to the store and got a jug of Liquid Plumber, dumped it in and let it sit overnight. Still clogged when I woke up. No problem, I'll swing by Lowe's on the way home and pick up a 25' sink snake. Ran the snake until it went all the way to the main vent stack...not draining. WTF?!o_O Didn't seem possible, but I was running out of feasible causes for it not draining. So I got up on the roof with a flashlight and looked down the vent connected to the kitchen sink...Holy Sh*t!! It's filled to the top with black walnuts!! Got out as many as I could, but it's apparently chocked full! This is going to be a messy job for sure. It's on an exterior wall, so it looks like the siding's coming down to get to it. The neighborhood squirrels have just made the 'hit list', and I've got just the thing to take care of them (JEBar knows). Bad enough they take one bite out of every vegetable growing in the garden, but now it's going to cost me time and money. Just what I wanted to do this weekend!

shop vac?

 

[NSTG8R]

shop vac?

The Shop Vac with a piece of conduit was 'Plan B' (after Liquid Plumber), but after some demolition found out there's a bend in the vent about counter height (CR*P!!) . Had to take off some siding and sheathing to access the other four black walnuts [GOT IT! , or so I thought]. Had the wife dump some water in the sink while I observed from out side looking down the cut vent pipe...still clogged!!o_O Ran the 25' snake down from outside figuring I'd have a straighter shot at my nemesis. Looks like the last nut is about 4' from the main vent stack...in a closet, behind the hot water tank. Getting ready to cut it now, just wanted to check the weather to make sure there's no gully washer's heading our way with the siding off. Took a pic of the carnage to the outside of the house, post it later [if I survive!]

 

[Ekh]

hope your insurance covers you against nut cases!

 

[JEBar]

hope your insurance covers you against nut cases!

 

[JEBar]

I think I've found just the piece of equipment you need to deal with the nuts .... the brought it into the CG today to find a leaking pipe that is burried among some serious power lines .... all you'd need to do is put some water down the vent pipe and then use the magnum suction to vacuum out the nuts .... only thing, they said the rig cost about 40 grand ..

 

[eddie66]

The Shop Vac with a piece of conduit was 'Plan B' (after Liquid Plumber), but after some demolition found out there's a bend in the vent about counter height (CR*P!!) . Had to take off some siding and sheathing to access the other four black walnuts [GOT IT! , or so I thought]. Had the wife dump some water in the sink while I observed from out side looking down the cut vent pipe...still clogged!!o_O Ran the 25' snake down from outside figuring I'd have a straighter shot at my nemesis. Looks like the last nut is about 4' from the main vent stack...in a closet, behind the hot water tank. Getting ready to cut it now, just wanted to check the weather to make sure there's no gully washer's heading our way with the siding off. Took a pic of the carnage to the outside of the house, post it later [if I survive!]

I once cleared a clog by pushing the snake into the clog, then cut it about two ft above the end of the pipe, put it into the Chuck of an electric drill and spin it through. Don't know about walnuts though. Good luck. Looking forward to seeing the pictures.

 

[NSTG8R]

hope your insurance covers you against nut cases!

Me too! 'Cause I was going 'nuts' trying to find the blockage!

Well...Success!! After 7 hours of tearing my house apart and putting it back together the sink is draining perfectly [and the crowd goes wild!] I didn't get a pick of the hell hole where the last of the dreaded black walnuts was. Wasn't having any fun at all at that point in the process. But here's a descent pic of the demolition required to retrieve nuts #5 thru #8 , #9 was located 20' downstream from the arrow [hell hole]. What a pain in the a$$!

Screening ALL the vents when I get off work tomorrow. I'm a live and let live kind of guy, and wouldn't kill anything I wouldn't eat...but they drew first blood. Wife's already looking over her old recipes.

 

[JEBar]

good to hear you've removed the block .... how do you plan to cap the vent pipe so that it will work and yet your furry friends can't make the same mess again