Limescale in pipes

Nebbit

We recently had problems with water draining from the bath. I put in 'Mr Muscle' and similar drain unblocking products, to no avail. In the end I called in a plumber and he found the waste water pipe was blocked with solid limescale, almost like concrete. This has accumulated over 23 years since these pipes were put in. Does anyone know of a product you can put into drains to dissolve limescale? Vinegar? We live in an area with extremely hard water.

nofoollikeold

• 1. "Kilrock" limescale remover is preatty good. However:

• 1.1 You would need to block the other end of the drain, or itr will all run out without doing much good.

• 1.2 Only use it in very well ventilated conditions.

• 2. You would have to use a lot if the pipes are almost totally blocked, so look at the price first.

• 3. Might be cheaper to replace the pipes, depending on accessibility.

Nebbit

The problem is the waste water pipe leads to the main soil pipe. This is where the blockage was: you can see where the pipe was replaced. I don't know how to block the other end of these pipes.

bjorn_toby_wilde

If the pipe was replaced you don’t need to block the end. Just try to keep it clear in future with a bit of monthly maintenance. It lasted 23 years with nothing done to it after all.

I don’t think it’s hard water alone though. The pipe doesn’t look to have much fall on it so I’d guess it sludges because the water doesn’t flow through it fast enough to keep it clean.

If you get something like a Draper Drain Blaster (about £5), fill the basin with water and block its air vent/overflow with a rag then pump water through the pipe it will clear any sludge that’s sitting in there.

Nebbit

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81946695#Comment_81946695

This is what I was really asking for - a way of preventing future blockages from happening. As you can see on the picture, there is another waste pipe, which drains to sinks, and I am worried that this might get blocked too. So I will try one of those pumps. Thankyou

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81946802#Comment_81946802

I also don't think the problem is limescale. To get to the point where a pipe is getting blocked with limescale it is usually part of a hot water heating system in the area where heating is taking place. Sanitary pipework can develop a limescale-like material which is a form of scum - often the product of soap and hard water.

However, if the pipe has sufficient fall then the water shouldn't be in the pipe long enough for anything to deposit - so the question is whether your pipes do have enough fall (it isn't clear from the picture).

Pouring chemicals down the pipes might produce a short-term fix, but often is just literally pouring money down the drain. If there isn't sufficient fall on the pipes then the money would be better spent modifying them - there's no reason on your case why adequate fall can't be provided as there is nothing below the two pipes to limit this.

Is there a window above the sinks?

bjorn_toby_wilde

No problem. My parents have a basin with a waste running in boxing, about 2m long with hardly any fall. About every three months I can guarantee it will start to run slow and I clear it with one of those pumps.

The problem is a combination of hard water, soap residue etc. which just solidifies until slowly blocks the pipe.

Slinky

My OH used to use Gilette shaving gel. We had several blocked waste traps across the years, which invariably had a blue tinge to the gunk. It seems to set solid in the pipe when mixed with beard and soap scum. He now uses shaving foam and we don't have the problem anymore (plus our new sinks we deliberately don't have those stupid P traps, just old fashioned simple U bends).