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GaryAce · Jul 28, 2007, 10:34 AM

I renovate & flip houses in the Houston area, it is not as easy as shown on TV. I am working on a house built in 2002 where the prior owner poured dry concrete mix down the stand-up shower drain as part of his retaliation at the bank forclosing. I have removed the residual concrete in the top 4 inches of the drain and first 90 bend but am looking for advice on how to efficiently get the rest of the hardened concrete out of the section that is past the second 90 degree turn. I am not sure if I have a P-trap or running trap under the slab connection to the main sewer line since there is an adjacent bathtub.

Does anyone have advice short of jack hammering up the slab? Is there any drain tool that can chip or grind away the concrete inside the pipe since it is not totally rock hard?

Gary

acetc · Jul 28, 2007, 12:31 PM

I have heard of a product called plumbers dynamite , check with a local plumbing supply and see what they say.

speedball1 · Jul 28, 2007, 01:01 PM

Plumbers dynamite is a sealant, like cement, that we use to seal off a open pipe to test our new drainaqge installations. This will only add to the blockage. You have a "P" trap under the slab and you have removed the cement from the raiser and part of the return bend in the trap. Too bad you went to the trouble because if the cement has run past the "J" bend you are out of options. The floor will have to come up and all the piping that's filled with cement replaced. Sorry! I wish that there were some magic potion you could pour down the drain to disolve the cement and flush it away. Unfortunately there isn't. Good luck, Tom

stew_1962 · Jul 29, 2007, 01:21 PM

You need to confirm how far the cement goes. Might call the rotorooter company to use a camera. Don't know how far in they can go, but it might save you the hassle of jacking up the WHOLE floor.

speedball1 · Jul 30, 2007, 05:29 AM

The camera will only go as far as the cement in the trap will let it. Some years back I was faced with the same problem. The contractor had poured hot tar in the tub dap out hole to seal it. This melted the PVC and allowed the tar to enter the trap and clog up the drain pipe. I had to jackhammer up the slab and replace the pipe up to the point that it was clear. Save your money on the camera. They're just going to tell you that the pipes that are packed solid with cement must be replaced. Good luck, Tom