I have this strange, odorless sticky orange/brown goo slowly oozing from the main sewer pipe out of the house in the basement. It has taken months, possibly years to biuld up, but has become noticeable recently. It looks like candle wax has been dripped on the side of the pipe. I had a plumber look at it today. He did not know what it was but said not to worry unless water leaking, or smelled like sewage. Any thoughts! :confused:

"I have this strange, odorless sticky orange/brown goo slowly oozing from the main sewer pipe out of the house in the basement."
Is this "oozing" out of a floor drain or a cleanout? Do you have a garbage disposal? How long have you lived in the house? When did you first notice it?
Let me know. Regards, Tom

The mystery ooze seems to be coming from a sealed connection area of two vertical legs of this large diameter sewage pipe running from the upstairs bathrooms down into the ground/sewer. The ooze is originating about 5 ft off the basement floor.
I do have a garbage disposal. The house was built in 1937. We have been here 8 yrs. Noticed it several months ago, but seems to be releasing small globs onto the floor now. Of course it is on the wall side of the pipe making it difficult to get a good look.
Thanks Tom,
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

After over 50 years in the trade and 5 years of answering questions on sites like these you've finally come up with a problem that I've never encoutered.
The connection,( and by the way what fitting is it and is it leaking out of the joint?) can't have a seal in the joint if it's leaking out of it.
The plumber said , "not to worry"? I would be very worried if a waste stack were oozing gunk out of a joint that's supposed to be air and water tight.
The first thing I would do is pour a bucket of boiling or the hotest water you can come up with and attempt to melt this substance and flush it out into the main by pouring it down the tub/shower drain. Next I'd get a plumber in that gives you more then "lip service" to tell me why I have a leak in a water tight joint. I can come up with a leak repair kit called Power Wrap that can seal the pipe joint if you wish. But to tell you "not to worry" and leave it at that is simply unacceptable. Let me know, Regards, Tom

I am rather embarrassed to say: but I think I may have solve the caseof the mystery goo... At one time I had a large bottle of liquid laundry detergent perched in a "Y" in this pipe, right above the problem area. I wonder now if that bottle leaked detergent onto the pipe and I just never noticed it before. I will clean it up, and see if it returns. I apologize for racking your brains unnecessarily:o
I appreciate your time and knowledge!
Jennifer

Well! That was a revelation, (speedball holds hand to mouth to hide a chuckle) I'll bet the plumber has a red face when you tell him what the cause was. I know mine would be, especially if I were on site and failed to look up. DUH!! Gheers Tom

Don't hate me for saying this , but maybe it's a fungi

Eeeeewwwww!! I sure hope not. I cleaned it up several months ago and there has been no recurrence. I am fairly certain that my laundry detergent theory, as embarrassing as it is, was correct after careful inspection. If it does return (I no longer keep the detergent there) I will remember to have it checked for fungi . Thank you for your input!
PS I wouldn't hate you, I would thank you for alerting me to a gross problem.
Jennifer

I have the same problem on my pipe. It sort of looks like a rust spot on the pipe that has grown something crusty. I'm on my phone right now. I wish I could post a picture.

Hi Upsaman   and welcome to The Plumbing Page at AskMeHelpDesk.com

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How do I add pictures and other file types to my post?
A. "Attach" files (including pictures) from your computer. This method puts the attached file below the text of the post.
Click on an Ask or Answer button to ask or answer a question
Compose your question or answer in the window.
Under the window where you composed your question or answer is a section called Additional Options.
Click on the Manage Attachments button: a pop-up dialog will open. NOTE: The Manage Attachments dialog lists the maximum sizes of the various types of files that may be attached.
Click the Browse button to navigate to the image on your computer and double click the file on your computer: this will return you to the dialog window.
Click the Upload button.
Click the link to close the dialog window OR repeat numbers 5 & 6 to attach another image.
B. "Embed" image(s) from the internet. This method inserts an image wherever you wish within the text of your post.
Click the Insert Image icon above the posting window: A pop-up asking for the URL will open.
Enter the URL of the image in the field then click the OK button.
Let's see whot you got!