An odd request
Hello All,
I'm posting about something that a friend of mine, a 68 year-old, 100% totally & permanently disabled (as rated by the Veterans Administration) Vietnam combat veteran, asked me to help him with this evening. It is an embarrassing yet funny problem (*he* too can laugh about it, which is good), but last week it cost him $140 for a "Roto-Rooter" pipe cleaner to only partially correct it, and this week it is threatening to cost him another $140, which he won't have until his next VA disability benefit payment arrives. Here's the problem: He takes 17 different medications, and one side effect of them is that it makes his stools very hard. Compounding this problem are his bladder control problem, his great difficulty in walking even with a cane indoors, and his degenerative joint disease. Because he has no urination urge warning, he urinates in an old pitcher that he keeps close by, but because of his walking problem and the weakness in his arms (he was exposed to Agent Orange, industrial quantities of MEK, plus the fumes from electroplating chemicals in Vietnam), he can't carry it down the hallway to empty it into the toilet, where the urine-facilitated bacterial action would help to dissolve the solid waste (he empties the pitcher into the kitchen sink while running the faucet). After a week with a totally stopped-up toilet (he called his journeyman plumber nephew, but he didn't come for several days, and he wasn't able to "plunger" or "snake" out the hardened feces that had blocked the line. Last week he called a "Roto-Rooter" firm, which cleared the line (as it turned out, only partially). Tonight he told me that he is afraid to defecate in the toilet because it's running so slowly, and because now he doesn't have enough money to pay the "Roto-Rooter" place (or any other plumbing firm). Now: His nephew suggested that he start taking a stool softener, which he will when he has more money. He asked me if Drano (Drain-O?) might dissolve the fecal "plaque" inside the lines (they're PVC plastic), as he has some on hand. I seem to vaguely recall hearing or reading about some drain cleaner--which contains various enzymes--that can dissolve such hardened feces blockages. Can anyone here identify this product and confirm (or disconfirm) whether it works well? Plus, are there any other products that will dissolve feces blockages without harming PVC pipes? I should have just enough money left to buy him some (I too am between disability benefit payments, but they don't come from the Veterans Administration). For now, for him, it's back to using a bucket... :-( Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help!!! |
Hello Blackshire,
I can't say for certain, but I would try septic tank products like the one I found below. Good luck to you and your friend and may your troubles just flush away. :rolleyes: Septic tank |
Quote:
|
Jason, I'm not a plumber and never played one on TV. But I once had a similar problem which stemmed in part from when a bladder stone became lodged in my core burner's nozzle (courtesy in part from the VA) and would not come out, so I could not get rid of number one. I also could not get rid of numero two and became very constipated. Then I remembered the magnesium citrate that I had taken prior to my prostate surgery/bladder repairs. This stuff is fricken liquid plumber! So Marilyn went to the nearest pharmacy and got a bottle.
It wasn't a pretty sight. I'm talking about a Million Megaskunk Blast! Hours on the John and rolls of toilet paper later, the sewer line to the septic tank became clogged and sewage had backed up into the floor drain in the tub and shower. It's Sunday. It's easier to find a doctor than a plumber on Sunday, and we had 5 inches of fresh snow on the ground. I'm still stuck on number one and living with the aftermath of number two, which makes this number 12 on the Richter scale! Then I realized that it was just at freezing, 32 F, and that I should be able to blast the obstruction out of the sewer line via the clean out standpipes. So I go outside, drag the hose around to the standpipe and jamb it into the open end of the outflow pipe. I then wander back to the valve and turn it on full blast. When I return to the standpipe, I discover a mixture of Jenkem and toilet paper all over the fresh snow. (Meanwhile, I still haven't urinated properly and the pain is causing me to approach blackout mode.) Then, suddenly, a glimmer of hope! Shwash, suluck and phewy and away went the log jam! But wait, there's more! Back into the house, shivering from the cold, there's a huge mess in the bathroom that must be cleaned up and I'm now the fricken janitor! After another hour of this crap I really need a shower and some rest. I finally get back to civilization and receive the emergency surgery I needed to regain normal function on Monday or Tuesday. This wasn't the worst day of my life but it was way the hell ahead of whatever was in third place! Tell your friend that I feel his pain and I pray things work out for both of you. Ted |
Gosh,
I must be desperate to read any new post I can find ... :) However, just a word of warning. Magnesium citrate apparently can be a just a bit tough on the kidneys. I only have 1 kidney, and so my doctor plays it safe and prescribes something else for that visit every 5 years to get the examination with that big black snake. i wish I could take the magnesium citrate -- it is not too difficult to swallow. The prescription liquid I get is just plain horrid. Almost impossible to get the couple quarts down. |
There's a number of different "Liquid Plumber" type products that should help... some have "microbial action" or "enzymatic action" and some are just plain old strong alkalies (lye). None should hurt PVC (course that's assuming the mobile home has PVC... most of them (including mine) have "black PVC" which is actually ABS or some other plastic... which may be a good thing because usually the black stuff is more resistant to chemicals and slicker than even PVC.
Another thing you can try is "Rid-X", which is a microbial product used to help "supplement" the breakdown of solids in septic tanks... Basically you can dump it down the toilet, or mix it with warm water and then dump it in the toilet and flush. It should "seed" any encrustations in the lines with the bacteria, which will then multiply and help keep things "ate up" and moving. You can also mix up some bread yeast with some sugar and flour in warm water, let it set awhile, and flush that down the toilet... Thing is, while this might be a long-term solution, and should be "supplemented" with subsequent treatments, probably monthly I would think... but it's NOT going to be an instant fix... it will take time for it to work. A "foaming pipe snake" type material is probably the best for an 'instant fix' type situation... Another thing he might do, while not particularly pretty, but it would surely help-- after he goes #2, chop up the turd while it's still in the bowl with a toilet brush or something so that it's going down in small pieces. Also, flush the turd before "cleaning up" with the toilet paper, and if he's REALLY worried about things flowing properly, put the used toilet paper in a plastic trash bag/can beside the toilet and set it out with the regular trash. My folks were worried about their old septic tank being unable to "keep up" with their health-problem induced BM's and the extra paper that accompanied it, so they started bagging their used TP and burning it with the rest of the trash (we're in the country and don't have trash service unless you pay and independent contractor to pick it up, so we use a burn barrel). Their new house at Shiner has a good system, but I guess old habits die hard... they still bag their TP for some reason. A chopped up turd should flow down just fine... maybe use the plunger or a stick to just break the mullet up so it can make it around the bends easier... Also, since you said he's not using the toity for urination, he should probably flush the toilet an extra time or two every time he's in the bathroom... give it a good flush before going #2; this will wash anything down that might have "stopped along the way" ahead of his next "deposit", and then like I said, go doody and chop it up in the bowl with stick or toilet brush or whatever, and then flush that... then clean up with paper or whatnot and either flush the paper or like I said, to be extra sure, just bag the paper and set it out with the garbage... Hope this helps and best of luck... OL JR :) |
You know, one just can't get this kind of useful information over on TRF. :eek:
|
If a "pro" came out and snaked it but it's clogging again, he may have a cracked line that has allowed roots to infiltrate. It doesn't take much...roots love the extremely nutrient rich water.
There is no point in adding bacteria (Rid-X, Bio-Clean, etc) in conjunction with Drain-O or other chemicals. The chemicals will kill the beneficial bacteria and you've wasted your time and money. Don't use high concentrations of toilet cleaning chemicals or pour your ammonia or bleach fortified mop water in the toilet, either. |
The answer for your friend is contained in this thread..
http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=14717 And from this Dr. https://youtu.be/MEsl_3AV7Rs |
Drano (sodium hydroxide, caustic soda, lye ) WILL dissolve fecal matter.
So will other lye or potassium hydroxide (caustic potash, potassium lye) products. Potassium Hydroxide will destroy/liquefy organic/fecal matter a bit quicker than regular lye. Formaldehyde RV holding-tank solution also will dissolve it as well. |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:54 PM. |
Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.