Blocked waste pipes (1 Viewer)

Aug 19, 2009
228
155
Leicestershire
Funster No
8,065
MH
A class
Exp
2008
I am new to owning a motorhome I have a Rapido 997M. The drain from the shower to the waste tank is blocked and emptying the hand basin in the bathroom is ridiculously slow. Question: can I use a strong chemical drain clearer to sort this out or could I do some damage in the process, or can someone suggest another method. Thanks
 
Last edited:

chrisgreen

Funster
Jul 26, 2009
5,980
12,332
england
Funster No
7,663
MH
c class
Exp
since 2004
it might not be blocked,it might be air locked.
try filling the basin and draining off the tank as the basin emties if it suddenly go's away you have an air lock.
alot of motorhome suffer with slow draining sink's and showers, mine does.

chris
 
May 22, 2008
484
2
Funster No
2,775
I find with my van that draining is positional, my van drains best if it is slightly left hand down and nose high, maybe yours is the same, blocked pipes can be cleared with air pressure, try a sink plunger , fill the shower tray or sink with water and plunger the outlet, do it carefully though as you are dealing with fragile plastic usually, try a drop of bleach down the pipes too, or a propriety drain cleaner again take care as its plastic you are dealing with. Does your van have water traps under the sinks and shower?are they blocked?:thumb::thumb:
 
May 22, 2008
484
2
Funster No
2,775
Another method of clearing a blocked pipe in the Van you may like to try is ,get a length of curtain wire, you know the plastic coated wire that you hang net curtains on and thread this carefully through the blocked pipe as far as you can get it, this should start a flow that you could follow up with bleach or something ?:thumb::thumb::thumb:
 
7

7735

Deleted User
spongy

I am new to owning a motorhome I have a Rapido 997M. The drain from the shower to the waste tank is blocked and emptying the hand basin in the bathroom is ridiculously slow. Question: can I use a strong chemical drain clearer to sort this out or could I do some damage in the process, or can someone suggest another method. Thanks


I also have a rapido 966m my shower is ridiculously slow to empty and there does'nt appear to be any access to the trap. Not sure about using a chemical cleaner as they can react with plastic. Mine is going in to the dealer tommorrow to get the problem sorted ( hopefully) I will post later to let you know the result. Great motorhome though

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Nojazz

Free Member
Sep 27, 2009
27
0
Funster No
8,636
Go to your local musical instrument shop and buy a cleaner for trumpets and brass instruments. It comes as a long flexible cable with two small soft brushes, one each end. Does the job on blocked sinks!!!!!


Nojazz
 
7

7735

Deleted User
spongy

Go to your local musical instrument shop and buy a cleaner for trumpets and brass instruments. It comes as a long flexible cable with two small soft brushes, one each end. Does the job on blocked sinks!!!!!


Nojazz



i have enough trumpets in our bathroom
 

Spacerunner

Free Member
Apr 7, 2008
607
197
Hampshire
Funster No
2,082
MH
C Class
Exp
7
Check if your hand basin has a trap underneath. If so remove and clean. Although you most probably cant get to the shower drain trap the state of the basin trap will give you a good idea of the state of the shower drain.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

scotjimland

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 25, 2007
2,086
9,018
Suffolk Coastal District, UK
Funster No
15
MH
Timberland
Not sure about using a chemical cleaner as they can react with plastic.

proprietary drain cleaners are caustic based which doesn't attack plastic.. in fact, many come in plastic containers .. and 99% of domestic drains are plastic

however, caustic mixed with water heats up so care is needed not to melt the pipes.. use as instructed and it's perfectly safe.
 

lufcdave7

Free Member
May 12, 2009
163
2
Rochdale
Funster No
6,659
Exp
1 year
The pipe work might not be blocked. We had a similar problem, the fault was too much waste pipe hanging in the waste tank. Having gained access through the trap we discovered that the pipe entered the waste tank at the top, fell to the bottom of the tank then curled up about six inches. The result was that once the waste tank was half full the weight of waste water stopped any further draining. We cut back the pipe inside the tank leaving approximately 4/5 inches, now the water drains really fast!
 

Decmac

Free Member
May 17, 2008
50
3
Funster No
2,693
Blocked pipes

A kettle of boiling water sometimes works wonders.. if not hit it with any proprietary drain cleaner..

jim

No, do NOT try to free it with boiling water . . . it can do damage to the pipes as they are not as strong as household pipes. My manual says never to try this, even if you are trying to get rid of smells. Just try a cleaner, preferably one recommended for motorhomes.:RollEyes:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

scotjimland

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 25, 2007
2,086
9,018
Suffolk Coastal District, UK
Funster No
15
MH
Timberland
No, do NOT try to free it with boiling water . . . it can do damage to the pipes as they are not as strong as household pipes. My manual says never to try this, even if you are trying to get rid of smells. Just try a cleaner, preferably one recommended for motorhomes.:RollEyes:

Be a bit careful with boiling water into your pipes and shower trays etc. thermal shock and all that.:Eeek::Eeek:

don't do as I do, :Doh:

.... I forgot I have an RV with proper domestic waste piping .
 

wasp

Free Member
Dec 21, 2008
1,724
18,180
Warsop
Funster No
5,206
MH
None gone caravannin
Exp
15
Use a plunger carefully, I`ve got one that looks like a bike pump with a suction cup on the end and you just pump it ,and everything goes,:thumb: hope that helps :thumb::thumb::thumb:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
OP
OP
goneoff
Aug 19, 2009
228
155
Leicestershire
Funster No
8,065
MH
A class
Exp
2008
Blocked drain

I also have a rapido 966m my shower is ridiculously slow to empty and there does'nt appear to be any access to the trap. Not sure about using a chemical cleaner as they can react with plastic. Mine is going in to the dealer tommorrow to get the problem sorted ( hopefully) I will post later to let you know the result. Great motorhome though

Hi Thanks for taking the time to respond, will be interested to know how you get on and the price they charge.
 

Blisters

Free Member
Apr 2, 2008
597
4
Stoke on Trent
Funster No
2,042
MH
A Class
Exp
March 2006
As some one who deals in industrial chemical,s i.e strong acids n bases, i can tell you that if you use a strong caustic, it will attack certain plastics, by stripping them of the oils that keep them supple, and they become hard and brittle,

you are better off with a strong acid like Sulphuric acid ( this is available from builders merchant's) however if you use this it needs to be added little but often, i.e and egg cup full every hour for about 3 hours, if you pour to much in it gets extremely hot and this will mis'shape the pipes NEVER MIX THIS PRODUCT WITH BLEACH, IT PRODUCES MUSTARD GAS

The safest method is Biologically, try filling the system with warm water and adding a couple of scoupes of biological washing powder, drive rounnd for a few mins to aggitate, and leave over night, drain and rinse thoroughly, this should remove grease fat and hair

Also if it is blocked uo to the point that it backs up, there is a compressed gas aerosol with a rubber bung on the end, these work purely on pressure but work well, don't know where you get them from, but maybe to strong in a van
 

Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,821
71,977
Thetford Norfolk
Funster No
4,189
MH
C class, Chieftain
Exp
since 2006 ( I think ! )
After trying a pucka drain rodding spring ( like an industrial strength curtain wire ), plungers, taking as much apart as poss and just about every other clever thing I could, I finally toom my better half's advice and used Mr Muscle drain unblocker

Took a full 24 hours and a couple of doses ( it was sllllllloooooowly passing by whatever the blockage was ) but suddenly it all cleared and now the hand basin whooshes away as fast as the water can get down the plug !! ( well almost, but yo know what I mean ! ::bigsmile: )

That was when we first got the van.. Happy to report no further issues whatsover

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
OP
OP
goneoff
Aug 19, 2009
228
155
Leicestershire
Funster No
8,065
MH
A class
Exp
2008
As some one who deals in industrial chemical,s i.e strong acids n bases, i can tell you that if you use a strong caustic, it will attack certain plastics, by stripping them of the oils that keep them supple, and they become hard and brittle,

you are better off with a strong acid like Sulphuric acid ( this is available from builders merchant's) however if you use this it needs to be added little but often, i.e and egg cup full every hour for about 3 hours, if you pour to much in it gets extremely hot and this will mis'shape the pipes NEVER MIX THIS PRODUCT WITH BLEACH, IT PRODUCES MUSTARD GAS

The safest method is Biologically, try filling the system with warm water and adding a couple of scoupes of biological washing powder, drive rounnd for a few mins to aggitate, and leave over night, drain and rinse thoroughly, this should remove grease fat and hair

Also if it is blocked uo to the point that it backs up, there is a compressed gas aerosol with a rubber bung on the end, these work purely on pressure but work well, don't know where you get them from, but maybe to strong in a van

Really helpful many thanks
 
OP
OP
goneoff
Aug 19, 2009
228
155
Leicestershire
Funster No
8,065
MH
A class
Exp
2008
After trying a pucka drain rodding spring ( like an industrial strength curtain wire ), plungers, taking as much apart as poss and just about every other clever thing I could, I finally toom my better half's advice and used Mr Muscle drain unblocker

Took a full 24 hours and a couple of doses ( it was sllllllloooooowly passing by whatever the blockage was ) but suddenly it all cleared and now the hand basin whooshes away as fast as the water can get down the plug !! ( well almost, but yo know what I mean ! ::bigsmile: )

That was when we first got the van.. Happy to report no further issues whatsover

Many thanks
 
7

7735

Deleted User
spongy

Hi Thanks for taking the time to respond, will be interested to know how you get on and the price they charge.


took my 966m into the dealer today. I didnt realise but the middle of the trap just pulls out leaving you access to clean the trap and the pipework if required. Ours was blocked with crud. No charge as still under warranty. I dont know if your shower trap is the same but might be worth trying. Just pull the middle out. Good luck

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

bobandjanie

LIFE MEMBER
Apr 28, 2008
8,144
15,700
Javea, Spain
Funster No
2,360
MH
Pilote V600g
Exp
2007
Hi, when we have a FULL waste tank, we fill the sinks before letting it go, then take the plugs out............... and the draw it has really clears your traps and waste pipes.:winky:::bigsmile: Bob.
 

Kevmand

Free Member
Jul 16, 2017
47
26
Ripon
Funster No
49,497
MH
C class a class
Exp
Since 2015
I am new to owning a motorhome I have a Rapido 997M. The drain from the shower to the waste tank is blocked and emptying the hand basin in the bathroom is ridiculously slow. Question: can I use a strong chemical drain clearer to sort this out or could I do some damage in the process, or can someone suggest another method. Thanks
Do you still have your 997m were buying one and looking for the old owner reg starts Fx08.
 
Jun 8, 2019
4,931
18,759
Bexley Kent
Funster No
61,505
MH
Given up Motorhoming
Exp
May 2019
So do you want those old socks that you stuffed down the shower plug hole before you sold it?šŸ˜‚
 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top