Today I talked to a plumber about some of his experiences cleaning drain lines.
I told him we use an airless spray gun to paint a house and then clean the gun in the bathtub of the vacant fixer upper home we’re working on.
I asked if this is okay and he said “sure just make sure you run a lot of water”
It’s my understanding this is what most painters do (clean the gun in the bathtub)
He said the paint will dry hard and plug the drain lines if you don’t run water
He said he had seen drain lines become completely plugged and have to be replaced if construction materials are run down the drain (paint, tile grout, caulking etc)
He reiterated that it is very important to run a lot of water down the drain because if you don’t the drain will plug up and it CAN’T BE CLEANED.
IT WIll HAVE TO BE REPLACED
He indicated the worst thing is grout, thinset, mastic, etc –
He said these SHOULD NOT BE WASHED DOWN THE DRAIN.
I guess I’m guilty of doing some of these things as I have probably cleaned up my bucket and tools in the sink or bath tub without thinking about what I’m really doing.
Replies
I don't think running a lot of water is even good enough. You may be able to keep the tubs traps and lines clear by running water, but if the house has a house trap, you wont be flowing enough to keep that clear, AND all that crud does nothing good for your septic system.(don't know sewers)
We run into this all the time working in areas where there is no place to clean outdoors. We generally resort to washing stuff off into 5 gallon buckets and letting it settle for an hour or so before dumping, and leaving the solids that accumulate in the bottom of the bucket there and trashing the bucket weekly. It's a royal PITA as we do tons of tile and tons of painting/drywall. Typically we don't even have access to a mop room, so it's either down the drain or no cleaning tools, and I can't get my head around using disposable brushes or trowels.
to jayzog too
If I'm doing a bad, I fill the tub and sink and then flush the toilet/repeat/repeat
Sometimes just can't be helped. I DO try to settle/consolidate the solids and take them home.
COLD water too. Never warm or hot.
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
Most of our jobs the toilets are tied into 5 or 6 inch risers and are within a foot, and lots are flushometers...so the toilet works pretty good.I do worry about the building trap, but last job the _building_ plumber dropped a HUGE cold chisel down the stack and decided not to tell anyone and leave it there. I'm pretty sure that will be the sticky wicket way before any construction debris accumulates in the trap, sides which at least it is accessable!Come to think of it, I shudder to think about the stuff apartment dwelling New Yorkers flush down the toilet.
I clean painting tools in my utility sink all the time. Run plenty of water and I've never had a problem. Plastering tools too, but I make sure to remove as much as possible first.
I don't wash masonry tools or anything that may have sand in it, in the utility sink. That stuff I take outside in a bucket and do it there. Have a good spot to dump it, where it's just old bricks and rubble anyway.
At a customers house I throw everything in a plastic bag and take it home to clean it, in my utility sink. Then I clean myself in my bathtub.
~ Ted W ~
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I will find a spot in the yard that will be the rinse off area for stuff like paint, grout, mortar... yeah there is just too much hassle trying to do these things in the tub or sink. If one has to be extra careful protecting the yard a used painters canvas makes a good catchall for mortar debris and whatnot. Grass rebounds really fast.
Although probably covered by your etc, I would add any setting compound, hot mud, durabond etc. That along with the thinset and grout will set up under water. I was working on a house and the laundry sink was really slow. Pulled the trap and it was almost solid with what appeared to be setting drywall mud.