melted candle wax in drain pipes

[dee]

A candle melted and leaked down into my washing machine. I thought
that I had it all removed but when I washed a load of clothes, the
draining water backed up into my tub and bathroom sink. There was red
candle wax all over the place. Needless to say now my bathroom and
washing machine drain pipes are stopped up. I've used 2 bottles of
sulfuric acid and this hasn't helped. Can anyone please tell me how to
dissolve the wax that is down in the pipes or please tell me how to fix
this problem.
Thanks

[John Lawrence]

Is there a "P" or "S" trap down stream from your washing machine? If so you
may have been lucky enough to have "traped" the wax in it. If so,
disassembly and cleaning may be easy. Good luck.

Post by dee
A candle melted and leaked down into my washing machine. I thought
that I had it all removed but when I washed a load of clothes, the
draining water backed up into my tub and bathroom sink. There was red
candle wax all over the place. Needless to say now my bathroom and
washing machine drain pipes are stopped up. I've used 2 bottles of
sulfuric acid and this hasn't helped. Can anyone please tell me how to
dissolve the wax that is down in the pipes or please tell me how to fix
this problem.
Thanks

[Speedy Jim]

Post by dee
A candle melted and leaked down into my washing machine. I thought
that I had it all removed but when I washed a load of clothes, the
draining water backed up into my tub and bathroom sink. There was red
candle wax all over the place. Needless to say now my bathroom and
washing machine drain pipes are stopped up. I've used 2 bottles of
sulfuric acid and this hasn't helped. Can anyone please tell me how to
dissolve the wax that is down in the pipes or please tell me how to fix
this problem.
Thanks

For real?

Chances are that the wax particles (solids, not liquid)
combined with the usual hair/soap mess found in drains
and delivered the final blow to what was already nearly
clogged.

My vote in this situation would be for a drain cleaning
machine. You *might* get away with a canister type
which fits on a drill or is hand-powered, but I doubt it.
After that, it means a professional-size auger.
If you're a determined DIY'er, the machine can be rented.

Jim

[pipedown]

Post by dee
A candle melted and leaked down into my washing machine. I thought
that I had it all removed but when I washed a load of clothes, the
draining water backed up into my tub and bathroom sink. There was red
candle wax all over the place. Needless to say now my bathroom and
washing machine drain pipes are stopped up. I've used 2 bottles of
sulfuric acid and this hasn't helped. Can anyone please tell me how to
dissolve the wax that is down in the pipes or please tell me how to fix
this problem.
Thanks

If all that is clogged is the drain outside of the washer, just use a
plumbing snake and try not to burn yourself on the sulphuric acid soup you
made. Almost nothing will dissolve wax at room temp at any kind of rate you
would want, you need to use mechanical means to scrape it.

If there is still acid pooling, pour in a box of baking soda to neutralize
it.

[Richard J Kinch]

Can anyone please tell me how to dissolve the wax

Petroleum distillates like mineral spirits dissolve paraffinic wax. But
you shouldn't put them down a drain.

[m Ransley]

Does sulfuric acid even disolve wax, I know Lundmark Wax remover does
and is safe unlike acid.

[Tom The Great]

Post by dee
A candle melted and leaked down into my washing machine. I thought
that I had it all removed but when I washed a load of clothes, the
draining water backed up into my tub and bathroom sink. There was red
candle wax all over the place. Needless to say now my bathroom and
washing machine drain pipes are stopped up. I've used 2 bottles of
sulfuric acid and this hasn't helped. Can anyone please tell me how to
dissolve the wax that is down in the pipes or please tell me how to fix
this problem.
Thanks

Sounds trollish.

tom

[EXT]

Post by Tom The Great

Post by dee
A candle melted and leaked down into my washing machine. I thought
that I had it all removed but when I washed a load of clothes, the
draining water backed up into my tub and bathroom sink. There was red
candle wax all over the place. Needless to say now my bathroom and
washing machine drain pipes are stopped up. I've used 2 bottles of
sulfuric acid and this hasn't helped. Can anyone please tell me how to
dissolve the wax that is down in the pipes or please tell me how to fix
this problem.
Thanks

Sounds trollish.

Yes, how did a candle melt and leak down into a washing machine, then how
did the melted wax get from the washing machine into the drain? At some
point it would have solidified in place long before it got into a drain.

[m***@UNLISTED.com]

Post by EXT

Post by Tom The Great

Post by dee
A candle melted and leaked down into my washing machine. I thought
that I had it all removed but when I washed a load of clothes, the
draining water backed up into my tub and bathroom sink. There was red
candle wax all over the place. Needless to say now my bathroom and
washing machine drain pipes are stopped up. I've used 2 bottles of
sulfuric acid and this hasn't helped. Can anyone please tell me how to
dissolve the wax that is down in the pipes or please tell me how to fix
this problem.
Thanks

Sounds trollish.

Yes, how did a candle melt and leak down into a washing machine, then how
did the melted wax get from the washing machine into the drain? At some
point it would have solidified in place long before it got into a drain.

I was thinking the same thing. Of course people do some really stupid
things at times, and this is one of the more stupid I have heard. If
it dripped in the machine it would have solidified upon hitting the
tub bottom, and scraping it out would be required. Aside from a few
loose particles during removal, none should have gotten in the drain
pipes, unless the guy scraped it loose and expected the machine to
"eat" the scrapings. It could be a coincidense that the drain plugged
at the same time too.

I could be nasty and suggest burning the house down. The heat would
melt the wax......

But I'll be nice tonite. A hand snake or power auger is probably the
only solution. If this is on a septic tank, the tank could be plugged
too, or a sewer line is clogged.

If other fixtures work in the house, then the clog is probably local
to that machine and surrrounding fixtures.

[Shane Hecker]

Post by m***@UNLISTED.com

Post by EXT

Post by Tom The Great

Post by dee
A candle melted and leaked down into my washing machine. I thought
that I had it all removed but when I washed a load of clothes, the
draining water backed up into my tub and bathroom sink. There was red
candle wax all over the place. Needless to say now my bathroom and
washing machine drain pipes are stopped up. I've used 2 bottles of
sulfuric acid and this hasn't helped. Can anyone please tell me how to
dissolve the wax that is down in the pipes or please tell me how to fix
this problem.
Thanks

Sounds trollish.

Yes, how did a candle melt and leak down into a washing machine, then how
did the melted wax get from the washing machine into the drain? At some
point it would have solidified in place long before it got into a drain.

I was thinking the same thing. Of course people do some really stupid
things at times, and this is one of the more stupid I have heard. If
it dripped in the machine it would have solidified upon hitting the
tub bottom, and scraping it out would be required. Aside from a few
loose particles during removal, none should have gotten in the drain
pipes, unless the guy scraped it loose and expected the machine to
"eat" the scrapings. It could be a coincidense that the drain plugged
at the same time too.
I could be nasty and suggest burning the house down. The heat would
melt the wax......
But I'll be nice tonite. A hand snake or power auger is probably the
only solution. If this is on a septic tank, the tank could be plugged
too, or a sewer line is clogged.
If other fixtures work in the house, then the clog is probably local
to that machine and surrrounding fixtures.

Speaking of candle wax, what temperature does it melt at? It is a bit of a
stretch, but some machines have a sanitize cycle which brings the water to
at least 150 degrees. Some wax is designed to melt, like the small plug in a
bottle of dishwasher cleaner, which melts at 135 degrees. I've never known
anyone to have this happen to them, let alone anyone who has put a candle in
a washer, but if this is true, what a freak accident.

[glenn P]

Completely troll - what a life...

Post by Tom The Great

Post by dee
A candle melted and leaked down into my washing machine. I thought
that I had it all removed but when I washed a load of clothes, the
draining water backed up into my tub and bathroom sink. There was red
candle wax all over the place. Needless to say now my bathroom and
washing machine drain pipes are stopped up. I've used 2 bottles of
sulfuric acid and this hasn't helped. Can anyone please tell me how to
dissolve the wax that is down in the pipes or please tell me how to fix
this problem.
Thanks

Sounds trollish.
tom