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So I'm trying to figure out how I can clean out this mysterious black gunk that is forming in all of my water pipes. It is in the actual pipes, and also creeping out in the flush holes of the toilet bowl, the drainer of my dish washer, my garbage disposal, sinks, etc. Would this have anything to do with a septic tank? Or would it strictly have to do with the house pipes just being old and never cleaned? I have a new water heater. Just wanting to know which steps to take. The pipes are obviously going to be starting to get really clogged up. I would like to take a more natural cleaning route, not really dangerous chemicals.
I just want to add, I just checked my bathroom that does not get used, that I have not checked in a while. Apparently at some point in time, water or black gunk or something came up in my bathtub that does not get used because the entire bottom is covered in blackish stuff. So I am guessing some sort of back up happened when I used a different thing like the other bathroom, the dishwasher, whatever. What is happening this is becoming really bad.
I think I've seen this black gunk you are describing. Months after moving into my house, I realized the kitchen sink was not draining well. A plumber came to snake it, but it clogged again. Next plumber came, but sink drained perfectly--hmpfh!
I had enough. I wanted a camera in the pipes. What this plumber found was that the pipes were very clogged. The camera went dark not too far down, so he suggested I hydrojet the line.
Day of hydrojetting--he stuck the probe down the kitchen pipe and a glob of pitch black muck shot up. I don't remember if it smelled, but after he hydrojet that line, the sink drained perfectly.
I never got black muck coming up the sink, toilet or anything -- thank the Lord.
So that's my suggestion--get a camera down there and/or hydrojet the line. Total cost was $550, but I paid cash, so he discounted $50.
I use a substance called Bio-Clean. It looks like malted milk powder. You mix it with water--shake well, it doesn't actually dissolve--and pour it down all your drains. Doesn't smell bad or anything. The ideal time is to do it when you won't be running the water, so that it can hang out in the pipes and eat as much yuck as possible. Seems to help, though basically I have to do it when we will be away overnight.
Do you have a shallow well or deep well or municipal water? It sounds like you may have mold. which will need to get sanitized out by shocking the well, or contacting the water supplier and having the mains jetted and water tested.
I just want to add, I just checked my bathroom that does not get used, that I have not checked in a while. Apparently at some point in time, water or black gunk or something came up in my bathtub that does not get used because the entire bottom is covered in blackish stuff. So I am guessing some sort of back up happened when I used a different thing like the other bathroom, the dishwasher, whatever. What is happening this is becoming really bad.
Sounds like cross contamination of fresh water and waste. If this is the case, you need professional plumbing and probably a visit to your doctor.
It could be a back-flow or anti-siphon failure somewhere. It could be a case of municipal crud in the systems but they should have heard from many others by now. But if you have this coming from the sewer drain lines and from your fresh water lines, you have some serious issues.
Stop drinking the water until you know what is going on!
A. Well there are several things happening. First, all the drain/pipes are developing this black slime/gunk. First noticed it in the toilet bowl where the water flushes into the bowl. Each of the holes would gradually have this black stuff creeping out. When you clean the toilet, it sortof flakes off, so doesnt really stick to the brush like slime, hard to describe. After that I noticed that the drain basket thing in the dishwasher was having similar looking things. Again, it is easy to clean off, sortof black in color, doesnt smell. Then if you look down in the kitchen sink with a flashlight, you can see a build up on the pipe walls that is this slimy stuff. Now the water is always clear from all things, toilet tank is clear and clean. Water coming out of all faucets including laundry, dishwasher, etc is clear. So this black stuff is obviously growing on or attaching to the pipes themselves, not free floating through the water. The hot water heater is clean and new. None of the black stuff comes loose with flushing of the toilet, or running the dishwasher. Only if you rub/brush it off, then it comes free pretty easily. I have not stuck anything down in the pipes like a snake yet.
B. So the problem I just had of the back up into the unused bathtub came from a problem a few houses over someone messed up the fire hydrant and the company shut off the water to fix it, then they turned it back on and told us to turn on all our faucets to push out the air and sediment that had gotten into the lines. While doing this, they broke another pipe a few houses over so we lost water again. Then when they got that fixed they told us we are on 48 boil water notice and to run water in all our faucets for 20 min to flush them. So while doing this last step, a lot of air came out, more than usual, and we already have this clogged pipes issue so I think that is what caused the bathtub to back up. Also, the wax seal on the toilet bowl gave out and flooded the bathroom. So that was fixed last night, and while replacing that, I noticed there is the black gunk in that pipe too. I've been checking today, and no leaks.
C. So a couple of questions about this. 1. I've seen the enzyme organic safe around children drain cleaner and septic tank cleaner that is basically good bacteria that eats the organic gunk but does not hurt the pipes or your tank or your children. So is this true? 2. Is there a way to know what condition your septic tank is in without calling a guy to come out and dig? For general care purposes and yearly maintanence. 3. The water knob outside the house that turns on/off your water to your whole house. When you have it on the "on" position, should this be a full on? Or should it be half way on, how much do you leave it turned to? 4. When cleaning out all of the pipes. Do I fully try to clean one at a time? Or is there a good order in which to clean them?
Thanks for the help.
Please call a plumber and the municipality. You are confusing waste lines and potable water lines, ascribing a replacement hot water heater as a possible cause of problems in cold water lines. All of this is incorrect and could cause you health issues. There is no need for you to try to be a plumber and understand everything, there IS a need for you to have SAFE potable and clean water coming in. I really would rather not say that you are unqualified, but the knowledge of the professionals is far greater than yours and could save you from serious illness.
There is nothing wrong with my water. It has been tested. I'm talking about cleaning my pipes and septic tank. Nothing more.
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