X-Post from DIY (UPDATE 1/8 WARNING BELOW)

[IrishAyes]

Last edited Wed Jan 8, 2014, 09:14 AM - Edit history (1)

1/8/2014 WARNING: If you put more than the tiniest bit of de-icing salt in an open ice-jammed exit pipe, you're likely to compound your problems rather than solve them. IT CLUMPS. ONLY USE NON-TOXIC LIQUID ANTI-FREEZE. I'll never forgive myself if my bad advice causes anyone else more problems than they started with.
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Since DIY (done right) is the soul of thrift and efficiency, I thought I should share an excellent website I found with this group as well.

Removeandreplace.com - where I grew giddy just reading the subject titles. One especially good tip I picked up about telemarketers who ignore the DO NOT CALL list; when you're talking to them, press and hold down the number 9 pad on your phone. This sends a message to the other phone to remove you from their call list. I imagine it would work with legal callers such as charities and political organizations too, if indeed it works at all. Worth a try. Lots of other good stuff there too.

In this extra hard winter, my notorious washing machine exit pipe trap managed to form another ice jam. The previous successful methods did nothing to help. Then I found the most remarkable solution: de-icing salt, preferably the non-toxic kind. That's guaranteed to find its way to the ice jam and undo it. I'm so happy after almost a week of no laundry that I feel like doing a Snoopy jig. In a couple days when I can get to the store, my woes will be over. After that, when severe freezes threaten, a half cup of non-toxic RV antifreeze to nestle in the trap will keep it safe. What a relief.

(update) The ice melt salt is in the exit pipe now. Hope it works its magic soon. If not I'll be reduced to using a public laundromat, both expensive and disagreeable to me. Even when adding a bit of vinegar to the rinse, I don't feel they're all that sanitary. I don't use public pools either, no matter how much chlorine they use, you know what some people are gonna do.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Well, now that I have wasted a lot of time,

and I am exhausted from all the work that I was thinking I should do, I will admit that this is a fun site.

[IrishAyes]

2. I didn't want anyone from either group to miss it, I love it that much. Never know what you'll

find just browsing; remember to bookmark it for later.

So far I think the de-icing salt is working, even though more slowly than I'd prefer. My turkey baster will only go so far down the pipe to suck up water. Every so often I'll go and check, and there'll be more water in the pipe. Except for the times I get impatient and pour boiling water down there, and siphon it out a couple hours later, the water must come from melting ice. Hopefully. That's the only thing that makes sense to me. Sooner or later enough ice will melt to let water go through on its merry way instead of back up the pipe.