2025-10-06 – Weekly Plumbing News : Why wipes jam at the second 45° bend

Last week centered on water conservation and practical field fixes. Members compared real-world water savings from dual-flush vs. pressure-assist toilets, and traded recommendations on CEUs covering water reuse and smart water systems. On the troubleshooting side, threads tackled intermittent sewer odors under sinks, why wipes collect at a second 45, and a few head-scratchers from midnight burst repairs to a stubborn toilet with “terms.” Hiring chatter continued with two remote-focused job roundups, including a Plumbing Sales Manager role.


This Week’s Hot Topics

  • Dual-flush or pressure-assist: bigger water saver
    Pros weighed lifetime water use against maintenance, misflushes, and user behavior—useful if you’re advising owners on replacements.
    Read more

  • 2025-10-02 – Weekly Plumbing Jobs: Plumbing Sales Manager in remote roles
    Snapshot of remote-friendly openings, compensation ranges, and what hiring managers are prioritizing for sales leadership.
    Read more

  • Another ‘just tee it in’ special
    A teardown of a shortcut tee that invited turbulence and callbacks—good reminder on fitting choice and flow direction.
    Read more

  • Why wipes pile at the second 45
    Field photos and flow talk: low-velocity segments, angle transitions, and how long-sweep fittings or layout tweaks prevent hang-ups.
    Read more

  • Best CEUs for water reuse and conservation
    Members shortlist providers covering graywater, stormwater reuse, and code updates that actually apply on the job.
    Read more

  • 2025-09-25 – Weekly Plumbing Jobs: Explore remote roles in plumbing
    Roundup of remote estimating, tech support, and training roles, with notes on credentials that help applicants stand out.
    Read more

  • Intermittent sewer smell under kitchen sink
    Checklist thread on AAVs, trap seal loss, tailpiece biofilm, and venting—step-by-step ways to pin it down.
    Read more

  • Toilet tried to negotiate terms
    A light title for a solid diagnosis: ghost flushes, weeping flappers, and when a full rebuild beats piecemeal parts.
    Read more

  • Fast burst-pipe fix at 2 a.m
    What worked under pressure: isolation strategy, temporary couplings vs. proper repair, and avoiding repeat failures.
    Read more

  • CEUs for smart water systems
    Courses on leak detection, submetering, and BMS integration—plus which ones deliver practical takeaways.
    Read more


Thanks for keeping the conversations practical and generous. If you’ve got a field photo, a tough diagnosis, or a course that genuinely helped, keep it coming—those details help everyone do better work.

On two service calls this summer, the “flushable” wipes kept snagging at the second 45 where the grade eased and the flow hugged the inner wall; swapping the back-to-back 45s for a long-sweep 90 and dropping a cleanout right after solved it. If you can’t repipe, bump the fall to about 3/8 in./ft. for a couple feet before the bend and clean up any hub burrs, but watch nearby trap seals.

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But saw this last month on a 3" ABS run — : a tiny solvent-drip ridge at the second 45 plus the grade easing to about 1/8" per foot let the wipes ride the inner wall and hang. I knocked down the ridge with a sanding mandrel through the cleanout and added a 10" straight between the 45s; if space is tight, @Guide, upsizing that short segment has bought me margin without a full rework.

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Camera on a call showed wipes piling just downstream of a paired 45; the real culprit was a hanger tight to the fitting that ovalized the pipe and left a tiny shelf. I slid the strap back 18", swapped in a long-turn, and chamfered the cuts so the solvent bead sat flush — no more snags. If you can’t repipe, @Casey, at least move the support and add a cleanout there to make the inevitable easier.

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