Rinsing LECA... safe for bathtub drain?

[PaxTea]

I know you're supposed to rinse LECA before you use it, to remove dust from shipping.

Can I just dump the cloudy water down the bathtub drain? I live in an apartment, so I can't dump water outside.

I suppose I could dump water from the bucket into another bucket, and then pass the water through a filter of some kind (paper coffee filter in a berry colander?) to catch the clay so that I can put it in the trash...

However, that seems like (1) over-thinking it and (2) a lot of work.

I wouldn't be nervous, except that I once used a clay-based hair treatment that really did a number on the plumbing.

[ALToronto]

Get a remnant of polar fleece fabric and put it over the sink drain. Don't use the bathtub because its drain is not accessible. If later you notice that the sink drains slowly, you can remove the p-trap and clean it out.

[brn_thmbs]

just dump it down your toilet
no pun intended

[ALToronto]

Originally Posted by brn_thmbs

just dump it down your toilet
no pun intended

No, sediment like this is deadly to drains. If the building's drain clogs up and the source of the clog can be traced to you, you'll be looking at some serious $$$ in liability.

[PaxTea]

Fleece! I like it!

I also like the tip about using the sink so that you can clean the p-trap. Not that I know what a p-trap is... but I'll google it.

[ALToronto]

A p-trap is the U-shaped bend in the drain pipe under the sink. I don't know why it's not called a U-trap. To remove it, undo the threads at both ends.

It keeps sewer smells from getting into your home, and it also traps debris that might go down the drain. If you ever drop a ring in the sink, it will stay in the p-trap, and you will be able to retrieve it.

[PaxTea]

Got it! That makes sense. Thank you for the explanation!

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by ALToronto

A p-trap is the U-shaped bend in the drain pipe under the sink. I don't know why it's not called a U-trap.

In the UK it's known as the 'U bend'. I wasn't sure what was meant by p-trap so glad you explained it

[birdybrain]

I did pour my LECA rinse water down the bathtub drain. After the second batch of LECA it was definitely draining more slowly! I like the idea of using fleece as a filter. Thanks for the idea.