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Any help would be appreciated. My house is over 80yrs old, has never really given me any problems until now. My basement and main drain are clogged, and only found this out when running the washing machine. I have been lucky that one of the bathrooms run through a different line. A friend who is a master plumber snaked the line from the inside and outside of house, but still can't break through the clog which seems to be in the t/bend out to the street (I think is what he said). He suggested I get a company to jet the line, he doesn't have this equipment, but from what i've found it's extrememely expensive. Any suggestions on a cleaner to break up this clog, or anything else? Thank you ever much!
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What type of snake did he use and you say he went from outside in, then Im assuming where he snaked from was dry and not backed up with sewage and that he could see that the snake went in the direction of the house and not out to the main. They use to install whole house p traps on the main sewer line on houses and the snake may not be able to bend enough to go thru the trap. -
He used a 60ft (or 50) electric snake from the plumbing business where he works. He cut the old main pipe in my basement, put in a new T for easy access, snaked that way out to the main pipe in my front yard. Then brought the snake outside, and snaked the main pipe back into the house, but was only able to go 30ft, and hit either the clog or the bend into the main sewer line. The snake brought a lot of stuff up (old sewer mice in particular) quite disgusting, yes, there was standing water still there, but wasn't able to get to the clog dislodged. Ugh, i'm just overwhelmed!Comment
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houses 80 yrs plus have the waste line usually baked tile pipe of the hub and spigot designwith little or nothing in the hubs. they're just laid end to inside hub end. you said he got into the outside pipe. he must've dug down quite a ways to access the clay pipe!the snake with a large "wad cutter" should've been able to pull a lot of crap out of there. roots have a habit of invading the hubs for a source of water - this is probably what you have but repeated snaking(s) should eventually clear it.Comment
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If the snake comes back with tree roots wraped around it the trouble is roots, if repeated trys wont unclog it then the snake isnt big enough or the pipe has collapsed. My roto router has a 3/4 inch cable with a steel cable inside the coils its great for cutting out roots but will not go thru a p trap or if someone installed a short bend t fitting then I have to install a 3 foot lead without the inner cable to get it to go around the bend. If the plumber used a snake with a cutter installed and the pipe has collapsed every time you try to roto the cable will get caught at the same point and and you will need to pull on the cable to get it loose I cut a root out of a pipe that was 6 inches around nand 5 feet long and it took 2 1/2 hours to do it so sometimes you need to just keep cutting until it releases.Comment
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A popular plumbing company came today
Ok, so I will never call them again! Of course the guy put a snake down, yes, he hit the clog just where my friend said it was (I thought he would use and electric eel, or something else since I said we've snaked it) so when he hits the clog, says...oh it's most likely a broken line, we will give you a quote to did this up, and yet, may not be able to find where the break is, or we can sewerjet it for $1000! I'm floored, it's still not fixed, and i'm thinking of plan C D and E...Thank you to everyone for your comments. I don't think it's tree roots since he brought up old (yes, tampons that my daughter has been flushing)! I give every guy credit who is able to do this..being a woman is sometimes limiting..i'll readily admit. Thanks again all.Comment
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last recourse would be to put a remotely controlled camera down there to see exactly what you are dealing with. yeah it'll cost you a few bucks, but wouldn't you really like to know what the problem is? AND afterwards find out the best action to eliminate the problem - the clog is still there!Comment
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The guy from the plumbing company said he could do that, but didn't know if he would for sure be able to see what it is, so the only guarantee would be to dig it up, which i'm not ready to do yet; or pressure wash it. I did call my plumber friend this am, and he told me to call around and find out if anyone rents a large enough pressure wash, and he will do it for me. So i'm moving onto that next.Comment
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I had a house in Massachusetts that had a clay drain out to the street. Inside the house it was all cast iron to about 6 feet out under the foundation and it switched to clay tile. I dug down about 6 feet and found the top wall had collapsed about 8 feet out from the house and the big maple out from was using it for its water supply. the root was about 4 inches in diameter and had extended down stream about five feet. I got a back hoe and dug up the whole length out to the main waste line. four more sections had collapsed under the soil. I replaced the whole drain with 4 inch plastic to the hub and spigot of the cast iron. whole thing including back how was about $8000 but I have the peace of mind no roots are gonna invade my system again!Comment
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Eventually, I may have to do that, however, this is the first time i've had a problem, and there aren't any trees on my property or my neighbors..so, in your opinion let me ask, seeing that for about 3yrs my daughter has been flushing tampons, and the times that the drain has been snaked that's what has been found, honestly about 25 were brought up. don't you think it's a really bad clog? That's what i'm banking on and hoping that sewerwashing it will release it?Comment
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