fwrunner2020
New Member
i have a 95 year old 3in iron pipe running approx. 30ft under the basement floor from the laundry rm to the main sewer.
The line also serves the kitchen, directly above the laundry.
We have had trouble with blockages in this line for a long time, and once, we had a guy (semi-pro??) run a rooter through and told us his tool broke in the pipe.
We have had a (pro) drain guy roto-rooter the line on several occasions over the years. Each time the line runs OK for about a year, then gets clogged up again.
Now though, it is getting clogged more often, and with COVID, I hesitate to call the drain guy, but I think it's inevitable that we need to call him now. I know he will do his job safely, so there really isn't any worry. But... I have attempted on several occasions over the past couple of years to snake it myself with a 50ft 1/2in non-rotating snake.
I don't know whether a piece of a roto-rooter cutter is stuck in the pipe or what, but I have only been able to snake (using a 1/2in snake without rotation) it about 17ft from the cleanout in the laundry before it snags and will not go any farther, no matter what I do. When I begin to pull the snake out, it is stuck, and I have to pull really hard to get it out - but it does come out in one piece.
About 4 years ago, we had a contractor replace the stack and 10ft of the pipe under the laundry floor with PVC. That part of the pipe was completely blocked, and leaking. But the remainder is still the old iron.
I have successfully pushed the snake back-end (without coil) first into the line and had it all the way to the main sewer line (as observed from the sewer cleanout). When I did this, the snake did not become snared and I was able to pull it out easily. But of course snaking backwards will not clear as much of a clog as the correct way.
Also, my snake is 50ft with only that little slip-handle which you tighten the thumbscrew and try to twist, but it's useless in this respect.
I will call the drain guy, but I'm afraid he is going to break his snake in the pipe, so I will of course inform him that there might be something stuck in the pipe.
So I'm thinking: how likely is it that some DIY plumber got his roto cutter stuck in the pipe?
I have considered other reasons the snake is getting snagged. One is that there is a break in the pipe, and the coil end of the snake is catching on it. But the snake never comes back with dirt on it, and there is no leakage anywhere on the floor.
I have thought of using a sewer camera to see what is down there, but I'm afraid that the camera will become obscured with grease or whatever and not show me anything. It's about $100 to rent a camera.
Any thoughts on this?
Thanks
fwrunner
The line also serves the kitchen, directly above the laundry.
We have had trouble with blockages in this line for a long time, and once, we had a guy (semi-pro??) run a rooter through and told us his tool broke in the pipe.
We have had a (pro) drain guy roto-rooter the line on several occasions over the years. Each time the line runs OK for about a year, then gets clogged up again.
Now though, it is getting clogged more often, and with COVID, I hesitate to call the drain guy, but I think it's inevitable that we need to call him now. I know he will do his job safely, so there really isn't any worry. But... I have attempted on several occasions over the past couple of years to snake it myself with a 50ft 1/2in non-rotating snake.
I don't know whether a piece of a roto-rooter cutter is stuck in the pipe or what, but I have only been able to snake (using a 1/2in snake without rotation) it about 17ft from the cleanout in the laundry before it snags and will not go any farther, no matter what I do. When I begin to pull the snake out, it is stuck, and I have to pull really hard to get it out - but it does come out in one piece.
About 4 years ago, we had a contractor replace the stack and 10ft of the pipe under the laundry floor with PVC. That part of the pipe was completely blocked, and leaking. But the remainder is still the old iron.
I have successfully pushed the snake back-end (without coil) first into the line and had it all the way to the main sewer line (as observed from the sewer cleanout). When I did this, the snake did not become snared and I was able to pull it out easily. But of course snaking backwards will not clear as much of a clog as the correct way.
Also, my snake is 50ft with only that little slip-handle which you tighten the thumbscrew and try to twist, but it's useless in this respect.
I will call the drain guy, but I'm afraid he is going to break his snake in the pipe, so I will of course inform him that there might be something stuck in the pipe.
So I'm thinking: how likely is it that some DIY plumber got his roto cutter stuck in the pipe?
I have considered other reasons the snake is getting snagged. One is that there is a break in the pipe, and the coil end of the snake is catching on it. But the snake never comes back with dirt on it, and there is no leakage anywhere on the floor.
I have thought of using a sewer camera to see what is down there, but I'm afraid that the camera will become obscured with grease or whatever and not show me anything. It's about $100 to rent a camera.
Any thoughts on this?
Thanks
fwrunner
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