Unusual Clog

[fsuwolf]

House was built in 1946 so main sewer line is cast iron 6" pipe, the house has one bath, kitchen and utility room. Recently when the temps here in Orlando Fl drop below 55* the bathtub and toilet back up. When it warms back up to over 65* no back up occurs. I have poured a commercial drain opener down the drain, as well as a bottle of lye drain cleaner from Zep. Everything has been fine until this Tuesday when temps dropped again below 55* and the bathtub and toilet have backed up again.
Any suggestions as to what it my be, reading the post I though maybe it is a big grease clog in main drain that goes out the to street (since the bathroom toilet is connected directly to main line) I did run a garden hose with a high pressure nozell on the end from the kitchen clean out I installed a few years ago, I ran the hose all the way to the bathroom did not hit an clogs. So any help would be appreciated

 

[Cacher_Chick]

I would get the entire line rodded out or hydro-jetted all the way where it connects to the city sewer. If the line is truly 6", no garden hose or homeowner snake will completely clear the line.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Gary Swart]

Never put drain cleaners into you pipes. They will not clear a clog, but they can create a hazard for plumbers. As noted, you need a profession plumber to rod or jet the line clear to the street.

 

[hj]

I doubt that there has EVER been a single family residence with a 6" cast iron sewer, much less one with only one bathroom. Your diagnosis is somewhat illogical, if for no other reason than that a "cold snap" does NOT have any effect on the temperature of the ground around the sewer pipe.

 

[Nate R]

I doubt that there has EVER been a single family residence with a 6" cast iron sewer, much less one with only one bathroom.

Why not? Because it'd be concrete or clay? Or not 6"?

 

[fsuwolf]

Unusaul Clog

Nate,

Thanks, I did not reply to HJ because he seems to be like Yoda all knowing , but I have worked as a framing/trim carpenter for 13 years and do know the difference between a 4" pipe and a 6" pipe, The vent stack and main drain is 6" and the trap under the toilet is 4" I also did get the clog cleared with a garden hose, it took me about a half hour but it paid off.

 

[hj]

If the sewer and vent are 6" cast iron, someone paid a "fortune" for it. In many areas, because of velocity, and self scouring concerns, the city would not even ALLOW it to be installed. They seldom like drain piping to be "oversized". How about a picture of it, with a ruler to compare its size with.

 

[Hairyhosebib]

Hey Yoda! I grew up in an old farmhouse that had only one bathroom! Two parents and four boys. The bathroom and electricity were newer than the home itself. I new a Family that had a home in a small town that I grew up near (Mellott, Indiana, Flagtown USA) They did not have any indoor plumbing until the early or mid 1970's.