Clogged basement floor drain, sludge, misery, hopelessness, fear

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artificialj

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So I bought a house about 8 months ago. Built in 1939 (in case it's important). Everything seemed fine with plumbing until about 2 weeks ago, when I discovered that the basement floor drain had overflowed. Everything from the first and second floors was coming up onto the basement floor.

I called a drain cleaning company, and someone came out and tried to snake the line without success. They told me to call the city, so I had a city guy come over and snake the line from the main cleanout in the central stack all the way to the street. He said that it felt really sludgy, but was able to get a little flow going. Was able to use shower and bathroom for about a week.

Then, on the 23rd, blockage returned, basement floor drain overflowed again. The city came back out and tried re-snaking without success. So they dug a hole in the street, saw no problem, and ran a camera up the line from the street to where the line hit my house. Completely clear, no roots, nothing. Problem seems to be in the house.

So on the 27th (after having no drainage for 4 days) I called a plumbing company who my neighbors recommended. They sent out some drain guys who worked for 6 hours trying to snake every possible entrance. They said that the only minor success they were having was by hose clamping a rag on the end of a snake and using it to ram the sludge out, but even so, only had very minor results.

They said that they think the line under my basement may have settled and is now running the wrong way, and that there is some serious sludge buildup that, although they can snake through, seems to close itself back up.

The only solutions they offered were water jetting the line, to clear out the current sludge, or digging up the basement and correcting the pipe that is sloped the wrong way. Either way seems fairly expensive.

If they water jet the line, won't it just get more sludge buildup in the future? Any idea on how long this temporary fix would last?

What if I just use some wingnut rubber caps on all the drains in the basement? Will the crap just come out upstairs? Or will the weight of the water force stuff to run uphill past the hump, and out into the sewers?

Please, I would love any advice. I feel sort of like my life is on hold, unable to even wash my hands without fear of it all ending up on the basement floor.

Thanks,
Jay
 

Gary Swart

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You have a lot of good questions that we can't answer. Even plumbers on site apparently are having difficulty. Of all the possibilities, I think jetting the line would be your next step. I can't imagine that jetting would be extremely expensive, certainly not as much as breaking up the floor and replacing the drain. My city jets their sewer lines all the time. Jetting will not back water up into you house, and how long it will last is one of the several unknowns. It is entirely possible that replacing the line may be the ultimate answer, but I wouldn't jump to that just yet. Let the pros on site work on the problem.
 

artificialj

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Ok, so some new questions, and hopefully some more responses.

So, before this whole backup thing started, I noticed that whenever the first floor toilet was flushed, the toilet in the basement would make gurgling sounds, and bubble up. I keep reading that sound as a sign of a clogged vent system.

Could this be from the clogged drain, or is the clogged drain a symptom of a clogged vent? How can I tell if my vent is clogged?
 

Arfeller

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I'm not sure what others think. But I would be interested in other opinions on floor drains in basements? I have an older house (1922) and it also had a floor drain in the basement attached to the main sewer line. I was worried a bout the sewer backing up and flooding my basement. I ended up plugging this line and adding a sump pump with a check valve. Now, i don't have any other plumbing in the basement where it sounds like this poster does. So i guess if the floor drain in plugged up then it would just head to the next lowest point. I guess this would also happen in my house but at least I would have about 10 feet of head to help me....

Anyway... what is the general consensus on floor drains?
 

artificialj

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Just thought I'd update. I removed the basement toilet and bathroom sink, and plugged both of those drains, along with the floor drain that was overflowing. I left the laundry sink unplugged, so I guess, since that is the next lowest point, that I will see an overflow into the washtub there before it makes it up to the first floor. Or maybe it'll just blow my plug out of the floor drain...
 

Cacher_Chick

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Unfortunately, that is not a very good resolution. But I didn't need to tell you that.

Why not get a pro in there with a camera to see what is going on?
 

artificialj

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Unfortunately, that is not a very good resolution. But I didn't need to tell you that.

Why not get a pro in there with a camera to see what is going on?

Haha, yeah, I know it's not a very good solution, but no one has offered much opinion on the 3 possible fixes I listed in the first post, or the possible vent complication in my subsequent post. So I decided to try the easiest possible fix first.

I did have a sorta pro inside with a camera, and all he had to say was that the pipe looked extremely sludgy, and that it may, possibly, have settled and be running the wrong way. I mean, I know that the ultimate solution to that sort of problem is going to be digging up the floor and replacing the pipe, I was just hoping that someone might have some insight into the possibility of using the weight of water in the pipes to push stuff over this hump and out to the sewer.
 

hj

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A camera will be completely USELESS, if there is water in the pipe, which appears to be the case here. I am not there so I have to take their word for it that the various companies were more interested in clearing the line than selling them a new sewer, which is not always the case. Here, the city does NOTHING to the pipe from the house to their main, and probably would not know what to do it they were asked to do it. Until I know the exact situation, I would not even attempt to make a recommendation. The "weight of the water" may push THROUGH the obstruction, but would probably not remove it. The only significant about 1939 is that the pipes under the floor could be clay tile rather than cast iron.
 

BSA_Bob

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I have seen over the years.At times there will be two cleanouts near where your line under the floor goes out of the wall[under]ones a storm drain cleanout.And never never stick a rag down in a sewer Your just askng for more trouble.Don't call plumbers, Have a sewer cleaner wrok on it for you., my dad was one for 35 years. i'm a plumber.and plumbers don't know much about the older sewers,Cameras are added expense. You always have some options before you work on a sewer.

You need to have a small steel cutting blade put as far thru your sewer line as possible. The let it run------- when you can't push it any farther. If the lines shifted, or broken, the blade will come back polished up.It will i've seen it .

Once your cable is out in the sewer to the stoppage---------turn it off step it off [measure]You can dig down and come within two feet of your problem. Now as was said here, your sewer lines could be crock .thats a bad deal. Start digging cause you wasting your time on the , present sewer.

This btw is all 4" we are talking about.

Now !!! you can get a bag [blow bag] shove it and the hose .down the sewer. There can't be a trap, where you start, you 'll neve get it past the trap. You need to find where a "y"connection, in the baement. Start there.push the hose as far in as possible.And turn it on and wait. water won't come back. once the bag fills up.takes a minute or two.

Next idea ---I would try. Is when the blade is pulled back.look for any trace of roots on the blade.I have seen my dad pull back 6 squirrels one time that went down a roof vent ...probably playing and chased each other to far.:D.I have also seen slugs of roots, 5 feet long broken loose and pulled back on the blade.


Here are a few things to try. I think you should hunt for the oldest "sewer cleaning business in the book. These guys will know their stuff.Ask others who they have had out, in the past. Go by refferals on this type of job.My dad had most of his work by refferals. This sewer stuff can get expensive fast with the wrong guys doing the work.
Where i live the sidewalk was the cut -off line , Anything past the sidewalk, you could get the city to pay for, [replacement of their end ]of it was township same way.Or they would pay the bill. measuring was a critical decision years ago.
If this don't help you any. please feel free to email me at scharpr@ymail.comThersres so many ways to do this, One last thing this old house, may have had what they call "orangeberg" pipe installed in the main line from house to the street. this type of pipe would flatten out. so much it would describe your sewer. I am in lower michigan good luck bob s please forgive my typing a i am retired
 
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