Clogged sewer line

[Mariano Runco]

Hi all.
This is my first post here. I have an old house (1969 cast iron pipes) that has the main sewer line clogged every month or so. I snake the line every time this happens but the clog comes back again. I bought a power washer (3100 PSI) and a small 1/4 sewer hose kit and hydrojetted the line but the problem still comes back. I finally rented a sewer inspection camera and I made a video of what I found. The thing in the video blocking the pipe is rock solid but I am not sure what it is. I think it's congealed grease that hardened over time. What do you guys think? Can I get rid of this hiring a professional hydro jetting company with the big machine? The snake goes around it and doesn't break it.

This is the link

Thanks

 

[Reach4]

I think you should get a sewer cleaning specialist in with a big machine and a full size cutter. I don't think this is a job for a jetter. I am not a pro.

Nice video. I really don't think it looks like grease, but rather some solid thing. It looks like metal to me, but it could be plastic.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Michael Young]

Hi all.
This is my first post here. I have an old house (1969 cast iron pipes) that has the main sewer line clogged every month or so. I snake the line every time this happens but the clog comes back again. I bought a power washer (3100 PSI) and a small 1/4 sewer hose kit and hydrojetted the line but the problem still comes back. I finally rented a sewer inspection camera and I made a video of what I found. The thing in the video blocking the pipe is rock solid but I am not sure what it is. I think it's congealed grease that hardened over time. What do you guys think? Can I get rid of this hiring a professional hydro jetting company with the big machine? The snake goes around it and doesn't break it.

This is the link

Thanks

It looks like a separation. You're going to have to great a shovel and dig down to it. Probably grab two ferncos and a makeup piece of pipe. Cut out the bad section and put it back together (sorry, easier said than done).

Good work with the cam BTW

 

[Cacher_Chick]

You need someone to go at it it with a commercial rodding machine. It may be a big flake of corrosion that has separated from the cast iron, or a broken chunk of clay tile. The rodder spins around and scours the walls of the pipe, breaking all of the loose bits free to wash down the line.

 

[Mariano Runco]

Thank you guys. I appreciate your comments.
If this is a separation from the cast iron do you think a commercial rodding machine can get rid of it or it's a waste of time to even try? I also don't want to dig up the yard unless it's absolutely necessary.

 

[Cacher_Chick]

I would give the rodder a shot first. If you look beyond the foreign object, it looks like there is a bad joint or another fitting coming in from the side right there. Where I am, the sewer lines are 5-20 feet deep, so I don't recommend digging unless is is the clearly the best choice.

 

[MACPLUMB]

that is a metal piece most likely coming down though the top of the pipe

 

[Mariano Runco]

that is a metal piece most likely coming down though the top of the pipe

Thank you for the comment. How is that possible? The pipe is 5 or 6 feet deep and there's nothing on top, just grass. How can a piece of metal get there?

 

[Dj2]

Thank you for the comment. How is that possible? The pipe is 5 or 6 feet deep and there's nothing on top, just grass. How can a piece of metal get there?

Chances are that it's not a piece from outside the pipe, but from inside.
This is after all a 50 year old pipe.

 

[Dj2]

I would get a drain specialist with his better machine to clear it.

 

[Mariano Runco]

I wanted to give an update about the problem in my sewer line. No amount of rodding with big a machine solved the problem. So I had to dig out a long section of cast iron and below is a photo of the object blocking the pipe. I am still not sure what it is or how it got there. It is a hard solid metal piece attached to the cast iron, but is not a separation from the pipe.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rl3DXbybZyWjUigMCLInMRdNkKeijlGE

 

[Cacher_Chick]

Good that you were able to resolve that.

Be glad that it's not -5F outside and that your pipe is not 15 feet below grade.