Help! Trap under slab?

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JohnCT

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I have a commercial concrete block building built in the 1950s. There is no basement, just a concrete slab. My tenant just came over because his toilet was completely backed up. Plunging has zero effect. I went back to my shop and flushed my toilet and found that is backed up as well. Plunging my side didn't help either.

Would there be a trap necessarily? If so, would be outside the building, perhaps in the back?

I've owned the building about 40 years and never had any problem with plumbing.

John

EDIT: There is no bathtub or shower, just two toilets and two sinks. The two bathrooms are located at the back of the building, and there is a vent pipe that exits the building on the right side front about a foot off the ground.
 
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Terry

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It sounds like a main line back up.
You may want to remove any "flushable wipes" that are in the building. Those are becoming a huge problem lately as they don't break down and stick to the pipes. Both toilets normally means someone that operates a snake is needed.
 

JohnCT

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It sounds like a main line back up.
You may want to remove any "flushable wipes" that are in the building. Those are becoming a huge problem lately as they don't break down and stick to the pipes. Both toilets normally means someone that operates a snake is needed.

Thanks Terry. No flushable wipe fixtures, although the tenants are new, so who knows if they bring their own?

Do you think there might be a trap outside somewhere, or is it possible it's a straight shot to the street?

John
 

Terry

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Do you think there might be a trap outside somewhere, or is it possible it's a straight shot to the street?

John

Some places have a trap, that's a local thing. Whoever does snaking there will know. I would never recommend anybody but a pro to do that kind of work. It's a bit scary with the spinning cage and the twisting cable running through your hands. They have a "kill switch" to to prevent something really bad from happening. That needs to be handy though.
 

JohnCT

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Thanks. I have a long powered corkscrew snake my dad bought many years ago, but I think I'm going to call a pro for this.

I appreciate the advice.

John
 

Jadnashua

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A toilet's trap is inside of the toilet, but some sewer lines have a main trap.
 

JohnCT

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So here's what happened. I had a 9AM appointment with the rooter dude (not official title). I got in about 8:30 and plunged again to no effect. I then went outside the building and plugged the vent with a plastic bag filled with paper to hopefully build pressure for the plunging, but still couldn't force the water down the bowl with the plunger.

Rooter dude shows up, flushes the toilet on my side, and down it goes... ???

We go into my tentant's unit and that flushes but sluggishly. He instructs me to go flush the main toilet once again while he observed the tenant toilet and this time my side backs up and overflows. I show him the outside vent and how I plugged it, he removes the plug, and we hear water rushing loudly. He says it must be clear if we can hear it like that.

Sure enough, we go back and now both bowls flush normally. I must have cleared the obstruction after I plunged with the vent blocked, but it also became air bound by my vent plug.

Had I removed the vent plug after I plunged I would have been fine. Still, I'm glad I only had to pay for his house call of $120 and not have to worry about excavating either the driveway or slab.

John
 
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