Plugged drains have me stumped

[JMac]

To start with, single story ranch on a cement slab. The main drain comes out the back wall approximately in line with the wall between bathroom and kitchen. Coming in from the back wall (based on where drain pipes go into the wall/floor) would be tub, kitchen sink, toilet, then single vanity. The house/original pipes are from early 70s. I know there was a major repipe done 10-20 years ago, but this was before my time so not sure exactly what was or was not redone. The pipes in the wall that I know of are PVC, and what is in the slab that I have seen is original cast.

Few weeks ago, was having issue with the toilet flushing, and as it had been 4 years, when ahead and had the septic tank pumped a couple of weeks ago. It really didn't need it, but as the guy was there, went ahead and had it pumped anyway. The toilet flushed a little better, but was still marginal. All of the drains seemed to be fine though. The pump guy said it could be a vent issue?

Now this past weekend, the tub became verrrrrry slow draining (it did drain on its own, but literally took hours). I ran a snake from the vanity starting between the trap and the wall, and got it to go 10 or so feet before it hit a hard stop (thinking a tee or wye I just couldn't get it by), and pulled back just nominal gunk and most of that from the first couple of feet in the wall. Put the trap back in, and now the vanity is backed up as bad as the tub.

The toilet still works as good as it was, and no issues at the kitchen sink.

Is there anything else I can try, or is it time to figure out how to pay a pro to do it? TIA

 

[Terry]

Normally on a tub you would snake from the upper overflow.
That allows you to run the snake from the vertical right through the P-trap.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hj]

From your description, assuming it is correct, you have two stoppages, otherwise the sink would drain into the tub when water drained from it.

 

[Reach4]

Is there anything else I can try, or is it time to figure out how to pay a pro to do it? TIA

It's time to get a pro that specializes in cleaning drains.

 

[JMac]

Would a vent blockage cause this? Or would that just cause the trap to be pulled empty (which isn't happening, at least on the vanity)?

Terry, I tried going through the tub overflow, but I could only get the snake to about even with the bottom of the tub before it hit something solid that I could not wiggle, twist, or jab it past.

Could I use air, or would I be more likely to cause worse issues?

Can a camera usually be rented inexpensively enough, or as I only need 15-20 feet at most, something usable bought inexpensively enough?

 

[Gary Swart]

It is understandable that cost is a concern for you. That's one big reason many of us DIY. However, there are some things that are beyond our abilities to do. Don't take this personally because we all have that point. When we reach that point, it is almost always best to recognize it and bite the bullet and call the pro. It usually costs less in the long run, is much quicker, and the job is done right the first time. Drain cleaning is one task best left to the pros.

 

[JMac]

OK, I have an appt for tomorrow morning. Now to see what comes of this.
Thanks guys for your input.

 

[Jadnashua]

A clogged vent typically does not prevent things from draining...it can cause things to siphon a trap dry.

 

[JMac]

Yeah, Jim, that is what I was thinking.
I see why I was having issues snaking the tub... I didn't realize how the stopper worked and was hitting that. I now know that for the next time I have to try to snake the tub.

 

[JMac]

I went with a local family owned business that I had dealt with in the past. Rates seemed reasonable, and he got the job done. Turns out it was 2 separate stoppages, which makes sense with the symptoms, just weird with the timing. And as a bonus, got the drain stopper in the tub fixed.