Check out some similar questions!

ccmabel4 · Jan 29, 2006, 10:37 AM

For the last several weeks air has been on and off bubbling in toilets and shower drains. When no other water is running. The toilets at times are slow to drain but completely flush or back up. They seem to work fine for several days after being plunged or having chemicals and snaking done to the shower drain. The cap to the main line was found to be cracked and leaking in my back yard. I fixed that and things seemed fine now I can not flush at all.I tried to take the cap back off and snake from there but a lot of sewage came out. I just recapped it. All household water backs up. Also there is some leaking water where the basement water connects to the mainline. The laundry is really the only water to come out of the basement.

speedball1 · Jan 29, 2006, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by ccmabel4

for the last several wks air has been on and off bubbling in toilets and shower drains. when no other water is running. the toilets at times are slow to drain but completely flush or back up. they seem to work fine for several days after being plunged or having chemicals and snaking done to the shower drain. The cap to the main line was found to be cracked and leaking in my back yard. I fixed that and things seemed fine now I can not flush at all.I tried to take the cap back off and snake from there but alot of sewage came out. I just recapped it. All household water backs up. Also there is some leaking water where the basement water connects to the mainline. The laundry is really the only water to come out of the basement.

Hi Mabel,

By saying, "I tried to take the cap back off and snake from there but alot of sewage came out." You have just put the blockage between the sewer clean out and whatever it connects into.
Are you on a septic tank or city sewer? If you're on a septic tank see if it needs to be pumped and if you're on city sewer Snake the line from the clean out to the street. Regards, Tom

ccmabel4 · Jan 29, 2006, 01:42 PM

It is a city line. There is another house between me and the street. I have a very large tree in the backyard could this be the source of my problems.

speedball1 · Jan 29, 2006, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by ccmabel4

it is a city line. there is another house between me and the street. I have a very large tree in the backyard could this be the source of my problems.

Hi Mabel,

If you have a another house on your sewer line have you contacted them to find out if they are having trouble also? You don't have any choice here. You have to have your sewer line snaked out. If the auger comes back covered with roots note how far out it was. If roots are the cause of the blockage then the sewer pipe may be cracked or a joint opened up.
If you supect roots after the sewer has been cleared let me give you some ways to hold down root penetration.
RootX or Robics Foaming Root Killer that contain Dichlobrnic are two products you could try.
A less expensive way would be to call around to garden supply stores and ask for fine grain Copper Sulphate. Put a 1/2 pound in your toilet and flush it down. Repeat in 6 months.
Hope this helps, Tom