I was running the washing machine the other night and all of a sudden both my tub and shower started backing up. As the washer was in the spin cycle and getting rid of all its water, the shower and tub continued to fill with water.

I shut the washer off and let things slowly drain until the next morning, most of the water had receded, but I was pretty sure the clog was still there. I tried some drain cleaner, but it did not work. But during the process, it was obvious that the clog was quite a ways down the line. After letting the drain cleaner work for some time and after beginning to flush with hot water, it took a good five to ten minutes for the length of the drain line to fill up and for me to figure out that the clog was still there.

After that, I started snaking from the shower drain (the lowest drain in the house and the first to back up). I snaked with a 25 foot 1/4" snake and never reached the obstruction. I then progressed to a 50 foot snake, still never reached the clog. When snaking, I only hit two elbows, one about 18" down and another a few inches after that. I called the utility to see if they could give me any insight on where my cleanout might be located and if they thought the clog might be on their line.

After talking with the utility they told me that my line connects with the house behind me, so since the neighbors are not complaining it's probably on my part of the line and still my responsibility.

Well, I did some measuring, from the drain on one side of the house to the furthest drain on the other side is only about 35 feet. So, I'm pretty confident that the snake is going in the right direction, i.e., towards the main line, or otherwise I would have hit another elbow. From my shower drain where I'm putting the snake in to my property line is only about 45 feet, so I'm wondering what other possibilities might be feasible. Should I call the utility back and insist that they check the lines?

I've tried locating the cleanout on the side of the house where the utility said it should be, but I haven't had any luck. Even if I did find it, it would probably be close to the shower drain and wouldn't get me much closer to the clog. Or maybe it's time to buy a longer snake? Any tips on finding the sewage line in the ground? Due to the sand that came up in the water that backed up gives me the awful feeling that there is a breach in the sewer line.

Any input/advice would be greatly appreciated. I really don't feel like calling a professional unless I have to. I work in irrigation plumbing, but don't have a ton of experience in residential.

Thanks.

jack dandy

my brother in law had this problem, he had to get about 100 feet to finally get through the blockage because it was out that far.

speedball1

You're attempting to snake a 4" sewer line with a 1/4" cable? Go down and rent a sewer machine and if you can't locate a cleanout go down the closet roof vent to the street. Your snake is too small and not long enough. Good luck, Tom

ballengerb1

How far is it to the city sewer riser? You clog can be that far out. Follow Speedball1's advice and rent a machine with enough snake to reach the street.

lespedeza

Thanks for all your replies, I appreciate the advice in helping to resolve this problem.

Once I find the cleanout, I'll work on getting the equipment worthy of the job. Related to locating the cleanout, I've dug adjacent to the house directly below and to both sides of the roof vent, but I still didn't find it. I live in FL, house was built in '78 and it's a slab. Am I looking in the wrong place for the cleanout? Is it possible that the drain pipe would run under the slab towards the back of the house or does it almost always head away from the house where the roof vent is?

Also, do you think that the sand in the water is indicative of a broken sewer line? Or could it just be part of the clog?

The reason why I thought fifty feet was enough is because I measured from the shower drain where I insert the snake to the back of my property where my sewer line supposedly should connect with my neighbors (according to utility co. records). With the 3/8" 50' snake, I hit two elbows and after that there is absolutely no resistance.

I'll keep on working on finding the cleanout, but any additional insight would help. Thanks again for the assistance.

speedball1

You're in luck. I'm a Florida plumber that's worked the West Coast from Tampa down To Fort Myers. We are required to install a house cleanout on the street side, ( It always is on the side where the sewer exits the house on the way to the street) not over 18" off the foundation and bring it up to grade. Time might have covered it up but it should be close to the surface if you probe for it. Ask your neighbor where his is. If you're connected to his then yours will be on the same side as his. good luck, Tom

lespedeza

Tom

Thanks for the advice. I probed basically the entire side of the house (18" from the slab in a 3"x3" grid pattern) and got frustrated. I then decided to call a local plumber to see if he'd be willing to give me some additional insight. Here's what I found out. When the houses in my neighborhood were built, code did not require installation of a cleanout. He did tell me that a lot of the houses have a test-T, but not all of them. Normal location would be on side of the house where the sewer tap is about 12" down. Well, I've dug 12" down, a width of about 12" along the sewer side of the house along the entire length of where all the plumbing connections are and I didn't find any evidence of any test-T or any sewer lines.

So, my follow-up question is, can I snake through my toilet and reach the clog? I've pulled the toilet, I snaked it fifty feet with a 3/4" flat tape and still haven't hit anything. If I rent a sewer machine, is it safe to go through the toilet connection? I just have an awful feeling that I'm going to dig up half the yard before finding this test-T that may or may not exist. Also, there is a possibility that it's underneath the slab that was poured for the AC compressor. The compressor slab is directly in front of my shower connection.

Thanks again for your help.

speedball1

Yes you may. We pull a toilet and snake from the closet bend as a last resort. It's not so bad going in but pulling out a black gunk covered cable in a enclosed space leaves you with a lot of cleanup to be done. To be sure I get the clog I fill the pipe up and when the water whooshes out I know I've got the blockage. Good luck, Tom PS. What area of Florida do you live in?

lespedeza

Tom, thanks again for the additional information.

I'm in Labelle, about 30 miles east of Ft. Myers along SR 80. I used to live in Venice and grew up in Tampa, so more or less the same neck of the woods as you.

Any other hints or things I should look for when I'm using the machine? The water's at the drain right now, but will fill it again if need be.

Thanks again!

ballengerb1

Tom, just get in your red two seater and drive over there.