I'm frustrated to the point that what little I thought I understood, suddenly stops making since. So here goes. And by the way, I've read at least 40 posts on here, and the advise I've seen and taken to heart has really helped, so thanks already.

Details:


40 year old pier/beam house, city water/utility's, 4" clean out with 18" riser extension added by prior owners. Roof vents on both bathrooms and joined vent for kitchen sink and washing machine on opposite end of house. Main line runs from rear of house (Master bath) to front of house with tie ins for kitchen end of house and second bath then out to clear out then street in one line, no angles.

Problem:


Water back filling from second bath (closer to street) into Master toilet and shower, neither toilet flushing, washing machine (newer model with truly strong pressure) back filling everything. When water isn't backfilling there is air bubbling from Master toilet, and venting through shower and bath. No venting, bubbling or problems from kitchen side of house.

Outside clear out is pressurized and flows water when cap is removed and water is released from tubs, shower or kitchen side of house, Master toilet refuses to flush no mater if cap is open or not, second toilet drains slow with cap open. Have removed the extension to lower the water table in the house, but water stands in the clear out with little show of flowing, so I've heavily considered the blockage is between house and street, the the straw effect hasn't been lost me.(well after today, I'm feeling pretty much clueless but tomorrow starts a new)

Current efforts applied:


Started with plunging toilets and shower, no improvement.

Rented 75' snake (I have some experience using them, no pro but not my first experience)
Snaked clear out to street, 60 feet put through pipe without snags or hits, changed to a root cutter type bit and repeated, again no hits. Pulled snake at that distance and walked it out along the main sewer line (easy to follow as the city upgraded the neighborhood a few years prior and the roads still show the dig and patch work for each house) the snake crossed the entire length of the street, including the portion of the prior upgrade indicating the line (5 ft past).

Snaked the vents for both bathrooms, roof to subfloor +15/20 feet, some hair and garbage but no major.

Snaked clear out into house, 60+ feet without major anything.

NO IMPROVEMENTS OR CHANGES.

I'm considering redoing the clear out both ways again, and more so I'm considering pulling the Master toilet and snaking to the clear out. What suggestions can you offer, I'm frazzled.

If the water is coming out the outside cleanout the problem is in the outside line.. It has nothing to do with the inside of the house.. If it was me I would go the Lowe's and get what they call a drain king.. It hooks up to the water hose.. Put in in the line aiming toward the street. Not toward the house!! Make sure there is no other tie ins past where you put in the drain king. If there is the water will back up that direction. I would put it in the closest clean out to the street if water is coming out there.. turn the water on and wait.. If any other questions email me at [email protected] Thanks, Stephen

Ocelot, I got to hand it to you, you have done almost everything we would have told you to do. You know your way around the house. However, I think Joseph is correct, the problem must be outside which is very perplexing since you got a cutter all the way to the city riser. I'm just wondering if the clog isn't the riser itself, frequently you can't rod past it. Joe's drain king idea, if it can swell to 4", may actually be a great experiment.

The fact that the clear out is over flowing keeps me on the edge that it is outside the house, so thanks for encouraging and enforcing that mindset for me.

I just talked to my neighbor who said she had been having problems with pipe bubbling (she previously had to have roto-rooter out to fix it with a snake) in her house, and said it was happening for the past month; which happens to be the same time as when we started noticing some water venting more audibly in the roof vents and toilets.

The city has been doing a great deal of water work in our area of late, visibly I see water mains left open to relieve pressure on open lines, and other work projects, so I've presumed that waste water projects are also being done in my area. I know in the morning I'm calling the city, if nothing else I want to talk to someone from utilities (small town, so I may have a chance)

First thing in the morning though I'm re-snaking the house to street line and trying to cram as much as I can down it's throat.



I've previously had septics so being on city lines is new to me. So what I am unsure of and would help my mindset is... With a septic when I opened the clean out I could see the pipe flowing at the bottom, there wasn't any form of back pressure. Shouldn't I be seeing the same with a city line or is there an acceptable 'back pressure' or something? Best for me to know before I call the city and "lay down some knowledge".

Thanks again to all who read all my rant, I only discovered this site when I had a problem, but the quality absorbed me *not just the plumbing area* and I think I'll be growing in ratings soon... though to tell the truth I'm a blunt arse at times and well ratings be damned, I like to say it like it is.

Good morning and an update.

I find little more frustrating than to end the day with a project still not working or complete, then to wake the next morning to find it all in order/working great and chipper. So I'm currently frustrated and of mixed emotions.

The house is flowing wonderfully, actually better than I ever recall it, so the snake did its job and many things seem fixed. The clean out is not backed up, the flow in the bottom is consistent and after an hour of running everything in the house, hasn't risen an inch.

But I still don't know where the clog was, obviously to my reason it was on the street side of the house, if not the cities problem. I'm far from complaining, but I am feeling a lack in not being able to say "yep, that was it and its fixed now"

Thanks for the assistance to those that offered, it was appreciated and kept my sanity intact.

I still don't know where the clog was, obviously to my reason it was on the street side of the house, if not the cities problem. I'm far from complaining, but I am feeling a lack in not being able to say "yep, that was it and its fixed now"
My bet's on the joint that connects the city raiser to the house sewer. Typically, this joint is packed with cement that can shrink over the years allowing roots to enter. If this happens again I would dig up the raiser and check. Good luck, Tom

Tom and I are think about the same spot, "I'm just wondering if the clog isn't the riser itself." If everything looks good now try filling all sinks and tubs with hot water and then drain all of them at the same time, like flushing one big hot toilet.