Hello -- our 50-year old Cape Cod with well and septic is experiencing some drainage/plumbing issues and we would just like to know which expert to all in. We don't want to waste a call (and fee) if we are incorrect in our analysis. We have had our septic pumped out within the last 8 years, so we believe we are okay there. What is happening is a weird drainage problem on the first floor only. The upstairs bath appears to be okay (toilet flushes okay, shower drains slow, but okay -- no backup). The downstairs is another story. For about two weeks the main problem has been in the downstairs bath. You can no longer flush the toilet -- and when you do shower upstairs, the water in the SHUT OFF downstairs toilet and bathtub will rise. We have had to actually BAIL OUT as someone showers upstairs. Both of these have been unusable for 2 weeks. The water that fills the toilet and tub appears to come from whatever else is draning -- the upstairs shower, the laundry tub, etc. That's why we believe it is NOT a septic back up. We think if it was the septic NOTHING would be working and the backup would be septic waste. Can you help? Do you think we simply have a major clog in the downstairs? But of so, why would the toilet water RISE when something else is in use? Tell us what your thoughts are, and we'll do it!

The toilet will rise when the main waste line past that toilet has a clog or partial clog. The upstairs drainage is backing up form the waste line that's "below" the last toilet. There is a restriction and it shows up above that restriction to the first plumbing fixture (tub toilet sink next.. In the basement do you have a Y fitting that has a cap to snake out below that to wards the septic? That's the start part. If you open that cap on the Y or T and run some water from the lowest point in the house and see if that backs up. If not the clog is above that. So snake out on the next floor ans so on. Also can you see a sewer vent pipe coming out of your roof If that is clogged the drainage will work real slow and back up

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