The drain that runs from my washer to the overflow drain by my hot water tank starts backing up when I use my washer. Called 2 plumbers - first one said I need a new HW tank, second one proved it was not HW tank, but my line was backed up and therefore could not handle the pressure from the washing machine draining. Plumber snaked my line and got through - brought up some grease. Water still backed up from washer drain. Decided to have an independent guy run a camera down my line since it was old, anyway. The camera only went maybe 1/4 of the way before it was blocked by a pool of water in the drain. They then tried down my kitchen sink. He located the water with some kind of machine - it's right under my kitchen floor.

Plumber said it could be my pipe buckled - if so, we would need to go through the floor and concrete and replace the pipe (min. $1,000). Also said he could use a jetter and see if that would clean the pipe, in case it was just so cloggged that the camera could not get through.

If they go through the floor, the camera guy will come back-no charge- and finish taping the rest of my line. Sorry so long, but should I spend $250 to have it jetted out or do you think the fact the camera cannot get through because of standing water means the line has broken. I have a ceramic tile floor and concrete below. It will be a mess and a fortune, but I'll do it if I need to. Thanks for your help.

The drain that runs from my washer to the overflow drain by my hot water tank starts backing up when I use my washer.
What's a overflow drain? Could you be referring to a floor drain? If it's something else please explain. PS. Fire the first plumber and send him back to plumbing school. Regards, Tom

Sorry - I don't know the lingo, but yes, it is a floor drain in between my heater unit and hot water tank.

Is you house on a slab?
Is everything, water heater, furnace, floor drain and kitchen sink all on the same floor?
How far is 1/4 of the way? One fourth of the way to what?

What kind of drain pipes do you have and how old do you think they are?

Is you house on a slab? Yes

Is everything, water heater, furnace and kitchen sink all on the same floor? Yes

How far is 1/4 of the way? One fourth of the way to what?

They started on the roof, my kitchen is at the front of the house and I'm saying 1/4 of the way to the main sewer line in my back yard. When the plumber snaked it, he said he went about 60 feet.

What kind of drain pipes do you have and how old do you think they are? I believe I have cast iron pipes under my house. My house is over 40 years old.__________________

One quarter of the way (or 60') to the sewer does not sound like right under my kitchen floor. Most of the time ,but certianly not all the time the sewer line is in the front of the house where the street is. Certianly this is not always the case. You are on the city sewer and not on a septic system aren't you?

Was the washer roof vent ever snaked? Is that the pipe they went down? Let me know. Tom