My daughter & son in law just bought an older house. It has 2 bathrooms. Practically as soon as they moved in, they started having plumbing troubles. 1st the washer over flowed into the kitchen sink. Then the toilet & tub in the 1st bath stopped up. They paid a guy to come out and run a snake which seemed to take care of part of the problem. BUT, they cannot use the 2nd bathroom at all. If they put toilet paper in the master bath, it overflows and causes it to back up in the bathtub. A friend again came out & ran a snake outside. He told him that he thought that when the previous owner had the foundation repaired they did not address the plumbing & it may have a kink or crease in the line. The foundation repair people want them to pay to have a camera run through the lines to see if that is the trouble. They do not have the money, because the camera people tell them that 1st they need to pay someone to again run a snake to unclog & then pay them to run the camera. Another plumber came out, told him that he did not think that the lines in the house were connected, and that if they went up to the roof & went through the vent that was over that bathroom & snaked it all would be OK. Another person said get a blow bag & do the same thing. The bottom line is, they have little money, a bathroom they cannot use, and everyone telling them something different. Is there anyone out there that can help?:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

First off, it's a reach to think that sewer mains "kink" when exiting the foundation. Are they on a city sewer or a septic tank? For the bathroom blockage I would snake the drain line from the bathroom lavatory roof vent. Put out enough cable to reach the base and about 25 feet more. A blow bag only works if the drain has no vents and the blockage's total. Good luck, Tom

This sounds somewhat similar to a problem I had. I kept having all the drains backing up and getting a sewer smell in the basement. The plumber originally thought the problem was related to a drain in the basement, so they decided to replace the drain. When they busted up the basement floor, it was all filled with water and sewage. The main sewer pipe was pitched to the point that no sewage could get out of the house. And additionally, it was cracked causing all the sewage to fill up under the house. I really hope this is not your problem, but having someone run a camera will be your best bet. Also, keep in mind that most homeowner policies will cover you if you "fill up", not "back up".

I cannot offer plumbing advice. You mentioned that your daughter and son-in-law just bought the home. In many states the seller must fill out a property disclosure form that provides information to the buyer as to the condition of the home and its many systems. See if the seller mentioned any problem with the sewer. Even if no such form was executed by the seller, your daughter may have a claim against the seller if he sold the house with material deffects that were KNOWN to him. Have them check with their Realtor (if it was not a FSBO) or consult with an attorney. Good luck.

First off, it's a reach to think that sewer mains "kink" when exiting the foundation. Are they on a city sewer or a septic tank? For the bathroom blockage I would snake the drain line from the bathroom lavatory roof vent. Put out enough cable to reach the base and about 25 feet more. A blow bag only works if the drain has no vents and the blockage's total. Good luck, Tom

Tom

Thanks for the info. They are not on a septci system they are on the city sewer system. Does he need to get a certain type of snake or is a snake a snake so to speak. Several plumbers insist that when they fixed the foundation, because they have pvc pipes they have to do something to the pipes since things have moved. I will give him a copy of this so he can try what you suggested.

Thanks
Nancy

Hi Nancy,
Professional plumbers snakes have different tips they can put on the end of the cable, such as a cutter tip to cut through roots, a auger tip to drill into any blockage, such as a wash cloth, and pull it backi, they even have a retrieval tip to snag broken cables and pull them back.
. "Several plumbers insist that when they fixed the foundation, because they have pvc pipes they have to do something to the pipes since things have moved."
What's been moved? The pipes? The foundation? While it's possible to "kink" some thinner wall sewer pipes PVC will break before it will "kink". However it is possible for PVC to bend some. Regards, Tom