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shahay · Oct 11, 2006, 09:48 AM

Hi - I am REALLY hoping someone out there can help! We live in an old house (built 1888). The plumbing is not that old, since the house didn't have indoor plumbing when it was built. We believe the plumbing was put in around 1934.

Our upstairs tub/shower won't drain. We have had it professionally snaked, and since then have learned to do it ourselves with our 15 ft. plumbers snake. What comes up is more like scale - such as you might find with corroded pipes - than hair/soap clots. However, all sources I can find say that if the problem is due to corroded pipes, we should have problems with poor water pressure and/or trouble with drainage in the other fixtures in the bathroom. We do not. The pressure is great; the sink and toilet drain fine. Now what?

Is there some way to properly diagnose this? If we need to replace all or part of the pipes, we are also looking at a significant plastering job, as the walls are lather and plaster. I don't want to go there if this is not the problem...

Can anyone help?

The WB · Oct 11, 2006, 11:04 AM

Check the drain vents on the roof. Or, the angle of the drain lines could be off.

shahay · Oct 11, 2006, 12:26 PM

Thanks WB! Can you elaborate on this a liitle bit? I don't know much about drain vents on the roof...

The WB · Oct 11, 2006, 07:41 PM

They look like little black pipes sticking out of your roof. All houses have them. Depending on the size of your house, you may have a few. They allow air into the drain line so the water will drain and divert sewer gas. Sometimes they get clogged by leaves or bird nests etc. You would have to get to the top of the house and run a long snake down vent.

iamgrowler · Oct 11, 2006, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by shahay

Hi - I am REALLY hoping someone out there can help! We live in an old house (built 1888). The plumbing is not that old, since the house didn't have indoor plumbing when it was built. We believe the plumbing was put in around 1934.

Our upstairs tub/shower won't drain. We have had it professionally snaked, and since then have learned to do it ourselves with our 15 ft. plumbers snake. What comes up is more like scale - such as you might find with corroded pipes - than hair/soap clots. However, all sources I can find say that if the problem is due to corroded pipes, we should have problems with poor water pressure and/or trouble with drainage in the other fixtures in the bathroom. We do not. The pressure is great; the sink and toilet drain fine. Now what?

Is there some way to properly diagnose this? If we need to replace all or part of the pipes, we are also looking at a significant plastering job, as the walls are lather and plaster. I don't want to go there if this is not the problem....

Can anyone help?

Your water pressure is completely unrelated to the bath tub drain.

Depending on the lay-out of the drain waste and vents in your bathroom, it's entirely possible that the tub ties-in to the main stack more than fifteen feet away from where the other fixtures tie-in -- Meaning your fifteen foot snake may not be reaching the blockage.

speedball1 · Oct 12, 2006, 06:55 AM

Growler made some very good points. It's entirly possible that the distance between tub and stack exceeds 15 feet. It's also possible that the tub wasn't vented at all. But what catches my attention is that back then drum traps were used on tubs and a snake won't get past a drum trap. If the tub has a access panel behind the drain open it up and tell me what you find.. If you see a "P" trap then put out more cable, but if you see a elbo then chances are there's a drum trap under the floor. Check and let us know Regards, Tom