Dearest Plumbing Experts,

I humbly request your advice on a matter of serious importance to myself. I am a 21 year old student living in an older 5 bedroom / 2 bathroom home, and am trying to troubleshoot a serious plumbing issue that seems to have been plaguing the house for some time, but that has only recently presented itself as a major problem. I do not have the financial resources to hire a professional to examine it, let alone repair it. This being said, I am willing to go to any lengths in attempt to rectify the situation myself, and would appriciate any guidance in regard to this matter. I will try and explain the symptoms I have observed. If it would be helpful to try and locate a scanner with which I could upload a hand-drawn schematic, please let me know, along with any other information that would prove pertinent.

The house has a main level and a basement level. The bathroom on the top floor is stacked on top of the bottom floor. The kitchen sink (upstairs) is against the same wall as the bathrooms, but on the opposite side of the house.

When the kitchen sink is run, or when the upstairs bathroom toilet is flushed, the water does not do its proper moves. Instead, it comes out of the right side of the bottom of the frame around the basement bathroom shower. Both sides of the bottom of this frame appear rotted (the drywall has been eaten away, presumably due to this problem over time), and the ceiling (near but on the outside of the shower) appears slightly water damaged. Additionally, it appears that water has been seeping up into the carpet in the hallway outside of the basement bathroom (in isolated patches which have conjoined to form a sopping mess). The contents of the garbage disposal also emanate from this rotted away hole in the basement bathroom.

Any insight into this problem would be tremendously appriciated...

From brief research, it appears that there is an issue in the DWV system. As it is an old house, these components appear to be gavanized caste iron (they are not PVC, but may be some other type of metal.) The hot water heater is in the room adjacent to the basement bathroom, and there is a vertical pipe running from the upstairs, and before it reaches the hot water heater, it splits off horizontally toward the direction of the bathroom. It appears that the issue may be in this pipe. Is this off base?

A Million Thanks,
Brandon

:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

Hi Brandon,

If possible take some pictures of the affected area and post it, here are some good experts and will help you, Thanks.

John