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hollinsm · Jan 7, 2009, 07:28 PM

I am confused and so are the two plumbers who have been here. I purchased a single story home. My plumbing is hooked up to the city sewer system. When my family moved in we noticed everything drained slowly and after being in the home for a few weeks the shower would back up. We were able to get the shower to drain clearly. Then two weeks later we were doing laundry and the washer backed up into the kitchen sink and then the water started overflowing out of the draining pipe.

We have had two plumbers here. The first had no answers and accomplished little. We had another plumber come. He cleared the line from the sink to the washer and then from the washer on. He then removed the toilet and changed the tip on the snake. He ran the snake the full 75ft but had not reached the sewer. He pulled up roots (about a basketball worth). He said he had cleared the group of roots and things should be better. I did a load of laundry that night and the washer did great until the last ten minutes. Then it happened all over again backing into the sink and then overflowing.

More details: We have a front load washer. There is a small vent below the kitchen sink. There is only one plumbing vent on the roof which is located above the restroom in the home.

I apologize for the long message, but I am hoping someone can offer some insight into this problem. - Thank you - Shay

speedball1 · Jan 8, 2009, 08:40 AM

Your plumberdidn't complete snaking your sewer and you still have roots out next to the street raiser. Call him back and tell him 75' wasn't enough to clear the line. What are the pipes made of? As for those npesky roots Going in, let me say that sooner or later you're going to have to bite the bullet and replace that old sewer line with PVC. If you wish to control roots RootX or Robics Foaming Root Killer that contain Dichlobrnic are two products you could try.
A less expensive way would be to call around to garden supply stores and ask for fine grain Copper Sulphate. Put a 1/2 pound in your toilet and flush it down. Repeat in 6 months.
Hope this helps and thank you for rating my answer, Tom