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butteco · Sep 14, 2005, 09:25 PM

Okay so my title is just a hint of the trouble I have recently encountered.

A couple days ago I did a load of laundry and noticed that the bathtub was full of sewage about 45mins after starting the laundry load.

Puzzled it took me until the next day to figure out they two events were related. It seems as though when the washing machine drains; the kitchen sink, bathroom toilet & bathtub all fill up with sewage coming UP THE DRAIN!!

Now when not doing laundry, the toilet flushs fine, the bathtub drains fine, and the kitchen sink drains fine... THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN I USE THE WASHING MACHINE.

ABOUT THE PLUMBING:

The washing machine drains into a long metal tube that comes out of the ground. It tees into a big black pipe in the basement, as does the toilet and bathtub kitchen and bathroom sink.

I noticed that the ground is wet in the basement right under the toilet hookup...

ANY IDEAS AS TO WHERE TO START WOULD BE TOTALLY APPRECIATED!!

RickJ · Sep 15, 2005, 05:24 AM

If your tub, sink and washing machine drain all come together before the big one that the toilet goes to (called the "stack"), then you've got a clog somewhere before the stack.

Sludge, though, usually indicates a clog somewhere in the main drain after the stack.

For a start, you need to snake the lines of the tub, sink and washing machine drains back to the stack. If that solves the problem, it's a done deal.

If that doesn't solve the problem, you'll need to snake your lines from the stack, and out as far as they can go (preferrably to the city's main line which probably runs down the middle of your street).

butteco · Sep 15, 2005, 12:11 PM

There is the problem!

I HAVE NEVER DONE PLUMBING BEFORE - LIKE SNAKING A DRAIN? I have read on the boards and have a general idea of what that means - it means to take a metal cable with a little screw at the front and thread it down the drain.

But how do you control it to go out to the main sewer?

Also, is it better to buy a 50' snake at sears for $19.99 or rent a machine style one from the tool rental yard for probably around $40-60/day...

And how do you snake? Do I just sick the screw side down the toilet and keep pushing until I hit something? Then once I hit something do I just spin the cable??

What about the bathtub? Do I just stick it down the drain?

THANKS FOR ANY HELP!

speedball1 · Sep 15, 2005, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by butteco

There is the problem!

I HAVE NEVER DONE PLUMBING BEFORE - LIKE SNAKING A DRAIN? I have read on the boards and have a general idea of what that means - it means to take a metal cable with a little screw at the front and thread it down the drain.

But how do you control it to go out to the main sewer?

Also, is it better to buy a 50' snake at sears for $19.99 or rent a machine style one from the tool rental yard for probably around $40-60/day ...

And how do you snake? Do I just sick the screw side down the toilet and keep pushing until I hit something? Then once I hit something do I just spin the cable???

What about the bathtub? Do I just stick it down the drain?

THANKS FOR ANY HELP!

There are different sizes and types of snakes for different applications. Some snakes are special, like a closet auger used only for toilets, or a s large sewer machine used for 4" sewer mains. Then there is the hand cranked 1/4" inch snake that's used for simple clogs like in a lavatory drain line to a vent stack. Also there's a 3/8" snake for snaking out 2" vents and drain lines.

You have a partial clog that's located downstream from the last fixture on the house main that backed up. The clog isn't bad enough to back up with normal usage but your washer pump discharges with great force and volume and the clog won't let it pass. Chances are your tub, kitchen sink etc. are not clogged, the clog is downstream and they're just getting the backup.
The best advice I can give you would be to call a plumber to snake out the clog. Stick with him and watch what he does , ask questions, get to know his equipment. You're asking us to give you a short course in plumbing. I wish it were that easy. Over the years I've must have trained hundreds of helpers to get their license but to do that you have to be on the job, it just can't be done over the internet. I'm sorry my friend, but I've given you the best advice I could give. Good luck, tom

RickJ · Sep 16, 2005, 03:16 AM

I'll ditto the advice to call a plumber... and add:

Make a couple calls. Choose someone from a reliable source like a friend's referral, or your church bulletin if you have one...

Get their pricing scheme up front - and ask about a warrantee. Some of them will offer a 3-6 month guarantee on the lines as long as they haven't run into a collapsed section or root obstructions.