Hi, I hope someone can help. My washer is in my basement. The kitchen sink/garbage disposal is directly above upstairs. The pipe from the sink comes down into the basement and it goes under the basement floor, connecting to this drainpipe thing behind the washer. Not too long ago, the washer was "lopsided" with clothes and banged around. Not long after that, while doing a load, water starts overflowing from this pipe behind the washer. There is a black pipe coming from the washer, hanging down into the pipe. It doesn't take much to cause this flood of water. Also, if I run the water upstairs in the kitchen sink, water comes up and over that pipe. I have put drain opener in it several times but it still overflows. A friend came over with a 30 ft snake thing, snaked the thing twice... it smelled awful. I ran water into the sink upstairs and it still overflowed. I have been told to throw bleach or Coke down it (I haven't). Every time I do laundry, there is a river in the basement, flowing into the drain hole in the basement. The drain hole is not backing up. I hope I have explained this. I know nothing about home repair. We bought a fixer upper home (45 years old), then my husband decided to leave after 26 years of marriage and I am sort of in a spot because I am not very handy. Good thing I have a Boy Scout in the house:). I have started taking clothers over to my mom's so that the basement will not get musty. Again, any help would be appreciated.

Carol K

You have a blockage between the washer and the floor drain. Did your friend go gown the washer stand pipe? If so have him rent a power snake and said it down the washer or the downstairs lavatory roof vent. Put out enough cable and 20 feet more. Good luck, Tom

The washer banging artound was just a coincidence. Tom got this right.

My friend used the snake down the pipe behind the washer. It was 30 ft and about 1/2 diameter, I believe. Also, the water in the washer does not smell so good. There is no problem with the water draining into the drain hole in the floor of the basement. We had a problem around the same time last year but the sewer was backing up out of the drainhole. We augered it the pipe behind the washer, then it got very cold and the drainhole in the floor quite backing up, so I figured it was a root. I have been using Root Rot about every six months, but was a little bit late this time. So, you still think it is between the washer pipe and the hole in the basement. I am so sorry that I am not too technical about this stuff. I am trying my best guys!

Thanks to both of you very much, Speedball that was exactly what we needed to do. I went over to Home Depot and rented a 50 ft snake thing, it was 3/4 inch diameter. The cost to rent it was $28 with a military discount and since I got it after 6, I don't have to return it until tomorrow. My firend came over; he and my fifteen year old son snaked that pipe behind the washer. They ran it the whole way and per the guys, it probably went beyond the main line. Oh gosh, did it smell bad and when they pulled it out all this black crud was on it. We ran water in the sink and we ran the rinse cycle in the washer and no overflow! They said the water came up a little in the pipe but my friend said that was normal; it did not overflow. So, the poor guy went home... we grew up across from each other and my mom drive him nuts asking him to do things, so I hate to call him for help.. that is why I had my son help him. Now the two of us can do it if it ever needs to be done again. I am going to try to prevent this from happening again. I am going to put a piece of pantyhose over the hose that goes into the pipe and secure it with a rubberband to hopefully catch any lint. I am going to stress, again, do not throw food down the sink, scrap your plates off in the trash can. I only use liquid detergent, so that should be OK. The guy at Home Depot said I may want to throw a degreaser drain cleaner down the sink every once in a while along with the other sinks in the house. I do use that Root Rot stuff about ever three to four months. Are there any other suggestions to try and keep this from happening again. Oh, thank you both very much. I hope you have a very blessed Thanksgiving and that all goes well with you.

RootX or Robics Foaming Root Killer that contain Dichlobrnic are two products you could try to control the roots.
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. Good luck, Tom

Because it worked!

That Root Rot stuff is copper sulfate but it is sort of large crystals so I will check out that garden supply store suggestion and see if it is any finer. I had put some wash in the washer before leaving for church, came back and there is some water on the floor and coming from under the washer but the area around that pole is dry, so I think maybe the tub in the washer just got knocked a little loose when we moved the washer to snake the pole. Thank you again and have a safe weekend!