Hello,

I recently purchased a home built in 1977. Everything is great except down in the basement I have a stubborn utility sink which fills up with water (most of the time only about 1/2 way) and does not drain properly. Sometimes it drains cleanly, sometimes very slowly, sometimes not at all, and yet sometimes water and gunk actually come up into the sink from the drain pipe. A few things currently drain into this tub including the washing machine and the furnace moisture. I currently cannot wash clothes due to the possibility of an overflow which happened the first week I moved in.

When I flush the toilet in the 2nd floor bathroom, or run the dishwasher, debri and water pour into the utility tub producing a not-so-pleasant smell/visual and not to mention a frustrated wife.

My question is this: what might be causing this? I believe it is possibly a venting issue. Perhaps a clogged vent pipe. I have tried snaking the utility tub drain, have even removed the trap and snaked further, with no success. Someone has suggested snaking the main vent from the roof. Does this sound like a solution?

Thanks in advance!

Your main drain is partially blocked and the utility sink is the lowest point so it backs up there. Actually you are lucky since the absence of that sink could allow back ups esleswhere in the house, worse than the basement. Do you have a clean out on the main drain? If you open the clean out and find standing water the blochage is downstream toward the street. Noi standing water means the clog is upstream somewhere in the area between the clean out and the laundry sink.

Sorry, just came back from a skiing trip. I'll check for a cleanout and see what the situation is. Thanks for the help~