Hi All,

We just bought a 2 family townhouse in Brooklyn. The house was built in 1930 but we were told the plumbing was all new. We added a washer and dryer into the main house and had an issue with the first drain pipe we tried to attach it two.

Since we couldn't get it to drain properly, we dug up the back patio cement and followed the pipe a little way and found a big clog. We cleared that and have been happily washing clothes for weeks.

This afternoon, the bathroom in the walk-in apartment on the ground floor backed up. Both the toilet and the tub according to my husband.

The same guy that put in the laundry is coming with his snake to try to clear the line.

The previous owner of the house mentioned that he had to have Roto-Rooter come to the house a couple of times in the previous years. I also know from neighbors that the house had been illegaly subdivided into a 3 family (more wear and tear on the pipes) before we bought it.

During the past week, the toilet on the first floor (above the apartment) wouldn't flush twice. I thought because it was a 1.6 gallon toilet maybe I wasn't flulshing correctly or patient enough or something. Both times, I plunged and it cleared. Also during the week, we heard a lot of gurgling in the drain of the tub on the first floor. (above the apartment.)

Since we have moved in we have been using the dishwasher (which was new and unused when we moved in) regularly.

My question: We have added all of these "modern-day luxuries" in, are we over taxing the pipes? Am I going to have to dig up the apartment downstairs to re-work the pipes? Am I worried sick over a minor blockage?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

You have some kind of blockage that only Roto rootie can seem to get rid of. The bubling is a very good indication of this as well. Could be something the previous owner's kids threw down the potty that is now getting stuck sideways. I once lived in Prescott AZ in a home that was built 120 years before. The offices across the street up a teeny hill were added a few years before I moved in (I thought it was them as the culprit). I had to call out Roto rootie and they had to clear the pipe all the way to the street and beyond as the previous resident of the house had flushed an enormous amount of disposable diapers down the potty and they had lodged in the pipe just where it met the city's line. Wasn't that nice of them to leave a parting gift for the next person? You could most likely have the same problem. Don't worry about "over using" the pipes either. Once the clog is removed professionally (they will be able to tell you just what the clog was also) you will be fine.

Hello brooklynmommy... and congrats. On new home!! Sounds like you have a few things going on. Not to be to concerned though... simple stuff... I hope.

Start with the guy coming over to snake the drain... see what he finds. Then have him pop upstairs and see if he agrees that the tub may be clogged (remove strainer.. clean. And/or remove overflow assembly... clean.. etc). Then have him check the guts to the toilet... could be insufficient water, too much chain at flush handle to flapper, fill valve tube not going into overflow tube.. have him check that.

Point is... sounds like a few issues.. sounds like new home... SHould not be too bad! Have him clear the drain line and then check the issues I mentioned. Let us know how it goes. Good luck!

If this helped please RATE THIS ANSWER by clicking on button below. Thank you.

While the one rotor company is about the last people I would ever call, they gave wrong info and recommended unneeded repairs for my plumbing twice and I have had neighbors compain of the same.

But it sounds like a problem further out away from the house. I would have someone run a camera of your line and see what type of blockage, if roots, often, you may want to dig up the area with the roots, put in new pipe if not the roots will just keep coming back and back.

Thank you to all of you who answered my question. Just as an update: The friend who we had come over last night with a snake confirmed the root theory mentioned above. Judging from the length of the snake and the position of the roots, it is the big tree planted by the city out front. While not disposable cameras, this is going to be an expensive issue to deal with.

Our friend is coming back today with a bigger snake. While we know this is a temporary measure, I am hoping it will buy us some time to research how one goes about digging up a public sidewalk and cutting away a city tree. Let me know if you want an update!

I also need to go back and look at that little toilet and see why that thing isn't flushing right the first time.

Thanks again!!

Perhaps I can help with the roots. Roots seek the nearest source of water, in this case a break in your sewer line. Someone should run a snake out until it hits roots. The snake should then be marked and taken outside and laid on the ground over the old sewer line. That will tell you where to dig to fix the break in the line for a temperary repair.
For immediate relief and to kill the existing roots and prevent further growth you can purchase RootX or Robics Foaming Root Killer that contain Dichlobrnic.
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

If this is the city's line, then by all means contact the city as they would like to have it properly repaired. You should not have to dig up the city's lines because a city planted tree is the culprit. And if you did dig up their lines they might get worse than upset at you for doing this. They planted it, they are responsible for whatever damage a tree can do. That explains why the problem would keep coming back.

Good detective work Brooklynmommy!