Hi,

While my washer was emptying the other day it began spewing water from the watse pipe and also my sink fills up and is taking an age to empty. I assume it's a blockage so I have poured the usual chemical stuff down to unblock but nothing is working. The awkward thing is that the waste pipe for the washer disapears into the ground halfway under the units in the kitchen so I can't get to any piping. This all started after we had a flood in our main drain which is now clear from inspection. Do I need to call a professional?

You don't tackle this from the inside. You snake from a roof vent. This involves a sewer machine and getting up on the roof. A job best left to a plumber unless you're feeling adventurous. Good luck, Tom

Not sure what you mean on the "roof" this is all happening downstairs. I can lift the main manhole cover outside but can't see where the waste comes out of the house.

By "on the roof" I'm referring to the kitchen sink roof vent. That's the easiest way to access the clog. If, after opening up the cleanout and not seeing any movement when you drain the washer that would indicate that the blockage's inside your house and not out in the sewer. Snake the line from the roof vent. Good luck, Tom

Any particular reason not to snake directly from the drain? I had 2 drains clogged when I bought the house, and that worked for both locations...