While doing laundry the other night when the washer started to empty into it's drain pipe it started to overflow. Then I noticed that the bathroom toilet-which is also in the laundry room was also filling with water. I next found that taking a shower upstairs caused the downstairs toilet to back up. This was just soapy water. The upstairs toilet is working. The kitchen drain also seems to connect with the laundry drain pipe to the big pipe in the basement. Where is it blocked?
It is a 10 yr old septic system. I do have a lot of animal hair in my house with 6 dogs but I always have the washer hose covered with a lint/hair guard
Thanks

If every thing is backing up - it has to be the main drain. Let's say you get up and use the toilet and then take a shower. The block will eventually and quickly start causing the water to back up. Lower part of house first of course.
You will need a snake. A large one. OR you will need someone who does and can do it for you.

It's backing up in the downstairs toilet but then drains out of the toilet on it's own. I have used q 25 foot snake in that toilet and all seems fine.
Where you you suggest I snake-there is PVC in bacement. I have 3 access pipes outside for the septic sysyem but aftering opening them there was really not much to see
Thanks

You can't get a 25' snake through a toilet so tell us exactly what you did. When you opened your access pipes ( cleanouts ) did you see standing water in any of them?

Well-where did that snake go :)

I saw a lot of bugs in the cleanouts and just a bit of water-very small amount. There are three of them each farther away from the other. I looked in the closest 2-will look in the 3rd later today. Tried to get a snake in them with no luck-they are pretty far down and I couldn't see any hole.upstairs toilet seems fine-nothing backs up in the downstairs one . This toilet has it's own big pipe that goes to the bacement. I never flush anthing but TP and I seldom use the downstairs one
Thanks
Phyllis

Hi Phyllis,
You have a partial blockage downstream from the downstairs bathroom. When you opened a clean-out did you cycle the washer to see if the pipe fiulled up? If not do it and come back with the results, Good luck, Tom

Thanks tom. I will hook up the washer and wait till the toilet fills up and open all the cleanouts again and prepare for another flood
Phyllis

Phyllis,
What I'm trying to do here is isolate the blockage. Is it in the house main or the service to the septic tank? I'm waiting for you to tell me. Later! Tom

Hi tom
Just used the washer again-it backed right up into the toilet-did not see any water in the first clean out in the yard but there was water in the other 2. I ran the facet in that downstairs bathroom and while I did not see the water raise in the toilet I could hear it gurgle . So I have a flooded bathroom now but the toilet drained it self out. To be honest-i cand see where it drained-if it was over the top or at the floor level but I can fluch it without it leaking
Finishing the laundry now-out of towerl but I have to hold the drain hose out the window
Can hear the bathroom sink gurgle when the kitchen sink is running and that also backs up into the toilet
Phyllis

Quote:

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just used the washer again-it backed right up into the toilet-did not see any water in the first clean out in the yard but there was water in the other 2

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I'm still attempting to iisolate the clog.
You talk about number 1, 2, an d 3 cleanout. Is number 1 the nearest to the house?
That wouls make number 1 the house clean out. Now explain where number 2 and 3 are located in relation to the septic tank. You say that there was water in number 2 and 3. Just a small amount or were they filled up?
[QUOTEfinishing the laundry now-out of towerl but I have to hold the drain hose out the window
I can hear the bathroom sink gurgle when the kitchen sink is running and that also backs up into the toilet][/QUOTE]
Unless you want to rent a sewer machging and start snaking roof vents you're going to hafta call in outside help. You have a in house blockage and the fact that you have standing water in your cleanouts concerns me. Do you have a basement with cleanout tees installed in the stacks? If so you may be able to do the job yourself with a little help from your friends. Good luck, Tom

1 is cosest to the house, 2 is before the tank- cover then there is a pump and the 3rd is after that there was not a lot of water in 2 and 3
There is a cleanout on the metal pipe in the bacement that the pvc is attached to.
Quess I'll call a plumber
Thanks again
Phyllis

Tom
Thought you would like to hear what the plumber said about my clogged pipe. They ran a power snake from the cleanout to the house and pulled out a ton of roots. He told me that the pipe had to be replaced because it was cracked and leaking. I was really surprised
Because when I moved in they had just put in the new system and he said apparently they must have just used PVC from wherever they could attach the new pipe to. He will have to dig and replace about 50 feet and there is asphalt and concrete to go through. I know this was not done the last time. The price-2,500. It's not backing up anymore but I want to get it fixed asap
Thanks for your help
Phyllis

Hey Phyllis,
Thanks for the update.

Quote:

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[/the plumber told me that the pipe had to be replaced because it was cracked and leaking. I was really surprised
Because when I moved in they had just put in the new system and he said apparently they must have just used PVC from wherever they could attach the new pipe to.

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If you have that in writing you might just have a case in small claims court. A "new system" means just that and if the "new system" was one of the selling points then the contractor should pick up the cost of repair. Let me know what you think, Tom

Yo tom
It was replaced as part of the sale-the old cespool wasn't working. I did not have it installed. I have a paper saying it was installed and what kind of system it is-and a cert from the inspector.it was installed in 1998. This guy today showed me all the roots that he pulled out and after flushing the toilets showed me how the flow increased but he said it was still running a bit slow. Said the only way to get that many roots was to have a crack in the old metal pipe. Said I still had some time but better to replace before winter. I'm in New Jersey. I kind of now wish it just needed to be pumped out. Oh well-do you think it's a reasonable price? I can have some other people come around but it will be a hassle. This guy is a licenced master plumber and put the price of the repair in writing. I'll still have to fix the concrete but I can do that-i'm pretty handy for an old lady :)
Thanks
Phyllis

Let me give you a little break on the roots until you get the line repaired, ( I would get at least three estimates). If you wish to control roots RootX or Robics Foaming Root Killer that contain Dichlobrnic are two products you could try.
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.
Hope this helps and thank you for rating my answer, Tom

Tom
Is it possible for there to be roots without a break in the pipe?
Phyllis

Depends on the type of pipe. PVC must be broken for roots to infiltrate but with clay they can slip in via the joint. Th clay will eventually crack as the root gets bigger.

Thanks
No clay here-sand and rock and a little dirt. I guess it I am not sure of what kind of pipe it is.
The guy here today seemed the pvc from the tank was attached to the old metal one . I guess I should get a few more estimates like tom said and maybe have somebody look with a camara which he didn't do today. I really don't want a cracked sewer line in the winter
Thanks for your help
Phyllis

Not clay soil, clay pipe.

Ohhhh
My mistake. I don't know. The main in the basement is metal I think. Don't know what's outside

Figure cast iron, Phyllis.