house has new plumbing down to the basement then old to the street, sometimes not all the time when I take a long shower it backs up in the basement from the floor drain, what's wrong, it can work just fine, then once in a while randomly it just backs up

I had to have mine 'snaked' by an expert plumber. No problem after that. I am in the same predicament, new plumbing and an old street.

Tick

Sounds like you may have a root problem. Asa rule at the street raiser. Have your sewer line snaked all the way from the house to the street. If the tip comes back with roots then 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

Had it snaked by rotor rooter was out 80 ft well past the street came back with nothing and didn't feel anything, any other ideahs

Time to call in a sewer cam and find out if you have a bell in the line or a break that paper and solids hang up on. Let me know what you find out> Good luck, Tom

What is a bell ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stupid plumbing

what is a bell ?

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What has this got to do with the question ? What do you mean, what is the 'bell' ?

Tick

A "bell" is a dip in thr sewer line that will act as a running trap. Sorry! I should have explained it better. Tom

Speedball said that I might have a bell in the line or a break, previouse posts,, so I was wandering what he meant by it,, if there was a break why wouldn't it always back up, I have gone months without it backing up, and I can get up in the morning take a shower and it's fine sometimes it isn't, I thought it was fixed because it hadn't done it in a while, but it just did it again last night and it's verry agrevating


Any other ideahs ?

Well something's hanging up in the line. Run a sewer camera down the line since snaking it didn't give you a clue. Let me know what you find. Good luck, Tom

If it's been a while since you had it snaked, you might now have some new type of blockage. If there is a break in your sewage line, sometimes at this break, things will become lodged, then break free - or have some other affect - creating intermittent back up.

This break may be caused from many things, and your best step in determining the real problem is to have it scoped like Tom suggested.

Well had rotor rooter come and snake my line today, came back with roots.., didn't think that it was that since it was just snaked by a different drain specialist, hope that it's good now

Let me help with the roots.
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

You I think I'm going to try the copper sulphate thanks for the help