My sister is at her wits end. She's owned her house for 12 years now. First 10 no plumbing problems. Two years ago she had a sewer backup. Plumber comes in and says the backup was due to baby wipes and feminine hygiene products and he pulled a ton out of her system. She is post menopause and does not use these products! I was there when the plumber originally came out and told him that she does not use those products (she was working at the time so I was there). He said that was impossible because it was coming from her system. Few months later it happens again. Same thing with the plumber saying it's impossible that it's not coming from her toilet system. Then it happened again over the summer and she got another plumber who power jetted her system. Happened again yesterday. None of the products pulled out were things she uses and she only throws toilet paper down the toilet. Plumbers keep saying it's impossible that this stuff is not coming from her system but clearly it's not coming from her system and she is not throwing this crap down her toilet. This second plumber is coming out to put a camera down her system but that's been done before, repairs made and still it's happening. Any thoughts?

The first repair was to replace the main drain pipe in her driveway that had shifted and second was the power wash. Of course she knows this is likely to cost her a fortune but she just wants to get to the root of the problem. Could this be a problem with the city sewer line?

Hi RT

Gotta ask...

Are there any teenagers or other women in the house?

How about any young men that might have a girlfriend dropping by?

How about a cleaning lady (or two)...any women employed by your sister?

Finally, if you can be 100% certain that there is no way that this stuff is coming from here home then it must be coming from a neighbor's drain via a lateral drain connected somewhere. here, the camera should be sent down the drain and you guys, with the plumber, should be looking for any side connections into the main drain. Could it be the city sewer, well, ya, it could, but that is sure going to be hard to prove!!

Mark

No... she is a 60 y/o widow... no kids, no teens... basically no one uses her toilet except her!

I will make sure that I am there with her and that she asks them to look for any lateral side connecting drains with her neighbors. Camera thing was done once already so now she's paying again to have it looked at. Just frustrating. She just wants to fix the problem and she knows that she is not the problem. 100% that these products did not come from her.

Thanks for the response but what if they don't find any lateral side connections? Then what? And what would be the fix if a lateral side connection is there?

Was a recording made when the camera was sent down the drain the last time?

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Originally Posted by hkstroud

Was a recording made when the camera was sent down the drain the last time?

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I don't think so. But she is using the same plumber who has been my plumber for years. I know they are honest. They are the ones who did the power jet after checking with a camera last summer and yesterday they only charged her for a service call and not for the work cleaning out the drain. But clearly we know this is just going to happen again if they don't get to the root of the problem. Three different plumbers and 5 backups in two years and it still keeps happening!

The only way products like this are getting in the system is if they: A-are being introduced at the house, or B- if another main drain is somehow connected to hers. Is this, by any chance a condo?

My point was that if a video was made you could review it, looking for a side tap before running the camera down it again. Plumber might not have seen noticed a side tap if he wasn't looking for it.

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The first repair was to replace the main drain pipe in her driveway that had shifted

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Tell us about that.

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Originally Posted by ma0641

The only way products like this are getting in the system is if they: A-are being introduced at the house, or B- if another main drain is somehow connected to hers. Is this, by any chance a condo?

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Well it's definitely not coming from her house, 100%. She lives alone, has no kids or young women stopping in and entertains once a year at Christmas. So this tells us that there has to be some kind of connection issue with a neighbor. It is not a condo. It's a very small single house sandwiched in between two large 2 family homes.

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Originally Posted by hkstroud

My point was that if a video was made you could review it, looking for a side tap before running the camera down it again. Plumber might not have seen noticed a side tap if he wasn't looking for it.


Tell us about that.

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Well it's the same company so I will ask them if they have a video of the last time they checked with the camera. I will make sure they look for a side trap. The pipe (I guess that's what it's called) had shifted over the underground parallel sewer line/pipe to her house. It was the one that ran from the top of her drain hole in the driveway down to the main pipe/sewer line.

Finding the right plumber for the job is essential to ensuring your problem is fixed and not made worse. Most of us never need a plumber unless it is an emergency. Emergency jobs usually cost more to fix than a scheduled appointment.

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Originally Posted by SpaParts

Finding the right plumber for the job is essential to ensuring your problem is fixed and not made worse. Most of us never need a plumber unless it is an emergency. Emergency jobs usually cost more to fix than a scheduled appointment.

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The problem is HOW do you find the RIGHT plumber who will GET IT RIGHT? This is no longer an emergency since they snaked and pulled out the products AGAIN (5th time in 2 years). First two plumbers over the past 2 years were small outfits, no cameras, no power jets. The current plumber is a big outfit with all the tech equipment. But clearly even they didn't correctly diagnose the problem last summer when they put the camera down and then did the power jet wash.

I'm well aware emergencies always cost more. My sister is going to make an appt. for the camera diagnosis again but at least I know how to steer them. The problem all along I believe is that no plumber believed my sister nor me and never looked for a lateral connection to a neighbor. That has to be where this stuff is coming from because it sure isn't coming from her toilet.

Maybe you talk to your neighbors and see if they are having similar problems and if so, you can call your sanitary district or sewer department to have your lines checked. It's a problem with many older low lying systems and in many cases the mainlines are overwhelmed during rainstorms and flow really slowly. Many people have what's called a backwater check valve installed to prevent sewage backup.

But the local sewer department has to inspect and clean the mains regularly. I would certainly find out if indeed they had a problem before I spent even more money on things you have done already.

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Originally Posted by talaniman

Maybe you talk to your neighbors and see if they are having similar problems and if so, you can call your sanitary district or sewer department to have your lines checked. It's a problem with many older low lying systems and in many cases the mainlines are overwhelmed during rainstorms and flow really slowly. Many people have what's called a backwater check valve installed to prevent sewage backup.

But the local sewer department has to inspect and clean the mains regularly. I would certainly find out if indeed they had a problem before I spent even more money on things you have done already.

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Thanks for the tip on the backwater check valve! I'll certainly ask them about installing one if they can rule out a some lateral connection or trap with the neighbors. I have told my sister to ask her neighbors if they are also having issues. It is an old city sewer system and frankly I don't think they maintain them well so may have to file a complaint with them if nothing else works.

Unless you have issues with city sewer water backing up and into the home there is no need for a backwater valve. Here, you are having trouble with the drain line getting clogged, but you don't mention the city sewer backing up and into the home. If that is a valid statement then a backwater valve offers no help here. If however, the city manhole has a low invert that is causing sewage/waste/feminine products to pool and collect then that could be the problem. I'd open the sewer manhole out in front of the home and see what it looks like inside...;)

Mark

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Originally Posted by massplumber2008

Unless you have issues with city sewer water backing up and into the home there is no need for a backwater valve. Here, you are having trouble with the drain line getting clogged, but you don't mention the city sewer backing up and into the home. If that is a valid statement then a backwater valve offers no help here. If however, the city manhole has a low invert that is causing sewage/waste/feminine products to pool and collect then that could be the problem. I'd open the sewer manhole out in front of the home and see what it looks like inside...;)

Mark

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One of those backups was a city sewer backup. Had to have the basement sanitized after that one.

Yucky stuff, for sure! In that case, a backwater valve would definitely give peace of mind to your sister and you!

Keep us posted as you go.

Thanks! I'll keep you posted as to the outcome. Just hope they can get to the root of the real problem.

Well, my sister's sewer line was inspected with a camera today. I watched the whole thing. There is no lateral connection to any house and the line is not damaged. So the plumber's logical conclusion is that the city sewer line is backing up into her property when the sewer is overwhelmed during periods of heavy rain and thaw. All of her backups have happened during heavy rain. She is now going to likely have a sump pump installed to hopefully diminish the problem. As well, we have found out other neighbors are having similar issues. She has lodged a complaint with the city since she has now done everything within her power to determine a cause and it's certainly now confirmed that there is nothing wrong with her line. Other than the sump pump all she can do now is keep calling her sewer line insurance company to keep cleaning out her line when it happens again. Ten years no problem, last 2 years nothing but problems. Go figure.