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Linsing · Sep 10, 2006, 11:17 AM

When we use the kitchen sink, the drain in the basement backs up with foul-smelling liquid. We have had the line 'snaked' twice... to no avail. It doesn't happen all the time, only occasionally. The gentlemen who snaked the drain said that there was 'grease' in the main line... any suggestions? We cannot afford a $4000 pipe-replacement!

speedball1 · Sep 10, 2006, 11:46 AM

"The gentlemen who snaked the drain said that there was 'grease' in the main line"
There's grease in every sewer line. What makes yours different? Sounds like the plumber was making excuses for not getting all the blockage out. If your line were really chock-a-block full of grease, and the only time I've ever seen this was in restaurants, he could have rented a steam jenny and melted the grease out of your line.

"any suggestions? We cannot afford a $4000 pipe-replacement!"
And you shouldn`t have to. How old is the line and what material is it made of?
Did the plumber go down the kitchen roof vent when he snaked the line or just snake from the cleanout?
I'm beginning to question your plumbers level of competency.
Ever think of getting someone new?
Regards, Tom

Linsing · Sep 10, 2006, 12:51 PM

Thank you for the quick response, Tom. No, the plumber did not go through the kitchen roof vent - just the floor of the basement. The house was built in 1951 and as far as I know, they're galvanized pipes. P.S. we do NOT have a garbage disposal - does that make a huge difference in the care and maintenance of our plumbing?

speedball1 · Sep 10, 2006, 01:36 PM

I was asking about the drainage but the age of your home tells me you have galvanized water pipes and cast iron sewer pipes.

"P.S. we do NOT have a garbage disposal - does that make a huge difference in the care and maintenance of our plumbing?"

It does to me. A lot of homes have the kitchen and washer lines joined in the basement. Think about it! Grease and garbage from the sink mixed in with grease and fiber from the washer makes a unholy clog when they mat up.
If your man went down the sewer cleanout he went down the wrong opening and if he went down the floor drain he didn't put out enough cable to completely clear the clog although if you have a 2 story home I can see why he picked the basement. Did he flush the line out with a sink full of hot water after he finished snaking? We always flush the lines out by cycling the washer or dumping a sink full of hot water down the drain. The hot water loosens the grease amd the water flushes it away. Regards, Tom

Linsing · Sep 10, 2006, 02:02 PM

Thank you, Tom. Yes, he did flush the lines out with hot water after snaking them. Yes, we do have a two-story home. Our laundry room is on the opposite side of the house from the kitchen and I do not know if both lines are joined in the basement. I don't have any problem with the laundry-tub backing up or draining slowly. As a matter of fact, I JUST did a load of laundry and it didn't seem to affect the floor drain I'm referring to. It only seems to happen (again, periodically) when we use the kitchen sink. We have also tried a kitchen sink drain cleaner... it came up from the basement drain with a vengeance.

speedball1 · Sep 11, 2006, 06:58 AM

If you still have a problem with the floor drain backing up then your plumber didn't get all the clog out. On a two story house it's only logical he snake from the floor drain since the blockage's downstream from it. But the fact that you still have a problem tells me he missed something. Anymore backups and he should make a recall. Regards, Tom