Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    StevoZZZ's Avatar
    StevoZZZ Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #1

    Jun 2, 2017, 08:00 PM
    Partially blocked soil pipe
    Working on an old house, and don't know the history of the plumbing. The soil pipe goes down into a concrete floor in the basement. It drains very slowly. Somebody at one time cut a small oval hole on the side of the pipe about 2.5 feet from the floor, I am guessing it has been cleaned out before. If I use a short snake I just pull up mud. I have been dumping water into the hole for weeks, trying to loosen this up. If I pour a gallon of water in the hole, it will fill up to the hole and slowly, slowly drain away. I am worried that soil and mud in the pipe means the pipe has collapsed under the floor. The pipe goes straight into the floor and I am guessing there is an elbow just below the surface of the floor. If I rent a machine, what types of cutters/ends on the snake would work for muddy clogs? Or any other suggestions? I already tried half a bottle of sulfuric acid, it just foams up the organic matter in the mud and drains away. Help! Thanks.
    smoothy's Avatar
    smoothy Posts: 25,492, Reputation: 2853
    Uber Member
    		  
    #2

    Jun 3, 2017, 04:23 AM
    Have a plumber come out and snake it then run a camera through it and you will know for sure. Otherwise you are just guessing.
    smoothy's Avatar
    smoothy Posts: 25,492, Reputation: 2853
    Uber Member
    		  
    #3

    Jun 3, 2017, 11:18 AM
    You MAY discover you have a problem you never even thought up... pipe that have sunken and now has a dip in it collecting heavier waste matter because stuff doesn't like flowing uphill and will collect until a clog forms. And if that's the case it will happen over and over. Tree root infiltration, collapsed pipe OR a sunken sag in the line would all be detectible with a camera.
    Milo Dolezal's Avatar
    Milo Dolezal Posts: 7,192, Reputation: 523
    Plumbing Expert
    		  
    #4

    Jun 3, 2017, 02:54 PM
    As suggested above: Rent sewer video camera from Home Depot and do video inspection first. It will tell you exactly what is wrong with your sewer pipe. Do repairs accordingly.

    If your HD doesn't rent sewer cameras, call plumber that has one. Worth every penny.

    Dirt in sewer pipe may indicate the pipe is broken, sagged or damaged in some other way. However, substance inside the pipe can also be sludge and that would mean you will have to properly clean the pipe ( water jet it ).

    The fact that pipe fills up with one gallon of water means it should be dealt with more-less right away

    Hope that helps

    Milo
Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions
 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

Running a soil pipe into a stench pipe that's used for ventilation only [ 1 Answers ]

Our next door neighbour has run his soil pipe into our stench pipe that has previously been used solely for ventilation

Drainage soil pipe & west pipe [ 2 Answers ]

Can you tell me. What is the slop require for soil pipe & west pipe running in the building Thanks.

Partially blocked intestine [ 4 Answers ]

I had problems with my bowel for many years like can go days without bowel movement when I do have a bowel movement its either loose watery or very soft and most times hard to come out I can still pass some gas but not as much as before two months ago I got a cramping pain in my stomach and nausea...

Soil Stack Vent Pipe/Stench Pipe ( Smelly Drains ) [ 3 Answers ]

I have a downstairs toilet and upstairs toilet ,one above the other.. The soil/stench pipe connects upwards to above the Roof heaves and downward into the sewer... Coupled into the sewer also is a Gully trap drain to take sink and bath / shower wastes and from time to time , from that drain gully...

View more questions Search