Sewer clog between street trap and house

[JHZR2]

So I had replaced most of the run of horizontal sewer pipe to where it exits my home. Has been just fine. I never turned the cap on the cleanout tight, just did it by hand. This AM I noticed it was damp. Worried, I looked at our laundry sink and saw standing water. Great, a clog.

Never had a clog before. We don't flush wipes, but we do flush the super-thin cloth diaper liners (they claim they are flushable) when they get soiled with #2.

So I shop vacced the water from the sink and laundry standpipe (glad I installed that!), then cracked the laundry sink trap and got the water level below the cleanout cap level. Opened the cap and saw standing water.

Called the town to report a blockage and they had someone over within 30 mins in a Sunday. He checked from the fresh air box at the street, and found it was on the house side.

Fished it from the cleanout in the basement with a 1/2" tape and a very skinny metal piece, both at least 25 ft. Both get stuck at a point in there, where I think there is a right angle in the piping (the fresh air inlet is not in a direct line from the sewer pipe leaving our home to the street).

So I tried a flexible snake, which actually pulled a few of the diaper liners and a nice clump of roots. But the water still stands. I'm not attacking the clog. I think it needs to be attacked from the street side.

Since there is a trap there, I'll drop the cleaner straight but it will bend wrong and not necessarily make the right angle. I can't seem to get the tape to turn 90 to go into the pipe to the house. As I understand it, the pipe from the town to the trap is one height, the trap another height, and the pipe coming from the house is another.

So given that I'm trying to fish rigid steel in a 4" hole at a right angle six feet below me... So what are the tricks to do this?

Thanks!

 

[cchase]

Your mention of getting roots doesn't bode well.

As far as getting the fish tape, you might try twisting as you push, sometimes that helps them angle properly to make the turn.

Good luck.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

I usually find it easier and less stressful to get a plumber or sewer expert to clean the clog. I have found their expertise to be worthwhile in these situations.

 

[wog]

Pick up 25ft rod at depot or lowes. That will bend and push or pull clog and roots. They usually. Work well on main drains. Good luck

 

[demarpaint]

The word root scares me. In order for you to be pulling roots from the pipe that means the root managed to get through the pipe. That is not good, and could mean some serious digging and pipe repair or replacement. Hopefully it is far enough away from your house to be the towns problem and not yours. Do your homework and find out where exactly were your plumbing responsibility ends and theirs begins.

 

[wog]

The rod is a flat steel rigid , not a wire snake.

 

[sleddriver]

Good luck on that one. Never encountered this before as I have septic. Roots are never a good sign in a sewer system. I remember reading somewhere that Copper Sulfate pentahydrate was usefull for this problem.

You may find something usefull on Ask This Old House's website in the video's section. They have all the back shows there listed by season with the content. They do lots of plumbing. I remember Richard T. explaining why "Wyes" are used and their orientation is important when you have to snake out a drain line.

 

[JHZR2]

We were using flat steel already. Problem is putting it down and getting it turned right to go into the horizontal run.

 

[fdcg27]

There used to be a product called Rooto that does an excellent job in clearing a clogged house drain line.
I recall my father using it years ago and it did work with no need to call for professional assistance.
It may still be available.
It was very nasty stuff, probably containing lots of lye.
Good luck, but it sounds like you need more than the tools you have to work with to get that drain cleared.
As a last resort, Roto Rooter will get that drain running and it shouldn't be terribly expensive.

 

[wog]

You will probly need a 2 wheeler snake. They rent them at tool rentals. Otherwise root o rooter.chemicals will help but if they don t break clog you will have no place to dump it. You might have to get camera in there to find out if pipe has break ala roots.

 

[Stelth]

As much as I endorse the DIY ethic, I think this is a job for the pros. It takes a powerful machine with a big cable to properly clear roots, and there is genuine danger involved, particularly to the inexperienced.

Once you get the line cleared, it's probably a good idea to use one of the copper sulfate products such as R-D Root Destroyer periodically.

 

[Warstud]

I just read somewhere to only flush TP down the toilet. Some things claim there flushable but they aren't.

 

[Stelth]

Oh, and if you want to try to at least clear it temporarily with your flat tape, you can take a piece of PVC pipe and a 90 deg. elbow, and glue them together. You will then have to cut the 90 off to fit into the 4" pipe. Slide it into the 4" until it's at the branch drain, and you should be able to get the tape in there if it's flexible enough to go through the 90. I've done this several times with drain snakes. Just make sure that you don't drop the pipe into the sewer (obviously).

 

[RTexasF]

If you got roots then they will be back in time. There is a hole in the line and the roots are seeking moisture. We just went through this at our house after spending hundreds and hundreds on clean outs....roots. The entire line was replaced for a princely sum and no more roots so no more problems. It turned out to be a half arsed repair to the line prior to our buying the house that allowed the roots into it. Best of luck with it.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: RTexasF
If you got roots then they will be back in time. There is a hole in the line and the roots are seeking moisture.


Exactly.

 

[Stelth]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: RTexasF
If you got roots then they will be back in time. There is a hole in the line and the roots are seeking moisture.


Exactly.


True enough. My recommendation of root killers is just to keep the problem at bay until proper repairs can be made. Sometimes they will work for years, sometimes not.

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
I just read somewhere to only flush TP down the toilet. Some things claim there flushable but they aren't.


OP has an ancient house, anything could happen. Sad about the roots.

 

[JHZR2]

We have two large maples that are on either side of where the pipe goes. It wouldn't surprise me if roots are part of the issue, but I'm sure there are "flushable" cloth diaper liners that caused this, as my wife just flushed one this am and then this happened. We don't flush wipes.

The pipe has had a 90-ish year run, and it's part of the situation of having established landscaping and trees. We're ok with it, a slight pain but manageable and no big deal.

We've had friends that have had to re- do leach fields on the septics of pretty new homes, so I think what we're dealing with at this point is ok, whatever it is.

We have thought about redoing our driveway with pavers and aggregate concrete, and part of the pipe goes underneath. Might be a good excuse - have to look on the bright side...

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Rent a power auger to clean out the existing roots and other mess. Then have a qualified plumbing company come in and reline the existing sewer line. That will provide a new, smooth interior surface, prevent further root invasion, and last another 90 years or so.

 

[BrandonVA]

have you tried auto-rx?