Hi Claudia If your plumber could not get his machine through that blockage then his suggestion might be the only answer. It might mean that the foundations have collapsed the drainage pipe. If it was tree roots then his machine would clear that. However below is what causes blockagesI have posted this article before but as you are a new member it might be handy in the future A Look Down the Drain: Common Clog Problems
Draining Dilemmas So, it's too late . the drain is completely clogged, your kid left the faucet running and water is cascading down the stairs from one floor to the next. What to do now? Well, for starters, try not to let things get to that point. Keep a sharp eye out for signs of a sluggish drain. It's easier to unclog a slow drain than it is to open one that has completely stopped. When the drain is slow, pour scalding water down the pipe to loosen any buildup of grease. Also, clean the stopper or drain screen. If this doesn't locate the problem, then check the other household drains to determine if the clog is only in one fixture. If more than one drain is clogged, then there is a clog in the main drain pipe. The first tool most people grab to fight a sink clog is a simple bathroom plunger. Pick a plunger with a large enough suction cup to completely cover the drain and create an airtight seal against the surrounding sink. Fill the fixture with water to completely cover the suction cup (it may help to coat the rim of the cup with petroleum jelly). Seal off any other outlets, such as the overflow drain in sinks, to create a vacuum. Push out any trapped air beneath the cup, then give the plunger 15 to 20 vigorous up-and-down pumping strokes to jolt loose the clog. This may take 3 to 5 times to do the job. If that doesn't work, refer to Plan B. At this point, if you have a plumbing snake handy then give it a rip. Plumbing snakes work their way through the drain pipe and physically push through clogs, making them one of the most reliable tools for solving the problem. Just push in the snake until you hit the obstruction. Then try to hook the clog by twisting the snake's handle. When the clog is hooked, push the snake back and forth until the obstruction breaks up. Then flush the pipe with cold water. If more than one fixture is clogged, then you may need to clean out the main drain line. To do this, locate the clean-out plugs on the large drain pipes in your basement or crawlspace. These drain lines may be found in a garage or outdoors, along the foundations of the house. Each plug has a cap with a square fitting at the top. Remove the cap with a wrench. Be ready with a bucket to catch dripping water. Also, make absolutely sure no one is going to be using the facilities while you have the main drain line open, or you could have a serious mess on your hands. Use a snake to break up any clogs in the open main line, running it in both directions of the pipe. Chemical Cleaners Routine use of chemical cleaners can damage your plumbing over time, but they can be helpful opening the occasional plugged pipe. If water is slowly draining but the pipe is not completely clogged, then a liquid cleaner may do the trick. But don't be suckered by the thin liquid products on the market. On more than one occasion I've poured a watery cleaner down a sluggish drain only to hear the product rush straight past the clog and into the nether regions of my plumbing system, leaving the problem stuck in the drain, mocking me. Each time this happened, I could swear I heard somewhere in the distance the faint sound of the manufacturer laughing at me. Chemical cleaners use either an acid or a base to dissolve stubborn clogs and organic matter, so choose a thicker product rather than the cheapest, thin liquid plumbing agents. The thicker products stick to the inside of the pipe and give the chemicals better coverage and contact with the blockage. Some products foam-up and cling to the inside walls of the pipe. Allow the product to sit as directed, usually about 30 minutes, and follow with running water to test the drain. There are a few red flags when it comes to chemical cleaners. The first is that the active ingredient is often chlorine bleach. This is bad news for septic tanks, because bleach can kill the beneficial bacteria of a septic system. These products are best suited for systems connected to a city sewer. Also, laundry drain clogs are often due to accumulated clothing fibers. Liquid drainers don't dissolve these fibers, so those problems will probably have to be removed physically, not chemically. The general rule of chemical cleaners: Read the instructions on the label and only use it as intended. Always use in a well-ventilated area and wear rubber gloves. Don't use a plunger if a liquid cleaner is in the drain, or you risk splashing caustic chemicals on your skin. And don't pour in a liquid cleaner if the drain is completely blocked. Otherwise you'll be faced with a sink full of caustic water - another mess you'll have to deal with. Professional Plumbers With a little luck, following these pointers might save you some plumbing worries, or at least clear them up when the water starts rising. But of course, you can always resort to the Yellow Pages. When you do have to pick a plumber, you'll want to hire a qualified, full-time professional and not just a "handyman" that does the work on the side. This especially applies to bigger jobs, but even the smallest job can turn big and expensive if not handled correctly. Paying a little extra for quality work may save a lot of money in the long run. When choosing a plumber, request an estimate. Talk to your plumber about the overall cost of the job, even if it seems like its going to be a small, inexpensive project. Also, check for a license, ask for a timeframe and professional references and confirm their insurance credentials. Plumbers come in all shapes and sizes and levels of experience, so do a little research before forking over any money. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Claudia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 5:46 AM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Very Upset Here! > Hello, > > I am a new poster, and I have the following problem and sure could use any > ideas, on the subject! > Thanks. > > > However, we have a major problem on our hands! We've been having > difficulty, when washing clothes lately. When we wash, there is a drain > underneath the basins, where the hose from the washing machine empties > into! > That has been backing up, as of late. > > So, we called a friend who is a plumber, for one of our neighboring > cities, > and he came out to try to solve our problem! He ran a machine through the > main water line, of course, getting out grass and roots, as there are > trees, > as part of our property! That line was now clean, and water traveled > through that, without any problems. > > However, when he went to put the machine through the drain right > underneath > the wash basins, he couldn't get it past eight feet; something is stuck > there, and he couldn't get it to go any further! His thought was that we > might have to break up the floor, to see why that drain is stuck and > possibly replace pipe! > > I don't know much about plumbing, but this doesn't seem to be sewer water > or > anything like that; I think the water from our kitchen sinks and bathrooms > drains into the main water line, so I'm thinking that that isn't the > problem! > If any of you know of a handyman list to send this to, please let me know! > > Thanks. > > > Claudia > > Join either of my groups; the first is for visually-impaired women, while > the other is for people wishing to discuss homemaking issues. > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.6/1230 - Release Date: 1/17/2008 4:59 PM
