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clog or worse?

2K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  TheEplumber 
#1 ·
Thank you first for taking the time to read this post. My husband and I are homeowner and have stated having plumbing issues in our home that the plumber has been unable to fix yet.
Heres the story: we have only 1 full bathroom in our home, which is a 1 story home no basement. Our toilet started backing up into the tub. No where else but the toilet and the tub have problems backing up. The plumbers came out and snaked the line through the vent. The problem seemed resolved until the next day it started to back up into the tub when we flushed or the tub would eventually stop draining if we took a long shower. Now water is comming from under the toilet but we know the seal needs to b replaced now. The plumbers came out a 2nd time and snaked the line again with what they said was a bigger line and a stopper on the end. Problem again seemed to be resolved for a few hours now its happening again. Now the tub backed up for the first time while I was doing laundry (first load in washer) and the dishes. Also water is leaking from the wall now also when the tub backs up. The plumbers came out the 1st time on wed and 2nd time on Friday. When I tired to call there was no answer and the voicemail is full. Is this a more serious problem than a clog? Should I use a different plumber? Thanks for any advice!
 
#6 ·
I just cleaned out a line last week that was HORRIBLY plumbed underneath. The whole place was backed up, it took me 7 shots to get it working properly.

Did he offer to run a camera down there? You may have an object sitting there that allows most of the water to flow by until paper and other solids get hung up on it, which then causes a clog. :huh:
 
#9 ·
WHY in the world are you continuing to call the same company again and again and again? Why not call a different plumbing company? There is something seriously wrong with all of this.

Do you have neighbors and if so where and how close are they to your property. You mentioned the neighbor with the magnolia, is there another neighbor on the other side? Are they experiencing drain issues as well? Do you have any type of woody vegetation near your sewer line?

This is nuts!

Is the plumber charging you for every trip he makes to your house?:)
 
#18 ·
Consider contacting pipe lining distributors such as Perma Liner. They may have a contractors list. As far as its reliability, liners are installed in municipal lines all the time.
Insurance companies shouldn't complain balk at the product, but have you talked to them? I have found that they aren't too cooperative when it comes to replacing worn out pipes
 
#5 ·
They said the went into the city line the 2nd time to make sure they got it. There are no trees on our property, but there is a magnolia tree in our neighbors back yard. Our bathroom is on the wall facing the backyard. Also the thing in the front yard they couldn't get too. They dug a little but apparently the cement from the front porch is on top of it. That's what they said atleast. The house is probably 20 yrs old. We live right outside new orleans la also if that helps. It really seems like a clog, but the water leaking from the wall is what concerns me that the problem is bigger. Thanks so much for your replys.
 
#7 ·
They havent offered to run a camera down but I have called them to come this morning. When my husband called they even mentioned that they went all the way out to the city line and seems surprised that the problem was still happening. Ill report on what this 3rd visit concludes with. I may request a camera. Any idea why the water would leak from the wall?
 
#10 · (Edited)
There are woods behind our house but they are separated by a canal. The lot on the other side is empty and the house next to that is vacant waiting to be sold.

I am concerned with using this company much more but they are not the ones coming out tomorrow to camera my pipe. They don't have a camera so they use another company for that(one that was originally suggested to me by my dad but they couldn't come out for 3 days after the problem arose)...

I'm just so frustrated at this point Ill pay them to camera my house but I will probably shop around with whatever is the problem unless they can guarantee a fix. About what they are charging me... I have no idea! They said they mail the bill to us. Which tomorrow someone will need to tell me how much I owe them for snaking my house twice before I will allow them to do more work. They gave me an estimate on how much the camera would cost as well, not sure if it included labor.

When my husband asked them today if maybe the clog is getting pushed into one of the other pipes then coming back when we use it they said it wasnt possible. They also said that they dont think its a city sewer issue since they went all the way into the city line. They did say that it could be the (sorry for my wording on this) 'rubber piece going toward the city line that will help prevent stuff from coming into our house' from it may have broken off and be causing the backup. Hopefully that makes sense:huh:

Also when they camera the lines is it better to go in through the vent since they cant get to the trap outside? Hopefully they still have full access to everything!~ Thanks so much for your reply's:thumbsup:
 
#11 ·
There are woods behind our house but they are separated by a canal. The lot on the other side is empty and the house next to that is vacant waiting to be sold.
I am concerned with using this company much more but they are not the ones coming out tomorrow to camera my pipe. They don't have a camera so they use another company for that(one that was originally suggested to me by my dad but they couldn't come out for 3 days after the problem arose)...
I'm just so frustrated at this point Ill pay them to camera my house but I will probably shop around with whatever is the problem unless they can guarantee a fix. About what they are charging me... I have no idea! They said they mail the bill to us. Which tomorrow someone will need to tell me how much I owe them for snaking my house twice before I will allow them to do more work. They gave me an estimate on how much the camera would cost as well, not sure if it included labor.
When my husband asked them today if maybe the clog is getting pushed into one of the other pipes then coming back when we use it they said it wasnt possible. They also said that they dont think its a city sewer issue since they went all the way into the city line. They did say that it could be the (sorry for my wording on this) 'rubber piece going toward the city line that will help prevent stuff from coming into our house' from it may have broken off and be causing the backup. Hopefully that makes sense:huh:

Also when they camera the lines is it better to go in through the vent since they cant get to the trap outside? Hopefully they still have full access to everything!~ Thanks so much for your reply's:thumbsup:
When they (whoever comes out) camera the line make sure they can get a video, and that they give you a copy of the video.

The leak in the wall could be from the waste and overflow assembly on the tub inside the wall that possibly loosened up if someone ran a snake down it.

The "Rubber piece" that prevents stuff from coming into your house sounds like a BACKWATER VALVE. Did they say that? If it was broken, and they knew it was broken they should have tried the camera in the first place to make sure the "Check" on the valve wasn't still sitting inside the line somewhere causing clogs.

Now : This is all purely speculative. Plumbing can be very very very difficult albeit impossible to diagnose without being face to face with the problem. I don't recommend you using this as ammunition IE : "So and so on the internet said that YOU should do . . . . . ." I guarantee they won't like that much. Just something to think about when talking to them.
 
#12 ·
oh boy... so they ran the camera down the line. :/ We apparently have cast iron pipes. they said they are corroding or blistering causing it to be rough and catch and toilet paper which is clogging the line. they couldn't show me the video because they only have a screen on the end of the line and they had to go in from the vent on the roof. Now I would have happily gotten on the roof to see it but I am 9mo's pregnant so didn't think it would be a good idea. Where the pipes are messed up and need to be replaced are, of course, under the house. So we talked tunneling and such.

This 2nd company doesn't do tunnel work but no worries he has a cousin that does it!.... They said they would send me and estimate for free, but I'm definitely going to get other estimates. They said we are ok to use the toilet and such as long as we don't put ANY paper products down the line until we decide what to do.:(

Thanks for your reply's again.
 
#17 ·
I wonder if they could just do the maybe 10ft the plumbers said were rough? They said the line that isn't under the house is in great condition. Its gonna cost several thousand if they have to trench under the house to replace the pipes also. I'm just trying to see which is the lesser of two evils. I'm having a little trouble finding smeone who does it around new orleans to get and estimate and ask some q's.
I was wondering if some cities or insurance companies have any problems with it if anyone may know as well.
Thanks again :)
 
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