If you're willing to read through the info below and let me know if you think I have analyzed the situation properly I would be grateful.
-Son used LOTS of "flushable" baby wipes in upstairs toilet.
-Soon after the downstairs toilet overflowed when a bathtub upstairs (in a different bathroom from the son's toilet) was emptied.
-Panic ensued, all use of upstairs bathrooms was stopped, and we cleaned up the overflow from the downstairs toilet
-But now the downstairs toilet won't drain at all.
-I used a 25 foot 1/4" hand powered snake on the toilet and retrieved 1 baby wipe. Toilet still would not drain.
-Later same night when we ran the washer, the downstairs toilet overflowed again.
-Now since we are cautious we have avoided another overflow but we can tell that the toilet will overflow if any of the following are used on the downstairs level: washer, bathroom sink next to problem toilet, laundry room sink, dishwasher, or kitchen sink.
-After about 4 hours, the toilet that overflowed will have a completely empty bowl
-final interesting fact: master bathroom on far side of house on ground floor (same level as the toilet that overflowed) works fine. We can use the toilet, the bathtub, and the shower with no problems at all. The master is also in a one-story area of the house....the upstairs bathrooms are all directly over the downstairs bath/kitchen/laundry room
MY DIAGNOSIS: Partial Clog of the main drainline in the branch that services the upstairs and the main part of the downstairs (toilet that overflowed and kitchen/laundry). The clog has to be downsteam of the washer which is the last thing on the line before it goes outside. But the clog has to be prior to the place where this branch of the main drain line joins the branch from the master. The final line to the sewer must also be clear since the master works fine (even when emptying the oversize tub).
QUESTION #1: Does this sound like an accurate diagnosis?
I have opened the cleanout in the garage which is directly behind the washer and used the same 25 foot snake but no improvement. This cleanout is at waist level which is higher than the level of the downstairs toilet so no water is in the cleanout when I open it. But if I leave it open and run the washer, when the washer empties after the wash cycle, soapy water will come out the cleanout and soapy water shows up in the bowl of the downstairs toilet. Unless I stop the emptying of the washer after about 30 seconds, the downstairs toilet will fill up and overflow. It then takes about 4 hours for the toilet to empty.
My plan now is to rent a commercial snake at about 100' length and see if I can clear the branch of the mainline.
There is a U-shaped "house trap" out in the flower bed at grade about 18" from the foundation. I am assuming this trap is downstream of where the two branches of the drainline come together, right? I estimate it to be about 40-45 feet from the cleanout in the garage on a straight line basis.
Any suggestions helpful. I am a little leary of taking the plunge on a commercial snake, but i am not ready to call a plumber when I have a reasonable degree of confidence in my diagnosis and we have a workable situation for a while with the one working bathroom.
Thanks.
-Son used LOTS of "flushable" baby wipes in upstairs toilet.
-Soon after the downstairs toilet overflowed when a bathtub upstairs (in a different bathroom from the son's toilet) was emptied.
-Panic ensued, all use of upstairs bathrooms was stopped, and we cleaned up the overflow from the downstairs toilet
-But now the downstairs toilet won't drain at all.
-I used a 25 foot 1/4" hand powered snake on the toilet and retrieved 1 baby wipe. Toilet still would not drain.
-Later same night when we ran the washer, the downstairs toilet overflowed again.
-Now since we are cautious we have avoided another overflow but we can tell that the toilet will overflow if any of the following are used on the downstairs level: washer, bathroom sink next to problem toilet, laundry room sink, dishwasher, or kitchen sink.
-After about 4 hours, the toilet that overflowed will have a completely empty bowl
-final interesting fact: master bathroom on far side of house on ground floor (same level as the toilet that overflowed) works fine. We can use the toilet, the bathtub, and the shower with no problems at all. The master is also in a one-story area of the house....the upstairs bathrooms are all directly over the downstairs bath/kitchen/laundry room
MY DIAGNOSIS: Partial Clog of the main drainline in the branch that services the upstairs and the main part of the downstairs (toilet that overflowed and kitchen/laundry). The clog has to be downsteam of the washer which is the last thing on the line before it goes outside. But the clog has to be prior to the place where this branch of the main drain line joins the branch from the master. The final line to the sewer must also be clear since the master works fine (even when emptying the oversize tub).
QUESTION #1: Does this sound like an accurate diagnosis?
I have opened the cleanout in the garage which is directly behind the washer and used the same 25 foot snake but no improvement. This cleanout is at waist level which is higher than the level of the downstairs toilet so no water is in the cleanout when I open it. But if I leave it open and run the washer, when the washer empties after the wash cycle, soapy water will come out the cleanout and soapy water shows up in the bowl of the downstairs toilet. Unless I stop the emptying of the washer after about 30 seconds, the downstairs toilet will fill up and overflow. It then takes about 4 hours for the toilet to empty.
My plan now is to rent a commercial snake at about 100' length and see if I can clear the branch of the mainline.
There is a U-shaped "house trap" out in the flower bed at grade about 18" from the foundation. I am assuming this trap is downstream of where the two branches of the drainline come together, right? I estimate it to be about 40-45 feet from the cleanout in the garage on a straight line basis.
Any suggestions helpful. I am a little leary of taking the plunge on a commercial snake, but i am not ready to call a plumber when I have a reasonable degree of confidence in my diagnosis and we have a workable situation for a while with the one working bathroom.
Thanks.