Leaves on the auger bit?? - DIY Chatroom

J187 · 05-02-2007, 08:37 PM

Please tell me that leaves can find thier way into pipes as easily as roots can... at the very very end of my auger - not sure how long it is, the label is gone - I encountered some leaves. I really don't want to hear that this is evidence of a collapsed line...

the auger is a friends power auger 1/2 hp, a big guy, could be 50'. For all I know I snaked the entire pipe to the sewer....

EDIT - I didn't see any dirt or what I would think is mud or anything, just a couple small parts of a leaf and the stem and of course the rust and such.

Ron The Plumber · 05-02-2007, 10:16 PM

If you did not bring back mud, then not to worry about it.

Sammy · 05-02-2007, 10:37 PM

If your auger was long enough to hit the main in the street it could have come from there. I would monitor it for awhile but as Ron says I would not be concerned at this point. Leaves could not enter the line unless you you have a serious, obvious, above ground opening.

BigJimmy · 05-02-2007, 11:31 PM

Yeah, I totally agree. You may have simply made it all the way to the street (city sewer) and dragged back some goodies (esp. if your municipaility has a combined sewer/storm system where the leaves entering the catch basins add directly to the waste). At least you didn't hook a dead body!

Funny story: My father-in-law rodded his waste line a few weeks ago due to a slow-draining tub. What did he pull out? 2 30+ft. pieces of broken snake!

J187 · 05-03-2007, 12:22 AM

Thanks for the replies guys. I need to check w/ the neighbors in the moring because if I hit the street, the blockage is further down. EIther that or the leaves came from a mysterious place and I haven't quite exhausted the length of my drain. I say this because last night, I tested the drain - put a garden hose down the cleanout - and although it took quite a while, the water backed up to the cleanout. Tomorrow, I'll measure this auger and see if I can get a longer one from a rental center. THanks again for the help.

NateHanson · 05-03-2007, 12:35 PM

You can probably measure how far you are from the sewer line in the street, based on the location of curbside drains and manholes. That might help you determine if you're getting all the way to the street.

Mike Swearingen · 05-03-2007, 07:41 PM

The most obvious place for leaves to enter a drain/waste/vent system is down the stack on the roof, especially if there were taller trees in the area around the house.
Mike

joed · 05-03-2007, 08:00 PM

Where I live it used to common practice to put the downspouts in the weeping which went inthe sewer system. The leave could be coming from the gutters.