[Stewie]

When I run our dishwasher or washing machine the toilet in the basement bubbles and the water level drops, and the shower backs up with sewage and water and what looks like leaves, roots and stuff.

I've rented an auger twice now. I put it down the main cleanout and didn't get anything. I took the basement toilet off ran the auger pulled out a softball sized blockage of roots and crud. Ran the laundry room tap, shower, and poured a bucket full of water down the toilet opening, and it didn't back up. Put the toilet back on and it flushed fine.

Today I had the dishwasher running. Went down to check the basement bathroom because I could hear the toilet making bubbling noises. The shower was completely full of sewage and crud.

I'm at a loss what to do now. I thought putting an auger down the toilet would fix the issue because I pulled out alot of roots and stuff.

Should I just auger it again ?

I can't really afford to dig it up now and pull the piping if thats the case ?

Is it a venting issue with the roof vent ?

Sometimes the water level in the toilet is down and when I flush the toilet it fills up to a point. Or if I run the shower the toilet will essentially bubble, like air is coming out. I bought this 2" backflow preventer from Canadian Tire and tried to put it into the shower drain, but the stupid thing didn't have tightening screws just indentations it expected you to turn to expand the rubber while trying to hold the damn thing in place I ended up returning it.

Only thing I wonder is the toilet would probably overflow if I put the backflow preventer into the shower right ?

Anyways I know the answer is probably going to be dig it all up but I just can't afford it right now.

 

[MikeKy55]

I had the exact same thing at my last house a couple years ago. The main line going to the street was clogged with roots. It was 110 feet from the house. Needless to say, the auger I was using was 100 feet. I dug a grave size hole in the yard about 1/2 way to the street and put a double clean out in.

 

[plumber666]

Clearly a drain issue with all the roots and gunk. Put venting out of your mind. Maybe hire a Rooter company and git er done proffessionally, I'll bet the one you rented is too small and is only getting some of it.

 

[Stewie]

Mine does have two cleanouts in the front yard. One is right outside the window in the window well the other is in the middle of the front lawn, under the top layer of grass. Should I get the auger again and put the thing down those two cleanouts ?

The auger I rented wasn't one of those small hand held things it was powered with foot pedal, about 1/2" thick with a 3/4" or so bit on the end.

 

[MikeKy55]

Short answer is Yes. Do you have trees in the yard? Usually the blockage will be somewhat near them. Open the clean out and look down into it with a flash light to determine which way it goes. The auger I used had a two fingered claw on the end of the cable. (you can use different ones) but the two finger deal worked well on mine. It doesn't take a lot of roots. Paper and some female hygiene items will hang on the roots and clog it up. Of course no one in my house had any idea how they got down there since they NEVER flushed them :laughing:

 

[plumberinlaw]

you need a bigger cable to clear a main line. Rent a Drun machine with 3/4 " cable or a sectional machine with 11/4" cable, make sure you have enough cable to make it to the city tap. You can only clear the line as good as the largest cutter you can get into the pipe. Clear the line from the clean-out not the toilet. Try not to hurt yourself with the cable they can be dangerous especially with a novice.

 

[LateralConcepts]

you need a bigger cable to clear a main line. Rent a Drun machine with 3/4 " cable or a sectional machine with 11/4" cable, make sure you have enough cable to make it to the city tap. You can only clear the line as good as the largest cutter you can get into the pipe. Clear the line from the clean-out not the toilet. Try not to hurt yourself with the cable they can be dangerous especially with a novice.

I agree. I would call a professional. For the cost, you may just save your self a lot of pain (literally).

The machine needs to have an 11/16" steel cable, and 4" blades. Those machines are torque monsters! If you don't know what you're doing and get into a major root blockage, the cable leaves the pipe, or you hit some other obstruction, you can get wound up. Potentially fatal. Just leave it to the pro's.

 

[Stewie]

Rented the auger again.

Went in the main cleanout in the basement got nothing. Just outside in the window well of the basement is a cleanout that bends away from the house. Went in there almost the full length of the auger got nothing.

Dug up the next cleanout thats in the center of the lawn under the top layer of grass. Found it by sticking a plant support randomly into the ground until I heard a clink. I knew rougly where it was just wasn't 100%... This one seems to lean towards the house and went in that one almost the full length I'm not sure where it goes because it didn't seem to hit anything at all.

Then I took the toilet off downstairs went in there again and after a short distance hit something, started grinding and pulled out a large clump of roots. Went in again it unwound almost completely and didn't hit anything. Tried it once more, then turned on all the taps, laundry machine and it didn't back up.

Hopefully thats solved it for the time being.