Having Issues

[StanIam]

We bought a house about 2 years ago that was vacant for about a year. We completely gutted and remodeled the home. About 4 months ago we finally got the toilet working. This was the only running water source in the house for the last 4 months, no bath, kitchen, or bath sink. We noticed a leak in the basement sewer pipe and in the midst of fixing it, we figured we would have rotor rooter come in and flush out the lines. They claim that there is bloackage about 11 ft into the pipe and the think it's dirt. The pipe is cast iron that runs under a cement floor crawl space. My questions are -

1. Because the house sat so long without running water, could it be old feces hardened causing some blackage?
2. On that same note, we only ran a toilet for 4 months and nothing else. Could this pose a problem not washing the solids down properly?
3. Does solid waste actually sit in the pipes until more water washes them down? The pipe is approx 26ft of run before connecting to the town sewer line.

Thanks for any help given.

[havasu]

You are going to need to get a camera into that hole to determine if the substance is either a blockage or a collapsed sewer line. Most companies have a camera available to take a peek into your pipes. Good luck!

[Nailer341]

Originally Posted by havasu

You are going to need to get a camera into that hole to determine if the substance is either a blockage or a collapsed sewer line. Most companies have a camera available to take a peek into your pipes. Good luck!

Agreed.
This is the only way to know.

[Reedwalker]

I agree with the above. We actually offer a "free" video inspection with a "drain cleaning".

Please don't let the language fool you. A drain cleaning is different from "opening a drain", or "restoring flow". We restore flow for $125.00. A drain cleaning starts at $300. This is comparable to other companies in the area.

And it's not uncommon for a house that has been sitting to have a back up. I'm sure we could speculate on the properties of poo in the "dry" sanitary line 'til the cows come home.

[majakdragon]

Unless the company did a camera inspection, "guessing" that it is dirt is not a good thing to state. When a drain line is not used for an extended period of time, all the solids that are stuck to the pipe walls dry up and break loose. This could be the cause of any blockage. If the pipe was pitched properly when installed, solids should not be sitting in the line.

[havasu]

Buying a house which sat vacant for a year sounds as if it may had been subject to vandalism, which occurs often in foreclosed homes. If this is the case, double and triple check all the functions of the house for your safety.

[dunriteplumbing]

hello, always get a second opinion. have your sewer video taped. be there when they do it. have them make you a tape. you may need this down the road. solid waste may not make it to the city sewer in one flush. maybe if your sewer was all brand new pvc,with correct pitch and a short distance to the city sewer.but if your sewer is clay or cast iron it could take a few flushes before all the waste makes it out.