I have a ranch style single story house on a slab. The washer drain is clogged so that the water overflows as it is draining. I have to turn off the washing machine and give the water in the drain time to drain out before letting more water drain. The water sometimes backs up into the kitchen sink. I have tried snaking the drain and using Liquid Fire. I called a plumber and he snaked the system and sold me a Bio One septic system treatment to use. All of these options worked for a week or so but the problem always returns. The plumbing layout of the house is the washer is at one end of the house and following a straight on the back side of the house is a dishwasher, kitchen sink, guest bathroom and master bathroom. The sewage drains out of the front of the house. What would you suggest that I try next? Would a high pressure sewer jet kit be worth trying? Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Clogged washer drain
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If it's backing up into your kitchen sink that means the snaking really never cleared the stoppage is the a clean out in your yard you can check flow there, use a long snake 50' or so, forget about those drain cleaners or enzymes, do you have trees in your front yard???? How well does your tub drain????
There were Pine trees and Maple trees in the front yard about 20 years ago, but they have all been removed. There are currently a couple of Crepe Myrtles in the yard. Also, before all of the Pine and Maple trees were removed, I did have an issue where roots had caused a blockage in the front yard and some of the sewer line in the yard had to be replaced. A clean out was added at that time. All of the sinks and tubs drain fine. This issue just started about 3 months ago. I have used a snake through the drain at the washing machine and through the clean out in the front yard. I probably went about 25 feet into each entrance. Do I need to try to get the snake in further? Some general information about the house: It is in Alabama, built in 1972 and is about 1100 square feet. Thanks for your help.
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would snake from the kitchen sink drain you say it fill up the kitchen sink, that means the clog is Infront of the kitchen sink,so you should snake there
would snake from the kitchen sink drain you say it fill up the kitchen sink, that means the clog is Infront of the kitchen sink,so you should snake there
I had a plumber come out and he snaked from the kitchen sink, from the washer drain and from the cleanout. I thought maybe the vent pipe could be clogged, so I snaked the vent pipe which is near the kitchen sink and the washing machine drain. The vent pipe was perfectly clear. I think my next step is to order a 50 foot borescope and zip tie it to a snake so maybe I can find the obstruction. The water from the washing machine doesn't actually make it into the sink before the washing machine drain fills up. You can hear the gurgling sound in the kitchen sink. I have attached some pictures and a video of the sound from the sink when the washer drain pipe fills. Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks again for your help.
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Have you snaked from the outside clean out what size snake is being used,you maybe able to snake from outside to inside, can use see flow looking down at the outside cleanout,snake from the outside cleanout to the street
Are you sure the washer drains past that cleanout ?
Maybe the problem line goes out independently.
In my area the kitchen and the washer drain usually combine.
Sometimes after they combine they exit the foundation independently of the building drain. This is done so the kitchen and washing machine can have its own field line in a private sewage system.
It appears the sink isn’t vented but that’s not why it’s backing up, especially if it’s worked perfect in the past.
Run the drain cable from the washer vent until you see it come past the outside cleanout.
Maybe the problem line goes out independently.
In my area the kitchen and the washer drain usually combine.
Sometimes after they combine they exit the foundation independently of the building drain. This is done so the kitchen and washing machine can have its own field line in a private sewage system.
It appears the sink isn’t vented but that’s not why it’s backing up, especially if it’s worked perfect in the past.
Run the drain cable from the washer vent until you see it come past the outside cleanout.
I saw water draining past the cleanout. To make sure that the water was draining properly, I filled the sink with water and let it drain. I watched and listened at the cleanout. I heard a few gurgling sounds and then clear water flowed past the cleanout. The washing machine will drain maybe a third of the tub of water before the drain pipe starts to overflow. I have to stop the washer and give the water in the pipes time to drain before restarting the washer. I have to do this several times before all of the water can drain. This just started happening about 3 months ago. I thought maybe with the camera, I could see what was going on.
The plumber snaked from the outside clean out. I don't know what size snake he had. I did see flow looking down at the outside cleanout. I haven't tried to snake from the outside cleanout to the street. I have a small 25 foot snake that I purchased from Harbor Freight that I used to snake the vent pipe. I am going to purchase a 50 foot snake to snake all directions myself. Is there a particular drain snake that you would recommend?
Length of the snake is only one part of the equation. You must have the correct diameter and correct cutter head. In my opinion, you could hire a drain clearing company for the same price as renting the equipment and guessing what you really need.
You need a professional quality drain machine cable ran down the washer drain. 3/8” cable. Is what I use. Not through the trap.
Update on what I have done so far:
I bought a 50 foot endoscope and zip tied it to a 25 foot 3/16 inch auger. I tried to go through the drain pipe at the washing machine but I could not get it to turn the first corner. It just hit the bottom of the 3 1/2 to 4 foot drain and stopped. I did notice that there was standing water in the washer drain pipe even though it had been hours since the washing machine was used. When I turn on the washing machine and let it drain, it obviously pushes the standing water down the drain; otherwise it would overflow almost immediately. Next, I went through the drain underneath the sink. I was able to get the snake to turn the corner at the bottom of the drain, but the snake stopped after about 4 feet. I'm thinking that the snake went right towards the washing machine drain which is about 4 feet from the kitchen sink rather than going towards the main sewer line.
Questions:
1. How do you get the drain snake to turn corners?
2. Is it likely that the drain from the washing machine would flow directly through the same drain as the sink since the sink is 4 feet from the washing machine and along the same back wall?
3. I can rent an industrial drain snake from Home Depot. Do you think this would be a better option to get the snake to turn corners?
4. If the drain pipe at the washing machine has standing water in it hours after the washing machine has been used and the drain under the sink is relatively clean with no water as shown in the pictures, what does that tell us about the drain from the washing machine to the sink? Is it possible that it doesn't use the same drain pipe as the sink? Could there be something between the sink and the washing machine that is stopping the water from completely draining after hours of non use? Could a venting problem cause the water to stand in the washing machine drain?
5. Can anyone look at the pictures I have attached and tell anything from them? I know that all of the pictures where there is no water were made from the drain below the sink. I think the pictures that look wet were made from the drain at the washing machine, but I can't be sure. I need to try everything again and note exactly when the pictures are taken and from which drain.
I believe my endoscope can help me determine exactly what my issue is, if I can get it connected to a drain snake that I am able to get to turn corners and go in the direction I need it to. I have already had a couple of plumbers out and they used drain snakes from the washing machine, below the sink and from the cleanout from the main sewer line outside.
I don't believe any of the local plumbers have an endoscope. I will need to call a plumber from about 1 hour away to get one that has every tool needed to figure out what is going on.
I don't mind spending money trying to figure this stuff out on my own since I will be learning things and I may actually get it resolved with your help.
Images 5 through 10 are when I put the snake down the kitchen sink drain the first time and shows where the snake stopped after about 4 feet. Images 11 and 12 are when I put it down the kitchen drain a second time. I believe image 13 is from the washing machine drain, but I could be mistaken on that one.
I bought a 50 foot endoscope and zip tied it to a 25 foot 3/16 inch auger. I tried to go through the drain pipe at the washing machine but I could not get it to turn the first corner. It just hit the bottom of the 3 1/2 to 4 foot drain and stopped. I did notice that there was standing water in the washer drain pipe even though it had been hours since the washing machine was used. When I turn on the washing machine and let it drain, it obviously pushes the standing water down the drain; otherwise it would overflow almost immediately. Next, I went through the drain underneath the sink. I was able to get the snake to turn the corner at the bottom of the drain, but the snake stopped after about 4 feet. I'm thinking that the snake went right towards the washing machine drain which is about 4 feet from the kitchen sink rather than going towards the main sewer line.
Questions:
1. How do you get the drain snake to turn corners?
2. Is it likely that the drain from the washing machine would flow directly through the same drain as the sink since the sink is 4 feet from the washing machine and along the same back wall?
3. I can rent an industrial drain snake from Home Depot. Do you think this would be a better option to get the snake to turn corners?
4. If the drain pipe at the washing machine has standing water in it hours after the washing machine has been used and the drain under the sink is relatively clean with no water as shown in the pictures, what does that tell us about the drain from the washing machine to the sink? Is it possible that it doesn't use the same drain pipe as the sink? Could there be something between the sink and the washing machine that is stopping the water from completely draining after hours of non use? Could a venting problem cause the water to stand in the washing machine drain?
5. Can anyone look at the pictures I have attached and tell anything from them? I know that all of the pictures where there is no water were made from the drain below the sink. I think the pictures that look wet were made from the drain at the washing machine, but I can't be sure. I need to try everything again and note exactly when the pictures are taken and from which drain.
I believe my endoscope can help me determine exactly what my issue is, if I can get it connected to a drain snake that I am able to get to turn corners and go in the direction I need it to. I have already had a couple of plumbers out and they used drain snakes from the washing machine, below the sink and from the cleanout from the main sewer line outside.
I don't believe any of the local plumbers have an endoscope. I will need to call a plumber from about 1 hour away to get one that has every tool needed to figure out what is going on.
I don't mind spending money trying to figure this stuff out on my own since I will be learning things and I may actually get it resolved with your help.
Images 5 through 10 are when I put the snake down the kitchen sink drain the first time and shows where the snake stopped after about 4 feet. Images 11 and 12 are when I put it down the kitchen drain a second time. I believe image 13 is from the washing machine drain, but I could be mistaken on that one.
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Can someone tell me the most likely layout of the drain pipes coming from the kitchen to the street?
1. Would the vent pipe between the washer and sink service both of them. For example, if I put a snake down the vent and went right, the snake would go to the washer drain and if I went left, it would go to the sink drain?
2. Would the drain from the washer be the same pipe that the sink drain uses? In other words, would the pipe go straight from the washer to the sink with the vent pipe between them?
3. After leaving the sink, would the drain pipe almost immediately angle towards the main sewer line(black section in picture) or would it travel more towards the center of the house(red section in the picture) and then angle towards the main sewer line?
I appreciate any insight you can give in the most likely layout of the pipe beneath the slab. I realize you wouldn't know for sure, but I am looking for the what would be common for my situation.
1. Would the vent pipe between the washer and sink service both of them. For example, if I put a snake down the vent and went right, the snake would go to the washer drain and if I went left, it would go to the sink drain?
2. Would the drain from the washer be the same pipe that the sink drain uses? In other words, would the pipe go straight from the washer to the sink with the vent pipe between them?
3. After leaving the sink, would the drain pipe almost immediately angle towards the main sewer line(black section in picture) or would it travel more towards the center of the house(red section in the picture) and then angle towards the main sewer line?
I appreciate any insight you can give in the most likely layout of the pipe beneath the slab. I realize you wouldn't know for sure, but I am looking for the what would be common for my situation.
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Is all of that dumping into a 2" line, sink and washer. It would be in your best interest to get someone in there with a camera and run it down that line to see what the issue is. The guys that do the drain cleaning have a knack to get the cable around bends. This might be a situation to get a pro in there.
I finally got a plumber out with a camera and he said the issue is a big buildup of grease. You could see a small hole in the middle of the grease where he said the previous plumber had snaked the line. He said the pipes were ABS. He said he wouldn't advise hydro jetting the grease; something about how much grease there was, where it was located or the effectiveness of the hydro jetting. I don't know how the hydro jet works. He suggested running new pipes, installing a pump, and going through the concrete driveway to the main sewer line. What do you think? Is this the best option or is there a way to clear the grease from the pipe?
Heck no I would not rip all that out and put in new. How much was that bill going to be. There is nothing wrong with hydro jet and ABS. It is just pressurized water that scours the pipes. I am not saying he was going for the upsell but replacing is a drastic move. I would not unless something collapsed or rotted out or something else catastrophic. I worked for a company years ago who had contracts with county garages and I went out a few times with the hydro guy to do the oil interceptors. It worked great.
He was going to bypass the existing drain and add a new drain right outside the house near the washing machine and route it around the front of the house to the main sewer line. I haven't gotten his quote yet but I got a quote from the first plumber that just snaked the drains and he said he hydro jetted but he didn't have a camera to know exactly where to hydro jet, I guess. The quote from the first plumber was $2,500. I have already spent around $550 on plumbers and drain cleaners trying to resolve the issue. I hate to keep spending money and not getting the problem fixed.
I'm wondering whether stopping up the drain line -at the clean out- then pouring several gallons of hot water mixed 50-50 with Dawn (dish washing liquid) might clear some of that clog, given you leave it in the pipe at least overnight. Dawn was used to clean up spills of tanker oil spills, ought to work in pipes too.
Anyone here with experience using oil-eating bacteria to clean pipes?
Anyone here with experience using oil-eating bacteria to clean pipes?
Aggie83
Well-Known Member
I had a similar issue a few years ago where the sink drain ran about 20 feet before connecting to the rest of the plumbing. After nine years it ha built up a giant grease plug. Hired a professional to clean it out. H used a snake with a large head an it still took a while because it was pretty solid. I watched in the exterior clean out to make sure the blockage moved out. Many chunks the size of walnuts. Ran the water for 25 minutes as final flush out since it was a long run of pipes to the outside.
If it took 20 years to build up, you won't have to worry about it for a while once it is unblocked.
If it took 20 years to build up, you won't have to worry about it for a while once it is unblocked.
