frogman
New Member
New to the forum and I would be grateful for any thoughts/suggestions:
We have had a country property in upstate NY for nine years or so. My wife and I went up to the house maybe a total of five or six weeks each year so the plumbing has gotten very little use, except for this past year which was spent up here full time. Due to the very infrequent use the last time our septic tank was pumped was when we purchased the property and have had no issues.
The house’s main drain pipe runs along a wall in the basement with an access hole for the clothes washer drain pipe. The main drain pipe runs through the basement wall and then underground to the septic tank for about 20 feet measured from that drain hole to the tank. Three days ago we started getting water back up out of that access hole when the washer would drain. There is no sludge in the water that backs up and it takes at least a couple of hours for that water to drain out of that section of pipe; presumably back into the tank.
Today I tried snaking the pipe. At about 19 feet I think I feel the snake hitting a clog and the end of the snake comes out with a small clump of what looks like toilet paler and hair. I snaked it many times with the same results and tried sending boiling water down it, but have not been able to clear the clog…....if it is a clog. The pipe still fills up with water when the washer runs. We have been using the facilities.in a separate building, but assume that the water would back up to toilets and sinks if we used them.
I am hoping it is a clog and not something more serious. Thoughts/suggestions?
Thanks very much in advance.
LG
We have had a country property in upstate NY for nine years or so. My wife and I went up to the house maybe a total of five or six weeks each year so the plumbing has gotten very little use, except for this past year which was spent up here full time. Due to the very infrequent use the last time our septic tank was pumped was when we purchased the property and have had no issues.
The house’s main drain pipe runs along a wall in the basement with an access hole for the clothes washer drain pipe. The main drain pipe runs through the basement wall and then underground to the septic tank for about 20 feet measured from that drain hole to the tank. Three days ago we started getting water back up out of that access hole when the washer would drain. There is no sludge in the water that backs up and it takes at least a couple of hours for that water to drain out of that section of pipe; presumably back into the tank.
Today I tried snaking the pipe. At about 19 feet I think I feel the snake hitting a clog and the end of the snake comes out with a small clump of what looks like toilet paler and hair. I snaked it many times with the same results and tried sending boiling water down it, but have not been able to clear the clog…....if it is a clog. The pipe still fills up with water when the washer runs. We have been using the facilities.in a separate building, but assume that the water would back up to toilets and sinks if we used them.
I am hoping it is a clog and not something more serious. Thoughts/suggestions?
Thanks very much in advance.
LG
Last edited: