Over 698,000 strictly plumbing related posts
Plumbing education, information, advice, help and suggestions are provided by some of the most experienced plumbers who wish to "give back" to society. Since 1996 we have been the best online (strictly) PLUMBING advice site. If you have questions about plumbing, toilets, sinks, faucets, drains, sewers, water filters, venting, water heating, showers, pumps, and other strictly PLUMBING related issues then you've come to the right place. Please refrain from asking or discussing legal questions, or pricing, or where to purchase products, or any business issues, or for contractor referrals, or any other questions or issues not specifically related to plumbing. Keep all posts positive and absolutely no advertising. Our site is completely free, without ads or pop-ups and we don't tract you. We absolutely do not sell your personal information. We are made possible by:
Author:
katerprincess (ID)
Hi there, any input on this will be greatly appreciated. 2 weeks ago we noticed water backing up at our sewer cleanout. We snaked and fooled around with it and got it flowing great! We poured some of the heavy duty professional grade cleaner down once the water drained to be on the safe side. As of Monday the water has once again backed up. We rented an electric pipe snake (100' and our pipe to the city main line is only about 90') we ran that through more times than I want to remember with every head possible. It was stopping in the very back part of the yard only about 15' from glorious free flowing water freedom. We thought and thought, measured and thought some more. Our pipes are 3' or less underground (that will change this spring, this is our first winter in the home) and it stopped up the only night we all showered in the morning and there was no warm water going down the drain that night. It averages about 15 degrees at night here right now and the sun is shining (not warmly) during the day, enough for huge amounts of our snow to melt. Everyone has agreed the pipe must be frozen because of the fact we had it "fixed" for well over a week and then it came back. We had a retired town maitenance man come play with the snake and as soon as he got down there he laughed and told us the pipe was froze. He's experience in life and never wrong, I didn't question how he knew! So now the problems...the snow has been melting our water table is nearly equal to ground surface. If we start digging, we are going to need scuba gear to get to the pipe. We are VERY rural, the nearest plumber quoted me at least $750 to get started "way out there" and with the water level and no where to pump to he probably wouldn't be able to do much anyway. I am at a loss...what do we do? ANY input is greatly appreciated...even non-constructive humor at this point would be enjoyed. My 12 year old son thinks we should just cram a bunch of those hand warmers down there! I would love to use my bathroom, take a shower in my own tub...do laundry, wash dishes...wait a minute, maybe I shouldn't try and get this fixed LOL At any rate, thank you for any help you can offer! ;o
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
redwood (CT)
It sounds like you just may need to have it jetted. The high pressure water jetter will melt its way through the ice.
Its not cheap but its that or, spring that you need!
Then you need to find out why the line froze! Sewers should drain dry after use and not fteeze. A clogged line can freeze, a line with bellies can freeze, a line that has a small flow of water into it such as a dripping faucet or, a leaking toilet flapper can freeze.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Since 1995 (3 years before Google started) PlumbingSupply.com has been THE best plumbing supplier on the web. Please visit our sponsor [www.PlumbingSupply.com]
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
packy (MA)
a dripping faucet or a toilet flapper leaking by will usually freeze closer to the house than 15 ft. that of course depends on ground cover, depth of pipe etc. only a sewer camera will tell for sure.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
waukeshaplumbing (WI)
id get it professionally snaked and use a camera before id dig up my yard...find out what the problem is exactly...$750 doesnt sound bad at all to dig up your sewer...sounds like a bargain...
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
hj (AZ)
You need heat to melt the ice, if that is really what the problem is. About the only way I can see to do it, although if the water table is that high the ground should not be frozen that deep, is to use a steam generator such as a wall paper steamer with a long hose pushed into the pipe as far as possible. A professional jetter should have the capabilities to send heated water into it also, but will be fairly expensive. If the steam can stay hot all the way to the ice, or at least close to it, it will melt it.,
Edited 1 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
Wheelchair (IL)
You are located in a very heavy freeze zone and your sewer line is only 3 feet deep? Who's bright idea was that? How old is the house and how old is the sewer line? As others have implied, if the pitch is not proper at that depth, you can have problems. Valley and dips in the waste line can also cause the problems you described.
Until you can have your system inspected with a camera or replaced, have you tried a can of salt in your waste line... once a week to retard the line from freezing... if that is the issue.
Best Wishes
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
LemonPlumber (FL)
do you have access to the c.o. where you tie into the city sewer or a point down stream of the clog.???you could try running water upstream from there to melt the clog from the back side .only thing i can think of sorry.if it makes you feel any better it's like 74 degrees right now and i think the highs expected to be around 84.!!!good luck.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
redwood (CT)
Wheelchair, Sewer lines are not required to be below the frost line. They normally do not freeze because they drain dry after use. The only time they may freeze is when they are clogged and hold water, or, have bellies which cool off and freeze. Or, a low flow that does not have enough volume to sustain its warmth on the trip to the sewer or, septic tank.
Steam will do nothing except make bubbles as the line is holding water unless it is introduced from the downstream side.
Snaking the line will do nothing unless the ice block is in a very small area. Its a lot like wearing out the ice on a whole pond with only 1 skater.
Jetting with water only a couple of degrees warmer than the frozen line will go through the ice at about 2 feet per minute melting the ice and clearing the line. An outside cleanout is highly desirable for this operation. I have also temporarily added an extension onto a threaded cleanout in a basement and plumbed it out a basement window to accomplish this task.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Since 1995 (3 years before Google started) PlumbingSupply.com has been THE best plumbing supplier on the web. Please visit our sponsor [www.PlumbingSupply.com]
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
katerprincess (ID)
I can't thank you all enough for your time and help! The salt idea was really great once drained, I will do that until we get this mess dug up and replaced this summer. Our house and system is newer, but also in a place that does not require building permits or inspectors. There was a trickle running down the pipe, both from water draining down slowly around the clean out and from a toilet flapper. Yikes, great times! Flapper has been fixed and we have a new cap to put on that keeps the ground water from constantly leaking in. My head is hung in defeat! I am sure that we will be waiting for sunshine and warmness or a drop in water level! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
Wheelchair (IL)
I agree with you Redwood, under normal situations with the best conditions. However, in this situation we are both too insulated from the problem, to offer better advise. I'm sure that there is more to this problem then we are being told.
After reading the additional comments posted after our comments by the original poster, you and I are not that far off, lol.
That area of the country gets so bitterly cold, I often wonder how one survives above ground let alone... subsurface. They are also in an area that doesn't require permits and inspection. Can we both smile and say together, "Murphy's Law" lol
Best Wishes
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
katerprincess (ID)
I am sorry if I have left out important information. I tried to be as complete as I thought I needed to be, without being too wordy. Yes, I agree with the Murphy's law, especially at this moment! Last night and the previous night it did not freeze, so we are hopeful there. I do want to add a side note. We picked up one of those plungers that looks like an accordian of sorts. We have been plunging the warmer water from the surface down the pipe. Although mind numbingly slow, it does appear to be working to some extent. We have gotten many LARGE air bubbles, which I was told was a positive thing to watch for, is this accurate?
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
redwood (CT)
The question is how long do you want to be without drainage?
You are either waiting for spring or, fighting a clog that hasn't been removed. A call for the jetter will have you up & running today!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Since 1995 (3 years before Google started) PlumbingSupply.com has been THE best plumbing supplier on the web. Please visit our sponsor [www.PlumbingSupply.com]
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
katerprincess (ID)
I am writing to thank you all for your help! We were working out of town this weekend and had come to the accept the fact that we would be digging today to put a clean out as far down the line as we could so someone could come out with a jetter and get it cleaned out without such a huge mess. The water level was down some upon our arrival home, we rationalized it with evaporation, freezing and absorbtion. Being calm and paitent as a person naturally is when they are unable to use their basic facilities, my husband went out and hit the main clean out with a plunger again. I'm not sure if it was the anger exerted down the pipe from him with the plunger or the cuss words he yelled at it, but something worked. It gulped, burped out a bunch of ice chunks and then sucked out about 800 gallons of water from the back yard in less than 5 minutes. We have now been running hot water down the drain in case their is residual ice and I also dumped down a LOT of rock salt as suggested above. We will still be putting in an additional clean out further out on the line and taking additional measures to keep this from happening, but at least now we can wait until the water table is back to a workable level. Thank you all so much!
~Kate
|
Post Reply
|
Please note:
- Inappropriate messages or blatant advertising will be deleted. We cannot be held responsible for bad or inadequate advice.
- Plbg.com has no control over external content that may be linked to from messages posted here. Please follow external links with caution.
- Plbg.com is strictly for the exchange of plumbing related advice and NOT to ask about pricing/costs, nor where to find a product (try Google), nor how to operate or promote a business, nor for ethics (law) and the like questions.
- Plbg.com is also not a place to ask radiant heating (try HeatingHelp.com), electrical or even general construction type questions. We are exclusively for plumbing questions.
Search for plumbing parts on our sponsor's site:
Special thanks to our sponsor:
|