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- over 420,000 Posts - PlumbingForum.com -
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Author:
DebbieC (NY)
Hi - I'm new here. I own a small house attached to the city sewer system, and for last 5 years every few months the sewer backs up. Private plumbers and the city have come to try to find the reason and they've found nothing. So we've come to the point that I just call the city when it happens (I can often stop it from getting too bad as it seems to happen with a big download of water, like the washing machine that I can run and stop, or the bathtub emptying that I can quickly plug, and it's rarely something from the toilet) and the guys come and plunge at the pipe outside and it's cleared in a minute and they come back again the next time. By the way, I live alone, use Scott tissue for it to be fast-disintegrating, and of course don't put anything untoward down the toilet, etc. In general, I don't have much problem with clogged drains or bad smells. I don't own a garbage disposal.
So my question is, do you think there is any product, I suppose some type of enzymes, that I could use on a regular basis perhaps, to maybe keep my system from clogging? I see them advertised for septics, would one of those hurt, and hopefully help my plumbing?
Thanks in advance,
Debbie in Syracuse, NY
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Author:
Shoemaker2 (MA)
Has anyone ran a camera down to see what the cause of the problem is? You could use enzymes but if you have a bad line the pipe will still block no matter how well the work.
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Author:
DebbieC (NY)
well, the town did the camera but only for the town part of the line. they even flushed the entire street, just to make sure it was nothing on their side. The plumber(s) (I've had several) did not do the camera on my end of it but did say that they thought, since the town plunging right at the join seems to open it up, that it has nothing to do with anything in the house, etc. And the town is not refusing to come back, they are happy to help each time I call! I think it's because they are silently acknowledging it's something that is their problem. The only thing being said at this point is that it seems to be a build up of toilet paper that is getting stuck, and once they plunge (often just one shot at it!) gets it unstuck. Using the Scott tissue has not really made a difference. There are no close-by trees and thus no roots.
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Author:
dlh (TX)
what do you mean by "they plunge it" ? are they using a cable machine or a jetter or something else?
the problem might be that no one has done a proper cleaning of your line and until you get your end cameraed we cant tell you what might be the problem or the cure
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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"
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Author:
DebbieC (NY)
They use a long metal pole with a flat head on the end (that one man uses by hand), put it down the pipe that sticks out of my lawn with the little round cap on it, plunge it up and down a few times, hear the water flow, ask me to flush and they see and hear it again, and it's done. It seems clear that it's a problem right there, not coming up to it or behind it, or the straight metal pipe wouldn't do the trick.
It's my opinion that there must be an uneven joint or coupling, however you would describe how these pipes connect, and that the TP gets caught there after a while. The house is over 50 years old, I live 3 blocks from a train yard, and can only assume that with settling, enormous temperature shifts (hello, Syracuse NY - snow country! Humid summers!) and whatever else might happen, that the joint has slipped out of alignment. That's just my guess but it seems reasonable. I just don't want to plow up my yard to figure it out!
Hence the original question about enzymes - I'm just trying to get stuff to disintegrate more, so it won't get caught at that point.
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Author:
dlh (TX)
they are just poking a hole through what ever the problem is.
get the line professionally cleaned and a camera inspection done after wards and i bet you have a more trouble free line than you have had without a huge expense
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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"
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Author:
Wheelchair
You have been offered some good professional advise at no charge. I hope you consider it.
There is only one way to correct that issue, and a number of ways that you should not. All of the others ways have proven wrong.
Pressure cleaning and full video camera inspection with a tape copy for your permanent records. And be there when it happens so that you can see where any problems.... might be located.
Best Wishes
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Author:
DebbieC (NY)
thanks everyone, I'll check it out
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Author:
Shoemaker2 (MA)
It's either that or get a Bidet and stop using paper all together.....LOL
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Author:
sinepaul (KS)
You could start putting your toilet tissue in the trash.
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