Basement bath toilet backed up with sewage. Plumber came and snaked from toilet flange out main line and fixed it. However before that was fixed, when flushing a toilet upstairs it cause sewage to back up into the sink also (2nd lowest drain in house). This seems to have left gunk somewhere in the line from behind wall to main line. I tried draino at first (later realizing how useless it was) then plunged (which caused it to bring up crap plus foaming drano). I plunged for like an hour (plugged the overflow hole). I then used a drum auger down the sink. I managed to get it past the trap, into the wall, but then it went UP the wall. I heard the pipe shaking around. I don't think this is a drain from upstairs because everything else drains fine, so I am speculating this is the vent pipe. It may explain my plunging doing nothing except pushing water up/down the vent pipe. The clog might be at a junction that forced the auger to move up the vent pipe? Or was I just unlucky the two times I tried pushing the auger in that it chose to go that way? Obviously I want it to go sideways or down, not up. The cable was clean when pulling it out.

The pipes are PVC but the main line is cast iron (plumber put a camera through the toilet). We don't want to call back a plumber and pay more money for this sink. Any suggestions? Is there a way I can maneuver the auger cable to go towards the clog? Without seeing what I'm doing? Is there a point in trying Instant Power Main Line Cleaner (lye)?

I am hesitant to remove the trap because it's been there undisturbed a long time with some sort of gunk on the threads. I'm worried about not being able to put it back assuming I don't damage it taking it off. And it is not standard length, there was additional pipe sections and dry welding done at the pipe going into the wall. To actually look directly into the wall pipe I'd have to saw off the pipe.

From the roof you want to put your snake into the small drain vent not the large one and snake down that way. Hope this helps.



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they make a snake wire called a 'drop-head'. it has a cleaning head that pivots. when you get it thru the trap (assuming you can), the head will drop down rather that go up the vent.

YOu are assuming the "small vent line" goes through the roof and NOT into the "big vent line", which is seldom a good assumption.

I am a homeowner and don't have access to costly equipment. I use the brass craft 1/4 in x 25 ft drum auger. I assume you cannot put different heads on a tool like this. I don't mind spending maybe up to 200 or so on a tool if I had to but not a heavy commercial machine plumbers use, I don't see the point in that investment never mind not having training.

Going on the roof is not desirable to me.

Any other ideas? What about chemicals?by the way I have ABS pipes inside except PVC under sink.

Forget the chemicals. You need to find a way to snake your system with the largest cutting head or retriever you can get into your line that has the stoppage as close to the fixture as possible. Take your time and figure out a plan and go for it. Be careful with snakes they can break off in the line if caught in something that will not give.

I called General and described my problem and he suggested their kinetic water ram and put a towel around it so I don't get splashed by accident. He said the vent pipe won't be an issue and it'll push on the clog. Using a down head/drop head seems to require attaching to larger than 1/4" wire, and that is apparently too big to go down a 1 1/4" drain pipe. They have a super-vee with 5/8" wire and down head but that isn't suitable for going through the trap. Or I have to buy a separate 1/4" cable with the head fixed to it and get a machine that can take this cable, which I haven't looked into yet.

Any opinions on the water ram? I read a few online saying it's great others say it makes a mess, etc.