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My mom was washing a load of clothes a couple days ago and as the washer drained it backed up into the bathtub. She hire a plumber who has run a snake down the pipes twice to the tune of over $400 yet he can't tell her a thing. To make matters worse he is trying to tell her her whole yard needs dug up, all the pipes replaced and that it will cost $2000. The house is about 60 years old and sits of a pier and beam foundation if that's of any help.
Only a guess... several things that can cause a main line blockage are roots or a separated/collapsed pipe.
My Rooter guy charges a flat $95 rate per blockage or it's free.
I've never gone the camera route because of the expense.
Is the plumber able to get past the obstruction?
Any root type material on the cable when it is retracted?
One time a back-up affected several of my neighbors and it was a city problem under the street... found out because my neighbor saw the Rooter Guy's truck and came out to see if he would take a look at her house and then another neighbor came over... we knew the problem was beyond our control
Last edited by Ultrarunner; 12-17-2013 at 06:35 PM..
Get another opinion. The only reason the yard needs to be dug up is a collapsed drain pipe. How does the plumber know it's collapsed?
Most rooter guys charge a reasonable amount for a snake out, as previously stated. If it is a tree root, it can be cleared as a temporary measure. Long term treatment for a root is copper sulfate to reduce the roots. That can be done without digging.
If the house is 60 years old, there's a possibility that Orangeburg pipe was used. If that's the case, chances are more than even the plumber is right (been there, done that), but definitely get a second opinion.
Orangeburg pipe is a possibility but was mostly found in older parts of Dallas. The Garland area older homes are mostly cast iron pipe.
If this is a new event (has not happened before) then I would suspect either a blockage in a pipe or as others have suggested root invasion or damaged piping. A blockage within the drains, or damage due to age, should have been caught with a camera scoping. As the cast iron deteriorates it will develop breaks and holes that can become clogged with dirt, roots, etc.
Did the plumber actually crawl under the foundation to inspect the plumbing before they ran a camera test? Many issues, or potential issues, are visible with above ground portions of the waste pipe system. ALso simply removing the cleanout caps and running checks from there should have allowed the plumber to isolate where the issue is.
It is very possible that you have an older, deteriorated main drain that is blocked and backing up. However I am with the others that you should have another reputable plumber check to include a crawlspace inspection first before using a camera.
Just a thought, but the OP didn't mention if the house was connected to city sewage or was on a septic system. If it has a septic tank, it could be a simple matter of the tank being full and causing a backup. In which case, get the tank pumped out.
As a note, if it is a full septic tank, that could be a sign that your leech field is going bad. Pumping out the tank will buy you some time, but those leech pipes may have to be replaced sooner rather than later, so start saving money for the job now.
Good news, my mom did call another plumber in the area and he is going to take a look at it today. This is the first time anything like this has happened and my mom has been in that home for almost 5 years. The previous plumber ran the snake most of the way down the yard. The city line actually run under a utility easement behind the house, and being an older area, there are large threes growing in most of the yards and along the utility easement, so tree roots could be an issue.
My stepdad and the neighbor found the cleanouts, probably two days into this mess and called the first plumber back, and surprise surprise they never returned. The house is in the Freeman Heights neighborood of Garland, just north of Walnut and east of Garland Avenue if thats any help.
Thanks for all the input, this definitely helps a lot.
Good news, my mom did call another plumber in the area and he is going to take a look at it today. This is the first time anything like this has happened and my mom has been in that home for almost 5 years. The previous plumber ran the snake most of the way down the yard. The city line actually run under a utility easement behind the house, and being an older area, there are large threes growing in most of the yards and along the utility easement, so tree roots could be an issue.
My stepdad and the neighbor found the cleanouts, probably two days into this mess and called the first plumber back, and surprise surprise they never returned. The house is in the Freeman Heights neighborood of Garland, just north of Walnut and east of Garland Avenue if thats any help.
Thanks for all the input, this definitely helps a lot.
It definitely helps if you or someone on the property can point out the clean outs and knows if there has been problems in the past.
My neighbor 2 houses down had a blockage... he called one of the National Firms out and the first guy called a second guy... as I arrived home, I saw the two trucks and my neighbor speaking with the guys... they wanted him to authorized sending a camera down the line for $350...
I asked if they had tried the clean out and they said they couldn't find one... so I showed it to them and went home to change clothes... when I came back... one guy was still trying to open the cast-iron clean out and said he was going to have to dig it out and cut a section of pipe to install a new one... $600
I asked if he had tried a little heat and he said he didn't have a torch... got my torch, heated the pipe, opened the clean out while the guy was on the phone... got a garden hose with a balloon and rammed it down the line... it cleared immediately and has been clear for at least 5 years since.
Always good to get a second opinion before becoming committed to spending a lot of money... neighbor gave the guy $200 and told him he was done.
well, it depends a lot on where you live, but we just run our washing machine out onto the yard. In the summer it helps water the grass and in the winter it freezes, but we keep it away from areas where you walk.
20yrsinBranson
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