Using a metal snake on ABS plastic drain pipe?

[pmsmechanic]

Not sure what "an older house" is to everyone, but my 1964 house has a septic tank that suffered damage to the cast in place T that is just inside the tank (Terracotta fitting cast into the concrete tank). Someone slammed a snake into it and busted a piece out of it, allowing the scum layer to eventually back up into the house, clogging the pipe. Short of replacing the tank, which would require a new above ground drainfield, I have built a pipe to go inside the terracotta T and then another try to the outside of the terracotta T. Every time I did the 18 inches to the tank to "fix" this, I want to shoot the idiot who forced a snake so hard into the tank!
Make sure you know how long the snake is and how far to the tank!
David from jax

Would it be possible to hammer out the rest of the "T" and just install a plastic one?

 

[ChiefBodie]

Critters do get into the vents from the roof and do cause problems. Just have to run cable down the vents and see.

The roof is at least 12-12 pitch, maybe steeper. So I'm not exactly sure how to (safely) get to the vent. I don't have a boom truck lol. If I can get to the vent, what do I do then? Could I run an electrical fish tape down it looking for an obstruction?

btw my house is an old 1800s farm house. Remodeled many times, in 1946, also in 1970. Seems I need to fix almost everything ... constantly!

My wife said the sink in the basement also goes glug-glug-glug after the water goes down the drain.

 

[ChiefBodie]

Many of the older houses had 90 degree fittings here instead of sweep transitions that have better water flow.

I looked at it again with a powerful flashlight. Yes it does run horizontally to a 90 degree galvanized elbow that turns down. I don't see any pipe that could be venting anywhere. Could that vent pipe connect in somewhere else down the line? If there was no vent at all, how would the sink drain behave?

 

[wagne223]

Glug glug sounds are from the system trying to breathe. The first thing I would check is the flow from the house into the septic tank. There should be an inspection cap on the pipe between the house and tank.

There should be no standing water in that pipe. Flush a toilet and you should see the water flow through.

The tank vents through the house risers and if the tank is overfull meaning it is not draining into the field properly, the house outlet pipe remains full of water.
Then nothing can vent.

No vent, no water flow, leads to clogs and eventually sewage backing up into the house.

You can also call for a septic service and have them check the flow from the house.

 

[ChiefBodie]

I had the septic system checked and pumped two years ago. With just my wife and I in the house I suspect the tank is not an issue but as you suggest I will check it. I think I need to check venting also anyway I can.

 

[Redlands Okie]

If it turns out to be a vent issue.
It’s a pain but if you have to, the vent pipes might be easier to access from in the attic. Lay down a smallish piece of plywood or board on top of the joists if needed in your work area to stand on. Cut the pipe, do your work and use a rubber coupling to splice back. Or if its plastic pipe you could glue in a new coupling.

 

[2manyrocks]

Trouble again!

The sink was backing up again this morning. Not nearly as bad as before, but holding maybe 2" in the bowl while the water was running.

Here is the weird part. I watched it slowly drain after shutting off the faucet. It drained until the water level in the drain was about level with the bottom of the sink. It stopped and held that level for a few seconds with no movement. Then, on its own, whoosh it drained. I did this twice in a row. Once the water is drained down to the P-trap, I then hear glug-glug-glug-glug-glug about 10 times or so. Is this maybe also a venting issue?

Do I need a plumber, or a witch doctor to remove the spell???????????

It may be that you were able to loosen the obstruction enough to get water to slowly drain when you used the plunger, but it is still inside the pipe. Although a plunger can loosen stuff, I've never been able to remove built up crud in the pipes without taking the trap apart and running something like that plastic zip tool or an electrian's fish tape in the pipe to pull out the crud.

You also mentioned glug, glug, glug in another post and that you have an older home that has been remodeled. Although you don't have to have a vent pipe right at the sink, the drain system does need air to drain. If the drain used to work okay before, my guess is you still have an obstruction in the drain line. All the vent air in the world won't compensate for a lump of crud in the drain line.

My thought for now is to stay off the roof and try to see you can pull out any obstruction in your drain that's not draining.

You can buy a USB snake camera on ebay for about $10 that has a built in light if you want to try to see what's inside the pipe. Occasionally handy for looking inside walls or car repairs, too.

 

[D2Cat]

I've had one of these for a few years. It really comes in handy. You can take your time and not hurry to get it back to a rental yard. Small enough to fit in household drains easily. 35 or 50' auger.

General Wire SV Super-Vee Basic Unit (cable not included) - FaucetDepot.com

 

[MossRoad]

Have had a lot more problems since water saving aerators were mandated for bathroom sinks...

People hardly let any water flow, and what does flow is often cold... never getting really hot.

A work, after hours once a week I let the hot water flow at the sinks for 10 minutes... have not had a slow drain in over two years since doing this... the soap, etc... just builds up.

I also like to use drain care... it is slow acting enzyme to nibble away organics... works much better warm surfaces than cold...

I'm finding that out as I go.... low flow is great for water conservation, but it doesn't move enough water down the drains to clear the pipes. Just wait until you have to install low flow flush valves in urinals and the urine crystallizes in the pipes to eventual blockage. The snake doesn't clear it and the pipes have to be opened. I've seen it a couple times already, and days like that, I'm glad I'm not a plumber!

 

[ultrarunner]

^^^ Low Flow was the mandate for toilets and urinals here when we built in 1995... there have been challenges and often it takes two Royal Flush flushes to clear a toilet.

I had an elderly renter that was the worst when it came to clogged sinks... she simply did not let any water flow... I was in their every 3 months... when she moved... not another call... simply not enough flow to flush the waste line.