sewer

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Topic :Sewer line cleaning I just purchased an older home which has city water. The pipes backed up the basement washtub filled up) and I thought I had a clogged line. A plumber came out and rooted out the main line and said it was OK. So he checked the city lines and thought that was the problem. The city vacuumed out their lines and I thought that fixed the problem. But today it happened again!!! Do you think it could be a clogged vent?? Sometimes when you flush a toilet you can hear other drains it the house make a gurgling type noise... I don't know what else to try.
Tough call, but I'd venture to say that your plumber was wrong. I'd bet that the clog is indeed in your main line and that it's most likely near the end by the street. Of course, this is just a guess because it's tough to diagnose complicated problems like this without seeing first-hand what's happening. I would call back the plumber again...especially if none of your neighbors are having trouble.
Part 2
Yes I think you are right, I had the plumber come back out today and he rooted it about 100'. If I wanted him to root it to the street it would of cost me another $140!!!! I bought some root killer and I think I will rent a rooter myself and do it to the street. I have used a smaller 50' one and it wasn't that difficult. He said the only way to totally eliminate this problem was to tear up the old main and replace it!!! That sounds a little extreme to me!!! What do you think? Are the roots that get into your line usually pretty small or can they get pretty big? Thanks for your reply.
The roots can get pretty nasty. Good luck if that's what the problem is. As for the replacement of the sewer pipe, it's a very real possibility. If your house is older than about 20 years then it's most likely to have clay, cast iron, or Orangeburg sewer line. The first two will crack over time and let in roots, but usually keep their original shape allowing for rooting out. Orangeburg was very popular up until about 20 years ago, but now is starting to fail big time all over the US. It's made of a compound similar to recycled compressed paper soaked in creosote to make it rot resistant. After 20-40 years it simply breaks down and collapses cutting off your sewer flow. Most plumbers will tell you that they replace 3-4 Orangeburg lines a week....hope it doesn't come to digging for you, but if it does, I strongly recommend replacing your water main at the same time. Most plumbers will tell you to do this to avoid having to dig again down the road. They lay the main in the same trench as the sewer line. It'll cost a little more, but can save thousands down the road.