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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT
  Diagnosing a Blocked Drain
  When to Call a Plumber
  How to Locate the Main Building Drain
  How to Use a Power Snake on Building Drains
  How to Find Distance to Drain Blockage
  Determining Need for Replacement
  Replacing the Sewer Line, Step by Step
  Making Other Septic Repairs
  Installing the new sewer line
  Bedding the sewer line in Sand
  Final Backfill of the Sewer Line Trench
  Documenting Buried Components
  Final seeding and soil restoration
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Guide to Slow Drains, Sewer Backups: When to Call the Plumber
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Guide to how to diagnose & repair or replace a blocked main building drain

When to call a plumber

How to determine that a sewer line needs replacement

Step by step main drain line replacement, house to septic tank (or sewer)

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This article describes when, in diagnosing a blocked drain, you need to call a plumber. We present an actual case study, illustrated with photos of each step in the diagnosis and replacement of a blocked sewer pipe.Technical reviewers are welcome and are listed at "References." This is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems. Also see Backups and Clogged Drains diagnosing septic backups and septic system failures versus clogged drains.

Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. © Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

When to call the plumber about a blocked drain

When plunging the toilet made no difference, and because we already suspected a main drain or system problem (all drains were slow), we knew we needed a plumber to help with further diagnosis of the drain blockage.

We suspected a blockage between the house and the septic tank because the septic tank and seepage pits were pretty new and unlikely to be blocked themselves.

The plumber obliged with the next two steps in diagnosing our drain problem: first he opened a convenient coupling in the waste line in the basement. You can see where we made this opening in the photo at left.

This would give an easy access to the drain line nearest to the toilet itself in case the blockage was nearby in the home. Opening this connection was diagnostic for a second reason as water spilled out of the coupling as it was disassembled. This told us that the waste line was blocked sufficiently to hold a large volume of water backing all the way up into the home.

That diagnostic fact explained why we saw evidence of drain backups coming out of the open top of the clothes washer drain line where it spilled onto and disturbed dust atop the main waste line nearby. You can see evidence of drain overflow on the washer drain piping in the photo just above.

By simple visual inspection, following the pipes in the home, we could see two interesting facts: first a main drain and cleanout were located in the house rear foundation wall, and second, the toilet drain passed separately through the same rear foundation wall just a few feet away.

While we never bet big on where buried drain lines run, the geometry of the basement of this home made for a small, cramped space.

It seemed likely to us from the angle of the pipes and the ultimate destination of the piping (a septic tank downhill in the rear yard), that the two lines joined outside the home, near the house rear wall, using a wye connector. (That later proved to be the case.)

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT
  Diagnosing a Blocked Drain
  When to Call a Plumber
  How to Locate the Main Building Drain
  How to Use a Power Snake on Building Drains
  How to Find Distance to Drain Blockage
  Determining Need for Replacement
  Replacing the Sewer Line, Step by Step
  Making Other Septic Repairs
  Installing the new sewer line
  Bedding the sewer line in Sand
  Final Backfill of the Sewer Line Trench
  Documenting Buried Components
  Final seeding and soil restoration

Thanks to Thomas Gleason, excavators, Poughkeepsie, NY 845-454-3730, for the excavating work at the project photo documented here in September 2006
Thanks to Cleveland Plumbing, the prime plumbing contractor, Staatsburgh, NY 845-485-7700 for the plumbing work and drain clog diagnosis work documented here in September 2006

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

Backups and Clogged Drains diagnosing septic backups and septic system failures versus clogged drains - key step in septic repair
HOW TO FIND A SEPTIC TANK
DRAINFIELD LOCATION GUIDE
SEPTIC VIDEOS assist in locating septic system or sewer line components
The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.
Ten Steps to Keeping a Septic System Working, suggestions from the U.S. EPA, edits and additions by DJF
What is a Septic System An Engineer's View & Septic System FAQ's
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment

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Guide to Slow Drains, Sewer Backups: When to Call the PlumberInspectAPedia® -

When to call the plumber about a blocked drain

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

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Guide to Slow Drains, Sewer Backups: When to Call the Plumber
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