TOILET AND SHOWER OVER FLOWING


  #1  
Old 12-31-00, 04:34 PM
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I live in a tri-level and everytime we flush the toilet upstairs it makes the toilet downstairs overflow and the shower fill up with nasy water. If we plunge the downstairs toilet it fills up more and more and water seeps out under the toilet. We haven't been able to use the toilet in months we have had the water turned off for that toilet for months. I am hoping this is a problem we can fix ourselves he ran a snake down the main line with no problem but can't get the snake to go down the toilet. And whenever I run the washer alot of lint will come out of the toilet and shower stall also.........
Also whenever we take a shower or bath upstairs it leaks downstairs where a pipe is.
And the pipe that leads out of the sink that our washer drains into has broke and we need to replace it.
I really hope someone out there can help us. Thanks
 
  #2  
Old 12-31-00, 04:47 PM
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I'm not a plumber, but it sounds like you have at least three problems.
A. Your main drain line appears to be partially clogged, causing waste water to back up into the nearest drain and fixture (your downstairs shower and toilet). Are you on a septic system or public sewer?
B. Repair the leaking sink pipe downstairs.
C. Pull your downstairs toilet and snake out the drain line.
Re-install it with a new wax seal and flange bolts. A toilet has its own built-in trap and you're not going to be able to get a snake through it.
After snaking the toilet drain, remove all clean-out plugs and snake as much as you can through those.
Good Luck!
 
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Old 12-31-00, 05:04 PM
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We have city water and sewer. We will take off the toilet and run the snake to see if that helps. I hope it does. You think the problem is a clog in the main line even though he ran the snake thru?
 
  #4  
Old 01-01-01, 01:07 AM
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Yes, you can have clogs (compacted paper, hairlike roots, etc.) in a sewer line that a plumber's snake will punch right through, but not dislodge, sometimes.
Maybe you can d-i-y, but you might have to get a drain cleaning company with roto-rooter-like equipment and a video camera that can really see what you're dealing with, and can get it cleared out.
Since you're on a public sewer line, you could possibly have a problem at the street in the public system. Call your city sewer department to inspect it for you. It would be great, IF it were their problem, and they cleared it out.
However, you still need to remove your downstairs toilet to replace the wax seal (that's why it's leaking from underneath the toilet)and snake the drain from there, and you still need to repair that sink drain line. REALLY give the snake a workout in every line that you can.
Good Luck!
 
 

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