Q. Everytime I drain the water from the bathtub upstairs the bathroom sink in the basement starts to badly overflow. But I could leave water running in basement sink and it drains O.K. I snaked out the main drain and it still backs up out the sink after taking Bath. It does not back up through main floor drain at all. Need help with this one.

A. Run the snake the opposite direction. You are now running to towards the street. Run it towards the pipe coming from the upstairs. When you opened the cleanout plug, was it full of water? If not, the blockage was from that point back and not from that point to the street. Most people assume it is from where ever they are to the street so they miss this type of problem. Alternatively, you could take off some pipes and go from there down. Perhaps from the bathtub trap down. Perhaps from the bathroom sink down.

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Q. I have a clogged toilet i have used plunger with no results what kind of chemical drain cleaner can be used for clogged toilet?

A. Need to have cleaned by professional. Sorry. You could try a eel made for toilets sold at hardware stores. Are you using the plunger 6-8 firm plunges?

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Q. A little digging found that the 4 inch perforated drain pipe to have roots inside blocking the holes.they can be pushed back with a finger allowing water to flow.can they be "roto-routed" and removed without digging up the whole drain field?

A. If the roots are in your drain field, it will be time consuming. You will have to know the layout of your drainfield, and get into the line to use a roto rooter. The problem seems to be in the holes in the pipe, and not root infiltration into the main cavity of the pipe. They do make products to introduce into your septic system to kill and decay roots to clear your system. I have added a link to one of these products. Further investigation will probably find more. You also may be able to get a local product from a septic tank pumping company. http://www.pestproducts.com/herbicides/foamingrootkiller.htm

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Q. Hi, I had never had problems with our dryer vent at my townhouse while I lived there for the past 6 years. Two months ago we rented the townhouse to a couple. 3 weeks ago we heard the water sloshing sound when the dryer was on and the tenants’ clothes wouldn't get dried. We called the dryer vent cleaning crew and he was not able to fix the issue. We called Roto Rooter and the technician was able to drain out 50 gallons of water from the dryer vent and the dryer was working okay. But just a week later, the water sloshing sound returned and dryer vent is filled with water again. What could be the problem here? It is the vent itself leaking water? Or is it the dryer that causing the issue? What is the proper fix? Our dryer vent is under the ground from inside house to the side of the front door. It is only about 12 feet in length. The flap on the vent cover is working properly. We live in Southern California so it is not that cold. Thanks in advance for your help. Sam

A. From the volume of ater and the fact your vent is undergrounf for art of it's run, I'd say gound water or rain water has found a path into your vent line.Short of ripping out the underground section of vent lineis there any way to re-route a new vent line to the outside and stay ABOVE the slab or floor? You might check if any down spouts are emptying out close to the house near the vent line-an extention on the downspout to route water away from the house may help, but I think your underground vent line has rusted or cracked and is letting water into it.

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Q.

A. All Drano products are safe for disposers EXCEPT Crystal Clog remover. Most of the over-the-counter products are similar.. Check the LABEL!!

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Q. I just had full Central A/C (compressor, air handler and duct work) replaced last year. My unit stopped working and the service man said it was not under warranty since it was the drain line was plugged. Shouldn't that have been cleaned when the unit was installed? Or does debris clog up that soon? How much would cleaning a drain line normally cost?

A. If my drain line gets plugged i have a pan under the unit to catch the water either change the filter more often or buy a better quality filter the charge to clean the drain line is a service call

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Q. I had a proffesional duct cleaning company brush the ducts, fog the system, clean the coils and fan in air handler unit, and there is still odor when system is on. Is there any deodorizer or air sanitizer on natural basis?

A. Mix a handfull of baking soda with a glass of vinegar and either pour/spray it over the coils. Let it run into the evaporator tray also and down the drain hose. Will freshen and deodorize.

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Q. We had house remodeled a few years back. And we've been having trouble with the bathroom drainage backing up. We think the contractor had a plumber that didnt know entirely what he was doing. There is a shower, bath, toilet, and faucet in this bathroom. And every so often they clog up. And everything is interconnected. When you try to plunge say the shower drain it effects the bathtub and toilet or vice versa. Same thing with the kitchen. We had it remodeled. For example, if I put a stopper in the left side of the sink and put a pot of water down the right side of the sink the stopper will pop up and the water will drain on that side. Something is wrong with the pressure or something. Any help appreciated. On a side note: I havent seen the faucet in the bathroom backup. It might not be connected with the rest of the system but I dont know. I should add that the drainage in the other shower works perfectly. And so does the toilet. Its only in the bathroom that was remodeled. I was only noting that the sink in the kitchen acts that way when water is put down the opposite side.

A. Dave, The plumber probably did a perfectly fine good job. The thing is this... If all or most of your floor level drains & toilet(s) are backing up & you're hearing gurgling noises in the various drains, that is evidence of your main sewer line (your Lateral line) that runs from your house, out to where it connects to the public main wheather that be into an easement or out into the street is blocked up and needs to be snaked. If you were to get a good, local, competent, & reputable sewer & drain cleaning service to come over & snake your lateral, I do believe your problems will be over. That's what I would do at this point. Good luck.

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