How do I find where the clog is in my waste pipe?

Question

When my washing machine empties the water bubbles/backs-up into the adjoining bathroom toilet. The toilet and sink empty fine.

Answer 1

The clog is most defenitely between the toilet and the street or the septic tank. If you have a septic tank it might be full and not draining to the finger field for some reason.

There is a "Y" in the basement directly below which has a large square nut on a cap. That cap is for a clean out of the pipe that runs to the street or to the septic tank. Remove that cap and take an ordinary snake and run it into there and free that clog.

I would invest in a snake first before I called somebody like Roto Rooter who will charge a min of $300 for this.

Answer 2

Did this just start happening, or has it always done it? It sounds as though your piping configuration is wrong. If, as you say, the toilet and sink drain fine, I don't believe that any obstruction would pass through the washer's 1" hose, and clog up a 2" drain! I don't believe that the line has collapsed, since water backs up into the toilet. It sounds as though someone tied the washer drain, above the toilet drain, thus resulting in the description you have named. If the line can be rerouted, that should eliminate this problem. Good luck!

Answer 3

If the toilet is bubbling but drains fine, sounds like the vent pipe to the washing machine is clogged. Go to the roof and snake out the vent pipe........

Answer 4

You can go to a store like Lowe's or Home Depot and buy a pipe snake. You put it down the pipe and run a long metal wire down thru it it will stop when you hit the clog you can then either force it thru or call your self a plumber.

Answer 5

James has a clue, but I suspect you aren't in the USA and may not have suggestions available. He is correct in the cleanout plug suggestion, though it may be outside of your house, especially if drain plumbing isn't accessable from anywhere in the house, IE: Basement.

A washing machine has an UP DRAIN pipe for very specific reasons,,,one being the volume of water it flushes. I'll assume your washer drain is pretty close to the toilet plumbing.

I'd begin below/beyond the washer drain as it exits the house.

Certainly the line can be snaked, but your main exit sewage/drain plumbing should be near 4 inch ID and would take something sizeable or a long term buildup to clog it. If you choose to snake, do it from the cleanout plug, not down the toilet or washer drain. You can go both ways with the snake.

The problem may also include issues depending on what level to ground the plumbing is on, IE: ground level, second level, etc. One thing you may find, especially in ground level exit plumbing (older type) that you have broken pipes, root intrusion, etc, outside the structure, causing clogs and backups.

A sink, even with constant running only allows ounces at a time down the drain. A modern toilet allows approximately 1.5 gallons. A washer draining may allow that 10 plus gallons are exiting the machine through a 2 inch pipe within moments.

Steven Wolf

one add on thought. Is the Washer drain below/beyond the house exit point from the toilet, or is the toilet the farther out drain?

Answer 6

I've been on several calls w/ same problem. The drain is fine, it's the vent configuration. Try dumping a load of water only down drain and see if problem occurs. If it doesn't, try using less soap or getting vent snaked or reconfigured so that vent is only for WM

Answer 7

That is in the sewer line.
Just not completely stopped up yet.

When a toilet flushes, you are dumping less that two gallons. When a washer drains, it dumps up to 12 gallons depending on the washer.

Unless you have an unusual circumstance, that is the problem.

Answer 8

I don't know why you might need to "find" the clog. Get a snake, toilet auger, buy, rent or borrow one and feed it into you toilet as far as it will go and this should, at least temporarily, fix the problem.

Answer 9

snack (eatting) i