if a toilet backs up into the bath tub, does that mean its clogged or does the septic field need repair?

Question

if we pour boiling water in the kitchen sink, it seems to help. would drano fix it?

Answer 1

If its only the toilet and bathtub than its somewhere in that section of you drainage line.If it was a septic problem your lawn would be very soaked and if it was main line going out your house you would have a back up either come out your floor drains or your laundry tub.Let alone anytime you ran water down.If you read the labels on such bottles such as draino it clearly says its safe for septic tanks, and you never pour draino or lye down a toilet, always read the directions both will say cannot be used in toilet. lye needs warm water to flush out blockages, the only thing you ever pour down a toilet is root killer anythign else use a toilet auger ,i would just have it snaked out mainly around the area where you toilet and shower meet ,past that would be fine too,that should solve your problem.Also lye is a powerful but great chemical to use if you have a grease blockage the lye chemical changes the form of grease into soap and washes it away.

Answer 2

if the water level changes with the boiling water that would indicate the main line between the house and septic tank has a grease clog


in a septic system you should add enzymes at least once every couple months more often if more then three or four in the household

best cure for the moment would be to use something like a dual action drain cleaner so it can foam up and clean the side and top part of the drain not just clear a path thru the base of it

Answer 3

Just in my master bathroom I had ongoing backup problems among my toilet, shower and tub. Sometimes I noticed the backup when the toilet would not flush. Other times I noticed that the shower backed up. I was having a plumber snake out the toilet to alleviate the problem. Since it was happening so often I decided to call in three different plumbers to assess the problem. One plumber (recommended by my home owner's insurance) described a problem that would required the digging up of my yard out to the main sewer. The remaining two plumbers, separately, came up with the same assessment. They removed the toiled and found that a flange (probably used to offset a design problem) was preventing proper flushing and paper was not being forcefully moved along the plumbing system. Each gave essentially the same estimate of the cost to fix it. In passing, one person said, pouring a couple of buckets of water into the toilet would prevent the backup. For some time now, I have exercised the last option and have had no further problems (fingers crossed), however, I will eventually address the problem professionally.

Answer 4

Septic Tank Backing Up

Answer 5

We had this problem several months ago and the landlord wouldn't send any one out. We live in an old house that is surrounded by alot of really big old trees and it turned out the roots from the tree were invading the pipes and we rented a snake to clean it out. We certainly wouldn't fix the pipes because it is not our house, but you may need to get a snake and ream out all your drains so that you don't continue to have this problem. I was told not to use the drano or other lye products because they are only a temporary fix and can harm your plumbing, depending on the type of pipes you have.

Answer 6

All you really know for sure is that you've got a blockage somewhere below the 'tee` for the tub.
The "boiling water in the kitchen sink" part
is a hopeful sign.
Directly into the toilet, try the Draino or Lye,
(cheaper and a bit more effective, but a bit dangerous
- follow directions and stand back).

Answer 7

The whole water heater thing could just be a coincidence. We had the exact same problem and it was because a tree root had grown into the sewer line. The plumber had to come out and run his snake-thingy through the line and gave us some kind of chemical to dump down the drain that was supposed to kill the root so it wouldn't grow back.

Answer 8

About 30 years ago we lived in a mobile home in New York. The toilet backed up into the tub a once because the pipe was frozen. It was -20 degrees. I believe we put a heat on it after that.

Answer 9

I agree with Mark h, it sounds like it is isolated to area of the plumbing system, not the septic system. be very careful putting chemicals down your drain if you have a septic tank because these chemicals will kill the bacteria and enzymes that eats the solid waste in the tank. if you have to use a chemical give it a few days to dilute then wash a couple packs of bakers yeast down the drain to build the bacteria back up in the tank.

Answer 10

You probably have a problem with the drain line for the house. If the septic field was full, the lawn above the field bed would be squishy.