Old Drain Question/help needed

[mkelly761]

Hi,
I have a home built in 1910. It is hooked to the City sewer system. I recently had a back up, then had the line snaked. The person I had out from the drain company said he could only go 21 ft(the length of the basement from the clean out) to the wall where the pipe exits(under the slab of course) to the street. He said he could not go any further due to a "House Trap" Does any one have any info on a house trap, is it a P or a U type drain? Should he have been able to go through it with his snake? I had him run the camera and we looked at it, nothing in the line up to the "house" trap. The line is free and clear now, but he said I should get rid of the house trap and add an exterior clean out on the other side of the basement wall? Any help or info is appreciated.

[Dunbar Plumbing]

House traps are like running S traps, notorious for clogging, dangerous to cable. I would remove it, make sure all your floor drains in the basements have traps on them depending on the age. Install cleanouts (2) going both directions to give yourself access both ways. Those 2-way cleanouts serve no purpose when there is a clog; you cannot see what direction the cable is going taking a chance you could go the wrong direction. Not good if noone is in the house to let you know you are going the wrong way. EEEEEEEEEEEEK!

[mkelly761]

Can I just remove the s trap and add a clean out and straight pipe to the street?
Thanks,
Mike

[toolaholic]

i put a kelly fitting [goes both ways] on my house. but i,m the one to clear it with my own snake. think i'll make a small sign for it in case i graduate a little early :rolleyes:

[plumber1]

did the guy that worked on your sewer use a c.o. at the base of a stack?
most house traps i've seen have their own c.o. and are at the wall of the basement where the sewer go out to the street. if you locate that c.o.
you can better direct which way the sewer cable goes. most times you try to clean a sewer from any other location the snake goes in the path of least restriction. and thereforit may have get to the trap and turned UP into the c.o. plug. are you sure you can't put a clean out just outside?