Stuck snake in Vent pipe

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Nurpo

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Here it goes.
In my second bathroom. Sink and toilet are backing up into the tub. The water drains slowly. I used a 30' power auger, in the tubs vent and drain with no luck. All so ran the power auger threw the toilet, no luck with that either. So I decided to use a Tape snake on the Vent from the roof. <--- Big mistake :eek:.
The Snake is 3/4" wide by an 1/8" thick and has a pointed head that rounds off towards its back. Made it past the first 90 and that was it. It stopped shortly after that. and now it wont come back. Tried pulling with all my might, it just wont budge. Any suggestions on how to unstick it with out having to open the pipe where its stuck at? I've read threw the forums I saw that on cable augers the answer was to winch it. Will this work on a tape?
 

SewerRatz

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Some people with the hand snakes ram to hard trying to make the turns and blow the back of the turns off. With out being there I can not give you any good advice , but if you did leave the pipe. Its time to open up the floor and remove the hand rodder that way.
 

Kingsotall

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You got one of these stuck¿

hflatrod.jpg
 

Nurpo

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Opened the wall and removed the copper incoming drain line from the sink, thought I'd get lucky and it would be stuck at that place. It indeed goes down to the slab and stuck in a 90 below the concrete. As SewerRatz suggest is breaking the slab apart my next course of action or is there another alternative?

Thanks Guys for your opinions.

stucksnake.jpg
 
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MACPLUMB

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I would hire a professional plumber !

That knows how to cut the tee and remove your snake and has the size and
kind of snake to properly clear the drain blockage and put the pipes back
the way they should be ! ! !
 

hj

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drain

mistake #1. The vent was not the reason the drain was not working.
#2. Flat tapes have a specific use, and seldom work, but the way you used it was not one of them.
#3. cutting the pipe apart without knowing if that would cure the problem.

Probably a few others, but you may be making the job more serious at each step you take.
 

Master Plumber Mark

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YOU NEED TO PULL HARDER with leverage...

We have gotten snakes stuck before,

you need to pull harder, and perhaps try to devise
some sort of handle that you can grip with,

perhaps some HEAVY DUTY vice grips FIRMLY attached to the tape right above the vent stack....

then you need to figure our some way to get some good leverage
against the vice grips with a pry bar....
attempt to pry up from against the vent stack or the roof.....

their is a very good chance that it might pop loose with the leverage.
....or the vice grips will slip....

just dont fall backwards off the roof when it does finally break loose.....


( yes I have done this before)
 
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Cass

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have you been trying to spin the tape while trying to remove it...

Maybe enough 1" PVC with a 45 glued to it and slide it over the tape and down the vent as far as it will go and see if that will help get the tip into a different position...
 

freeflow

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stuck

Try pouring a qt of motor oil down stack and twist it around with the vice grips and JERK HARD
 

edcrazy

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Worked for me

I tightened the set screw as tight as I could as near the clean out as I could and picked the whole machine up and used it like a slide hammer. 4 bangs and the snake was FREE!! I tried the come-a-long, that didn't work.
 
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