Robert30
New Member
Guys, I'm installing a shower in the basement bathroom of my parent's house. It was built in the 1950s, and has cast iron pipes, etc. There is a cast iron pipe sticking out of the concrete bathroom floor / foundation about 8", stuffed with paper plug for future use. It was for a shower, which was never installed. Now that I'm installing a shower, I pulled the paper plug out and poured water into the drain. It filled right up to the top of the pipe, zero flow. So I got a manual snake and worked it in the drain. No luck. Then wrapped garden hose with rag and jammed into the drain pipe. Turned hose on, which partially cleared the clog. I can see standing water down there, so there must be a trap. I can run the garden hose about 25% flow into the drain and it will drain it. Any more flow than that and it will overflow onto the bathroom floor.
This is where I am now... the 2" cast iron drain in the floor will slowly drain, but not nearly enough to drain a shower on at full blast. It may be draining 1 or 2 gallons per minute.
Questions... Should a 2" drain pipe drain faster than that? How could it be clogged if it was never used and sat dormant for the few decades my parents have lived here? How do I go about truly unclogging this thing? Should I rent a power snake, or call a professional? Currently not employed, would prefer to do this on the cheap but do not want to crack any old pipes with improper use of a power snake...
Thanks for your help.
Robert
This is where I am now... the 2" cast iron drain in the floor will slowly drain, but not nearly enough to drain a shower on at full blast. It may be draining 1 or 2 gallons per minute.
Questions... Should a 2" drain pipe drain faster than that? How could it be clogged if it was never used and sat dormant for the few decades my parents have lived here? How do I go about truly unclogging this thing? Should I rent a power snake, or call a professional? Currently not employed, would prefer to do this on the cheap but do not want to crack any old pipes with improper use of a power snake...
Thanks for your help.
Robert