Cast Iron Main vent/drain pipe clogged

[Gary the Electrician]

My daughter's house has an old 3" cast iron main drain/vent pipe. Her drains are running really slow. I have access to the bottom of the pipe and have pushed up a piece of pipe to see if there is a clog. There is a lot of build up in this pipe. Any way to clean this out? I am thinking of cutting down an chimney brush and running it up and down, would make a real mess though. Any other ideas?

[Gary the Electrician]

This is a drain cleaning, not installing new plumbing...... If a home owner wants to replace a receptacle cover in a house because it is damaged and they know what they are doing, my hats off to them.

I may have to hire a drain cleaner, but my daughter has limited funds. Just looking for a less expensive option that might work. IT WILL NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE OR LOSS OF LIFE to try to clean a stack.


I am an electrician, but very handy in all trades, I have built houses, plumbed houses and aided with a professional on gas piping. ALL UNDER PERMITS I do not think a drain clean item requires a plumber to repair it.

[Terry]

Does the toilet drain slowly, or just the sinks?
Sometimes it's just the smaller pipes leading toward the larger 3" or 4" lines. Normally once you hit the main lines you are fine. A small snake worked from the fixtures like the tub, shower and sinks is all you need. On a lav, you can sometimes pull the lift rod out and snake through the p-trap. Keep a bowl underneath though.