cmc
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Plumbing backup
Hi,
I read the thread someone else posted about a sewage backup, but did not want to take away from their question, so I'm posting a separate one.
Please keep in mind that I know absolutely nothing about plumbing, so please dumb down your responses to me.
I had a house built 1 yr ago. I do not have a basement and the drain in my laundry room is the lowest point in the house. Three weeks after moving in, I was in the shower and heard the toilet bubbling. When I got out, I saw that water had come up from the bottom of the toilet (where the toilet connects to the floor, not in the bowl itself). I cleaned that up and then walked into the laundry room, which was flooded with water. I called the plumber...they came out and after checking the main cleanout outside, could not find anything wrong. I informed him that I've also had problems with the toilets (master bath and 2nd bath) not flushing all the time. The plumber said that since there was construction going on around my house, it could have been construction debris and that it probably won't happen again.
6 months later, it happened again. During all that time, I was still having problems with the toilets not flushing and would have to use the plunger at least twice a week. Anyway, this time I was washing clothes and the floor flooded again. This time, the smell was awful. I called the plumber and they came out. After checking the drain where the water heater goes to, which is also where the backup is coming from, they could not find anything wrong. I asked about the toilets not flushing all the time and was told that it was common in low-flow toilets or whatever.
Keep in mind, during all of this time, I was keeping the construction field manager of my subdivision up to date on what was happening. The plumber, however, was not informing them of what was happening.
This past December, it happened again....3 times in a year, in a brand new house! I was in the shower, heard the toilet bubbling, went into the laundry room and it was flooded with the sewage. The plumber came out again and again, found nothing.
Needless to say, I was NOT HAPPY, so I called the field manager and informed him that it happened again. He intervened and called the plumbing company. They sent another plumber out a couple of days later to put a camera down the line to see if there was anything they could find. They found nothing. The plumber showed me what the camera was seeing, which was water flowing smoothly down the line. He also took the camera about 30 ft into the front yard and found nothing.
At that time, he declared that it was not the plumbing that was causing the problem, and that it might be the main sewage.
I called the field manager again, and told him what was said. He called the plumbing company to get more details. The field manager had sent the sewage company out previously and they haven't found anything either.
Ok, so about a month ago, I heard the toilet bubbling again, but this time, there was no backup. Since I figured it was just a matter of time, I called the plumber again. I thought maybe someone might be able to see a problem before it happens again. This time I was told that since it's not their problem anymore, I need to contact the sewer company. I called the field manager again and told him what was said and he said that we will get this problem fixed no matter what....even if it goes past my 2 yr warranty. So he sends the sewage company out again and....of course, no problem to be found.
My toilet has bubbled about 2 more times, and luckily no backups, but I'm getting VERY frustrated. Oh and I still have the problem of the toilets not always flushing.
Does anyone have any idea what else can be checked and what I can ask?
I apologize for the very long post, but I thought it was important to get all of the information in.
Thanks for any help or advice.
- Colleen
Hi,
I read the thread someone else posted about a sewage backup, but did not want to take away from their question, so I'm posting a separate one.
Please keep in mind that I know absolutely nothing about plumbing, so please dumb down your responses to me.
I had a house built 1 yr ago. I do not have a basement and the drain in my laundry room is the lowest point in the house. Three weeks after moving in, I was in the shower and heard the toilet bubbling. When I got out, I saw that water had come up from the bottom of the toilet (where the toilet connects to the floor, not in the bowl itself). I cleaned that up and then walked into the laundry room, which was flooded with water. I called the plumber...they came out and after checking the main cleanout outside, could not find anything wrong. I informed him that I've also had problems with the toilets (master bath and 2nd bath) not flushing all the time. The plumber said that since there was construction going on around my house, it could have been construction debris and that it probably won't happen again.
6 months later, it happened again. During all that time, I was still having problems with the toilets not flushing and would have to use the plunger at least twice a week. Anyway, this time I was washing clothes and the floor flooded again. This time, the smell was awful. I called the plumber and they came out. After checking the drain where the water heater goes to, which is also where the backup is coming from, they could not find anything wrong. I asked about the toilets not flushing all the time and was told that it was common in low-flow toilets or whatever.
Keep in mind, during all of this time, I was keeping the construction field manager of my subdivision up to date on what was happening. The plumber, however, was not informing them of what was happening.
This past December, it happened again....3 times in a year, in a brand new house! I was in the shower, heard the toilet bubbling, went into the laundry room and it was flooded with the sewage. The plumber came out again and again, found nothing.
Needless to say, I was NOT HAPPY, so I called the field manager and informed him that it happened again. He intervened and called the plumbing company. They sent another plumber out a couple of days later to put a camera down the line to see if there was anything they could find. They found nothing. The plumber showed me what the camera was seeing, which was water flowing smoothly down the line. He also took the camera about 30 ft into the front yard and found nothing.
At that time, he declared that it was not the plumbing that was causing the problem, and that it might be the main sewage.
I called the field manager again, and told him what was said. He called the plumbing company to get more details. The field manager had sent the sewage company out previously and they haven't found anything either.
Ok, so about a month ago, I heard the toilet bubbling again, but this time, there was no backup. Since I figured it was just a matter of time, I called the plumber again. I thought maybe someone might be able to see a problem before it happens again. This time I was told that since it's not their problem anymore, I need to contact the sewer company. I called the field manager again and told him what was said and he said that we will get this problem fixed no matter what....even if it goes past my 2 yr warranty. So he sends the sewage company out again and....of course, no problem to be found.
My toilet has bubbled about 2 more times, and luckily no backups, but I'm getting VERY frustrated. Oh and I still have the problem of the toilets not always flushing.
Does anyone have any idea what else can be checked and what I can ask?
I apologize for the very long post, but I thought it was important to get all of the information in.
Thanks for any help or advice.
- Colleen
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