100 year old house sewer pipe advice.

Users who are viewing this thread

Judemenke

New Member
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Anthon, Iowa
My wife and I just purchased a 100 year old old I’ve been renting for 10 years. 31k 4 bedroom 2 bath. A medium-large house in a small town in Iowa 30 miles east of Sioux City Iowa.

In recent years the smell of gas has been getting stronger. When you flush the toilet on the upper level the sink and tub gurgle. Loudly. My upper level can produce a strong odor on occasion. My main level toilet clogs consistently. When it does clog. It blasts water in the basement. Which the basement has no floor drain. My mud room. Pictured inserted. The space between garage and house and access to basement reeks like sewer gas all the time now.

There is no venting on the roof. Only this lone pipe behind my house. Adjacent to my daughters bedroom. When the downstairs toilet clogs. It blasts pipe water out and out of the area around it from where the house lays on the foundation. Picture is included of outside pipe. I’ve had rotoroter here three times to snake the main outlet. Still I have gas problems. I’m at a loss. Any advice on what is going on and what the options are is appreciated.

My main outlet to the street sits a foot or two about the ground. Pic included. So I can’t have a floor drain and any water on the floor has to be carried out.

It’s gotten to the point of sinus infections are becoming regular. Upper respiratory infections are common. And the smell is like a crap demon has taken residence in my home. It’s never been this bad in the 10 years I’ve lived here.
 

Attachments

  • C4921B9D-A1A9-4DAA-A283-5661C27446B8.jpeg
    C4921B9D-A1A9-4DAA-A283-5661C27446B8.jpeg
    86.2 KB · Views: 153
  • 6FC5E708-D880-4EBA-928B-BD3811287190.jpeg
    6FC5E708-D880-4EBA-928B-BD3811287190.jpeg
    114 KB · Views: 185
  • 8E5D7F4F-F0C2-47D6-B3A9-F622E02055BA.jpeg
    8E5D7F4F-F0C2-47D6-B3A9-F622E02055BA.jpeg
    103.5 KB · Views: 166
  • 86F8D999-A2B3-4710-AC27-349BB9EB056E.jpeg
    86F8D999-A2B3-4710-AC27-349BB9EB056E.jpeg
    62.8 KB · Views: 152
  • 7196FDD8-774B-46AB-BC10-15FBE99309FC.jpeg
    7196FDD8-774B-46AB-BC10-15FBE99309FC.jpeg
    127 KB · Views: 171

Terry

The Plumbing Wizard
Staff member
Messages
29,942
Reaction score
3,459
Points
113
Location
Bothell, Washington
Website
terrylove.com
100 years is a long time for cast iron drains to survive, and plumbing codes have change over the years too.
When I drop a toilet into a waste line, it's either into a 90 bend, forcing waste one direction, or into a wye or combo fitting. I see yours into a santee on it's back, which doesn't really work.
Venting helps to prevent traps from siphoning dry and losing trap seal. I don't see a trap for the tub, but maybe it's on the other side of the cast.
Venting normally exits the roof, so that the sewer gases can disperse high in the winds. You don't want them lower than windows.

dwv_b2.jpg
 

Tuttles Revenge

In the Trades
Messages
4,132
Reaction score
1,410
Points
113
Yep.. remodel time. A lot of what I see like the toilet dropping into a San Tee on its back and the lack of any venting besides that one... its time to gut it and start over. Especially if its making you and your family sick. There is a good possibility that there were vents, but someone chopped them off in the wall and never capped em.

You can get a drain in your basement, but the drain gets pumped up to the gravity sewer.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks