I only have small issues.  Both hall bath sinks are backing up. 

I tried to run a drain auger and all I accomplished was running the auger from one sink to the other.  All the plumbing is cast iron except for two short pipes running from the two sinks to the vertical drain line.  The vertical serves both a drain line and a vent line.  Down in the basement I could see the vertical pipe, but I could not get to it.  The vertical is  connected to the horizontal with a long radius T.  The horizontal pipe goes to the main.  It has no slope/pitch but does have a clean-out cap.  I removed that cap and noticed that it was not plugged but only had a small ID which could not be cleaned.

Today, I removed the vanity from the wall and opened the wall.  Plastic plumbing was installed, from the sinks to the cast iron drain/vent line, when the bathroom was remodeled in 1997.  It originally had lead lines going into the cast iron drain/vent line.  I was able to run a drain auger down the drain line while my wife was in the basement looking into the horizontal line.  She could see the end of the drain auger many times, but I was not able to move it along the curve into the horizontal line.  Then I went to the basement and ran the drain auger into the horizontal line again.  It travelled and stopped when it reached the main.  I put the clean-out cap back on (removed the drain auger first).

Then we inserted a garden hose into one of the hall bath sink lines and put a bucket under the other one.  We ran water down the vertical from the bath until it backed up and started to go out the other sink line.   I believe the issue is the horizontal drain line.   The auger was able to move in it but with the zero slope and the interior build-up, the water will not drain fast enough.

Tomorrow, I will call a plumber to have the cast iron plumbing removed and have new plastic installed.  I hate to give up, but I do not know what I can do.   Any suggestions?  Danl

I might have missed this, but did you check the p traps?  This is something I do every 3 - 4 months as my wife has long hair.  For some reason it tends to clog those two small sink lines verses the shower which is 2 1/2 inch pipe.  Similar problem with very little slope on both sinks to the main line.  

Yours sounds a lot like our house. We used to have a septic system but the town put in sewers. Our main plumbing line to the septic was cast iron and a cast iron vent “T”. The inside of the vertical cast iron vent scaled off and slid down blocking the horizontal drain. I was able to get it cleared through the clean out plug. Sounds like you’re not as lucky. 

10 minutes ago, Gunny said:

I might have missed this, but did you check the p traps?  

P traps are clear.  That was one of the 1st items looked at.  thanks

Danl

4 minutes ago, lew said:

Yours sounds a lot like our house. We used to have a septic system but the town put in sewers. Our main plumbing line to the septic was cast iron and a cast iron vent “T”. The inside of the vertical cast iron vent scaled off and slid down blocking the horizontal drain. I was able to get it cleared through the clean out plug. Sounds like you’re not as lucky. 

Perhaps if I get the right plumber with the right equipment he can use a cutter and clean out the horizontal line instead of replacing it.   Danl

That probably would be less expensive!

52 minutes ago, Danl said:

Perhaps if I get the right plumber with the right equipment he can use a cutter and clean out the horizontal line instead of replacing it.   Danl

Dan, hopefully you can find a plumber that has a video camera snake where he can view inside first to identify where/ what the blockage is. From there he may be able to use his power auger to open the blockage.

@Danl

If you're using a power auger, and have made it to the main drain line the blockage has to be beyond the horizontal sink drain line. 

Try running through the main. The smaller lines may require running a pointed spade bit through them.

The first rental house I owned I rented it to a lady and it happened to be two ladies so in less than a month they called and said the sewer lines must be blocked for they can not flush the commode. So being too busy to check it out I called a plumber. To make this shorter he said his equipment would not penetrate through the blockage. After he replaced the sewer lines he showed me some pictures and the renters was flushing their personal hygiene items and it ended up like solid concrete.. 

 

This ended my wanting rental property and probably at a good time in our lives.

Union rules prohibit me (electrician) form speaking on plumbing issues. Okay I made that up, I just have no knowledge of plumbing. I know of 3 rules on plumbing, 1-water runs downhill, 2-don’t look up, 3-don’t bite your fingernails. On a serious note, plumbing issues suck, hope your guy gets your issues fixed.

The house my wife and I moved into had those kind of problems too. Most of the lines were cast iron, except any new additions. One day the 6" horizontal line started dripping in the basement.  That really puzzled me. I broke one big line and discovered the bottom of this line had eaten thru. I called a plumber, I didn't want to tackle that project and it was worth it. He did in in an afternoon, I would have been days 

Just a shot in the dark. Have you checked the vent line ? Could have been clogged by birds or other critters. Otherwise, you could try Draino to see if that might clear any clogged line.

15 hours ago, Artie said:

Union rules prohibit me (electrician) form speaking on plumbing issues. Okay I made that up, I just have no knowledge of plumbing. I know of 3 rules on plumbing, 1-water runs downhill, 2-don’t look up, 3-don’t bite your fingernails. On a serious note, plumbing issues suck, hope your guy gets your issues fixed.

 I won't tell if you don't. 

 After all I know a pipe-fitter that does electrical work. 

On 1/7/2022 at 8:32 PM, Al B said:

Just a shot in the dark. Have you checked the vent line ? Could have been clogged by birds or other critters. Otherwise, you could try Draino to see if that might clear any clogged line.

I have purchased enough Draino to now own stock.  Every drain line works in our home except for the hall bath sinks, so I believe there is no issue with the vent line.  The master bath and hall bath are back-to-back and share the same vent line.  I have a plumber who is to arrive tomorrow 8 -10 am.  thank you for your reply.

Danl

16 hours ago, Danl said:

I have purchased enough Draino to now own stock.  Every drain line works in our home except for the hall bath sinks, so I believe there is no issue with the vent line.  The master bath and hall bath are back-to-back and share the same vent line.  I have a plumber who is to arrive tomorrow 8 -10 am.  thank you for your reply.

Danl

The plumber came and left.  He used a power auger from the hall bath down to the main stack and was sure he eliminated the problem.  He wanted additional $50.00 for the use of the camera.  We did not use it.  He did run a lot of water down the hall bath drain before he left.   For 37 min....$165.  you would of thought he was an electrician with those prices.

 

Now, I have to put the vanity back against the wall, hook-up the two sinks, paint, put base board back on, etc .

Have a great day.  Danl

$257.57 an hour! I had to work a whole day for that. Shoulda followed in Dad's footsteps!

3 minutes ago, Danl said:

.   For 37 min....$165.  you would of thought he was an electrician with those prices.

$4.51/minute = $2164.80 for 8hr /day = $10,824/wk x 50wk = $541,200/year is another way to look at it

 

Glad you got it fixed Dan...well as least the clogged part. Hope your part goes as well.

13 minutes ago, Danl said:

you would of thought he was an electrician with those prices.

 Why do you think

On 1/8/2022 at 9:32 AM, Larry Buskirk said:

I know a pipe-fitter that does electrical work. 

 

You had a separate stack for the sinks?  The toilets were on their own stack? If so, it would have likely been the throat of the wye. Closes up there with black rock-hard clay-like residue of soap.