Sewers - Main pipe in drainage system clogged, anything I can do without calling a plumber?

Main pipe in drainage system clogged, anything I can do without calling a plumber?

When someone flushes the toilet or uses the sink, etc. the waste water comes up all drains in my basement, (the ones in furnace room for moisture drainage). Would the city fix this problem, because it's on the way out of my house, and could be a problem in the sewers?

Public Comments

If its on your property, you have to pay for it if the blockage is on the city's property they pay for it. you can rent a snake and snake out the blockage.
If it's only in your house (not your neighbors) the city can't help you. You can buy a plumber's snake and clean the line out yourself, or just do like the rest of us do and call the plumber or RotoRooter.
Go to home depot and rent a roto-rooter and hit the main line with it. If you are on sewer and that is the problem they will fix but only in the sewer. If it is in the line to your house it's all you. Are you sure you are not on a septic?
no typically once it passes the lot line ( or the goes next to the sidewalk ) it the cities responsibility. but in some cases the entire sewer lateral up to the main city sewer trunk line is your responsibility. there is a good chance you have roots from a near by ficus tree or other deep rooting tree that has clogged your sewer pipes rent a rotor rooter and snake the drain clear with the cutter attachment. the maybe rent a camera probe ( home depot rents them ) to see if you got a clay lateral cast iron lateral or abs lateral and to see if you got roots inside or any collapsed sections
If you're lucky enough to have a clean-out at the property line (i.e. where the pipe goes under a sidewalk or street) most cities will snake that section out for free. To find out if it's clogged beyond that part of the pipe, remove the cover plug - if there's standing water down in that pipe, the blockage is on their end of the pipe.
years ago i used this. take a long length of galvanized pipe that's threaded on both ends, at the hardware store buy two thin (not to thin) nuts that will screw onto one end of the threaded pipe. screw Only one on now find TWO large washers (at the hardware store) that will fit over the pipe, see if the have anything made of rubber that you can now make a large rubber type washer that you can cut to the size of the inside of the sewer pipe. so here's what you actually need 1 long pipe (6 to 8 feet long threaded on both ends) 2 large thin nuts that will screw onto those threads. 2 large washers that will fit over the pipe snugly. 1 piece of rubber that can be cut to the size of the INSIDE DIAMETER of the sewer pipe. put one nut on, put one large washer on, put the cut out rubber washer on, put second large washer on, lastly put the second nut on. what you now have is a RUBBER WASHER SANDWICH that you can use as a plunger on the outside sewer air vent to try to suck the clog out, just like using a plunger on your sink or toilet. keep the rubber washer tight but not so tight you can't push/pull the pipe up and down like a plunger. it's worked for me, but that doesn't mean it will for you. it's not that costly to try. you may want to put water into the outside sewer pipe right before you start plunging. good luck to ya
Dump 10 gallons of Liquid Plummer in the bathtub. Then go down to your basement and open the cleanout cap and let it all flood out. Take a wire coat hanger and poke down into the pipe, next try a garden hose. Go rent the biggest sewer snake you can get at the rental place, Put the biggest attachment on the end of the cable. Run the snake until it gets trapped in the pipe and won't come out. Go back to the rental place and get a torch to cut the snake cable. Jackhammer and sawcut basement floor to install new building sewer.
Sorry, roto rooter for you unless you have a snake to do it yourself.
you can rent a snake from home depot for $50.. i would try that first.. then if that doens't help call rotor rooter.. cost 300 they will come snake it and if that doesn't work, they will put a camera down your line (no extra charge) so at least you can find the problem. I would also ask your neighbors if they are having issues.. if its not just you keep contacting the town could be the main line..
You should not try to fix this your self, a drain machine can be very dangerous to run, Home depot will not have one bug enough to clean a main line and the small one that they do have is likely to bind up in knots inside the pipe and you will not be able to get it out. Call a real plumber. Others have suggested Roto Rooter, I do not. Please see http://www.plumbers-talk.com/showthread.php?t=364