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Sewer Problem

Waxman

Waxman

Super Moderator
I have a 2000 gal tank with 2 grinder pumps to handle sewer. I started to get high water alarms mid way thru a busy wash day. I had a drain company take a look. They said I had one pump not working at all and one barely working. They gave a very high quote to fix, so I bought pumps myself and hired a plumber to install.

Upon startup, pumps blew new plumbing connections off at the pump. Paid to have sewer co pump tank down. Had plumber re-do with better connections ( 1 1/4" schedule 40 pvc, glued together. Start up: one connection held, one blew out.

I had a cleanout / plug / cap installed up high, where pipe exits my tank. Pumps off, un screw cap. Water flowing back out from sewer system into my tank, steady. Not raging, but a steady flow.

Seems to indicate a logged sewer line.

I had run a 40' thaw tube thru a small hold I had from years ago when sewer line froze up a bit not far from my tank. Thaw tube fed all the way in, so I think the clog is somewhere further.

FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I hate sewer line problems. Its one of the things I feel I am ill equipped to handle. Do you think a camera is needed at this point?
 
I'm waiting for an employee so I can remove a cap and test the pumps one at a time. If I verify there is flow from both of my pumps, I'm going to connect a hose and see if I can use city pressure to build pressure with gate valves closed ( so all water must go out towards street and away from pump chamber) and remove blockage.
 
Murphy says sewer problems only happen in the winter when you get the special bonus of freezing while you wade through the sludge.
Not fun, good luck.
 
PaulLovesJamie said:
Murphy says sewer problems only happen in the winter when you get the special bonus of freezing while you wade through the sludge.
Not fun, good luck.
Click to expand...

It wasn't too bad when i was in the tank wearing hip boots; 40 degrees! Top side is a drag; laying on the parking lot and reaching down to the plumbing outlet.
 
I keep a 100 foot HP hose on hand for bay cleaning and simple sewer line cleaning. I attach a sewer cleaning tip onto the hose and attach the hose to one of the bays HP line and feed it down the sewer line. The tip has one forward facing jet and 4 backward facing jet so that it will pull itself along the sewer line as it is blasting. This works for most minor cleaning. SOmetimes I have to hire a company with a sewer line cleaning setup. Basically the same thing as described but with their own tank. You are only responsible out to the city line. If the city decides that you are the cause of the blockage in their line they will usually clean it and give you warning without charging you a fee. Kleenrite sells the sewer cleaning tips.
 
soapy said:
I keep a 100 foot HP hose on hand for bay cleaning and simple sewer line cleaning. I attach a sewer cleaning tip onto the hose and attach the hose to one of the bays HP line and feed it down the sewer line. The tip has one forward facing jet and 4 backward facing jet so that it will pull itself along the sewer line as it is blasting. This works for most minor cleaning. SOmetimes I have to hire a company with a sewer line cleaning setup. Basically the same thing as described but with their own tank. You are only responsible out to the city line. If the city decides that you are the cause of the blockage in their line they will usually clean it and give you warning without charging you a fee. Kleenrite sells the sewer cleaning tips.
Click to expand...

What is the tip called? tried finding it on KR
 
Robert2181 said:
What is the tip called? tried finding it on KR
Click to expand...

FYI, the process that Soapy describes really does work, and greatly reduces the pain.
Note that the tip looks like a wimpy little piece of junk that couldnt possibly work, and the holes in it are tiny.
But it does work, and it works surprisingly well.
Those of you who have never had a sewer clog, buy one and remember where you put it, because some day it turn a major pita into a minor pita.
 
I have a hose coupled to the sewer line going out of the tank. Turned gate valves off so water can only flow in the direction away from sewer tank. Turned on city water wide open. Now I'm waiting to see if this steady pressure will clear the obstruction.
 
City Sewer Dept. said the sewer backup was my responsibility; 13 years ago when my wash was built I paid for a 720' sewer extension that tied into the town's connection on an adjacent street.

However, a contractor friend looked and found my car wash soap and suds backing up in the manhole where my line meets town's line. This leads him to believe the issue is on the town's section.
 
"I had run a 40' thaw tube thru a small hold I had from years ago when sewer line froze up a bit not far from my tank. Thaw tube fed all the way in, so I think the clog is somewhere further."

Waxman, what is a thaw tube? Some kind of heated snake? One of my parking lot catch basins, which is tied into a bay pit, occasionally freezes. To make the grade we weren't able to bury that connection deep enough and when its single digits the tie-in freezes. I've thought about looking for some kind of heat rope I could snake through there for when needed.
 
My plumber made a thaw tube; it's a 50' polytube attached to a garden hose spigot. I hook a hose to my hot water and feed the poly tube into the sewer line out via a 1/2" nipple installed by plumber. A cap threads on to nipple when not in use.
 
Tomorrow I get to troubleshoot a Valmatic #48A. Like this: http://www.valmatic.com/airreleaseww.html

Evidence points to my wastewater making it to the manhole that contains this Valve. Tomorrow I'm having the manhole pumped out for inspection / service / backwashing / repair. The manhole is supposed to be dry but my foam-polish-colored detergent is present, flooding the manhole and making the valve inaccessible.
 
Update: no flow from my wash to first manhole. Cutting exit pipe from sewer tank to try a sewer jet nozzle and hose I borrowed from good buddy Eric!
 
Waxman said:
Sewer rooter company here today! going from both ends; no flow yet...
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When that happened to me, I had to mark where the blockage was, cut the concrete, and start digging up the sewer pipe. My attendant had a 6' hole dug in no time with very straight sides and very square corners. I found out later that his previous job in Mexico was hand digging graves for cemeteries.
 
Ghetto Wash said:
When that happened to me, I had to mark where the blockage was, cut the concrete, and start digging up the sewer pipe. My attendant had a 6' hole dug in no time with very straight sides and very square corners. I found out later that his previous job in Mexico was hand digging graves for cemeteries.
Click to expand...

I'll bet you didn't have to go 720 feet to find the blockage. This winter I've had drain problems myself, what a PITA!!
 
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