# Blocked basement drain inaccessible



## spangles (Jul 19, 2012)

My basement drain is blocked and unpleasant, smelly water pools down there. The washing machine is supposed to run into the drain but it just melds with the poop stuff and slowly drains. I would just use an auger but the drain has a strange set up. (See badly drawn attachment.) 






When I push the auger down there is no way to make it bend into the pipe that connects it to the stack. The hole is just about big enough for me to squeeze my hand in there but not wide enough for me to hold the auger and push it into the pipe. So, the auger just goes straight to the bottom of the drain and that's it.

My neighbor has the same set up but his drain is wide enough to get his hand and the auger in so he just pushes it where it needs to go. Any suggestions on how I get around this?


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## oldognewtrick (Jul 19, 2012)

Try and bend a piece of coat hanger to get the snake towards the spot you are talking about.


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## CallMeVilla (Jul 20, 2012)

A TV scope might not even make the bend.  Too bad, because the blocakge needs to be evaluated.  I take a different course  . . . I would jack-out the cement and change the piping.  It is not that difficult and you would have a nice new p-trap and 2" ABS plastic pipe for the future.  Yes, you would have to cut intot the stack to attach the new pipe but that is not hard either.

Think about it!


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## JoeD (Jul 20, 2012)

Is there a cleanout at the stack? I would be angering from the stack out. A clog going out from the stack will cause everything to backup into the other drain.


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## nealtw (Jul 20, 2012)

Are sure the bottom of the dain isn't leading to a trap and you are triing to snake a vent.


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## TerryDM (Jul 20, 2012)

I'm with JoeD.... is there no cleanout anywhere else?


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## spangles (Jul 21, 2012)

Aha! I have a cleanout near the bottom of the stack. Thank you!!

Now the question is how do I proceed? I'm concerned about what happens once I unscrew that cleanout. I mainly want to get the job done without being showered with the contents of the stack.


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## CallMeVilla (Jul 21, 2012)

Hahahaha  . . .  Welcome to manly plumbing!  Get your gloves on, tighten up that wrench and do not stand in front of the cleanout.  Oh, you might get a bucket and some old towels too.

Can't wait to hear the next installment of "My Drain Is Plugged."


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## TerryDM (Jul 22, 2012)

I had to do this a few months back. In fact had a friend here to help. Now that's friendship! The cleanout plug may be really tight. I had to use an 18" pipe wrench and all my ummph. As Villa said, for all that's holy, don't stand in front of the opening. Hahaha!  Good luck!


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## JoeD (Jul 22, 2012)

I doubt the stack is filled or the drain would be overflowing, unless the line from the drain to the stack is clogged.
If you still want to go through the floor drain then how about a piece of conduit with a curve on the end. Feed the snake through the conduit into the drain. This would be similar to a toilet auger but with the bend adjusted to your needs.


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## nealtw (Jul 23, 2012)

When you want to open clean out and you are afraid the pipe is full. Drill a small hole in the clean out plug so you can drain off the liquids before opening the clean out.


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## spangles (Aug 1, 2012)

JerryDM and JoeD! You two are terrible. Lol. Well I did the manly thing. Rented a snake and went 100ft. Found three blockages. No poopy mess came out the stack because the blockage was below floor level. 

Looks good for now


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