How do I know what part of my drainage system is blocked?

Question

It seems that everywhere I put bucketfuls of water, ie washing machine and flushing toilet it is blocked.

Could it be something outside my house, ie council issues, as I've poured lots of caustic soda down there and it seems clear but it drains slow.

Answer 1

If you are having trouble with most all of your drains your main drain line outside is probably clogged with roots. They grow in the pipe through cracks and bad joints. The roots then trap other stuff like what you flush down the toilet or what goes through your garbage disposal. You probably got rid of this stuff with the caustic, but the roots are still there. Call a plumber and he will probably use a motorized auger to cut the roots out of the drain line. Then you need to flush a cup or two of copper sulfate down the toilet once a month to keep the root ends dead. Flush the toilet only once and do it the very last thing before you go to bed. You need to make sure no one else runs water after you do it. The plumber will cost $100 or so and you can get the copper sulfate at Lowe's or other hardware stores. Good luck.

Answer 2

Yes the tree roots can get into the system but then you would have other major problems. I suggest poring bleach down the drains. Do not use Drano or liquid plumber products they will only make holes in the pipes and cause larger problems! I would say call a plumber and have him snake your major drains. This will cost you less in the long run, because if your drains back up, trust me the damage that will follow will have you kicking yourself for not calling in a plumber. Hope that helped you out!