Lived in this house 23 years, bought it 6 years ago. 1913 built, it has some problems.
The plumbing's old but it always worked until this summer. Some work was done updating the downstairs shower, so I had to use the upstairs one and found the drain clogged. Couldn't unclog it. It seems that the vent to the drain is blocked about 3 feet above (!) where it meets the tub drain. That's where a snake stops cold. So, I decided I won't be using that tub/shower anytime soon. For now, it's just plain clogged and drains very slowly. The toilet up there works OK, but the sink didn't drain well a few times (while I was having problems with the tub this summer) and then was working again (?!).
Under that bathroom the living room ceiling shows considerable damage evidencing a flood in the bathroom (or that's what I always thought caused it). Once or twice I may have witnessed water coming down from that ceiling, but it's so long ago now I can't remember what happened.
Today, I finished installing a new sink in that upstairs bathroom (which is over the living room). The sink isn't new, but it may as well be. I got everything working fine, no leaks and find that the sink isn't draining well (same as happened a few times earlier in the summer when I was fighting the tub drain problem). I reach for the plunger today and try to force the water down the sink. I hear something funny and try to figure out what it is. It turns out to be water pouring down from the living room ceiling again, seemingly the same place as it had before a long time ago!!! Depressing!
OK, so I put a bucket down and mop up and think. I'm wondering what all this means. I turn off the shutoffs for the sink and figure that sink's out of commision until I either have the plumbing replaced in the house or at least the drain from the sink (which will necessitate opening up the bathroom wall and no doubt tearing open the living room ceiling and doing extensive repairs). Sad, because I just this week finished my first platering job ever - repairing a nasty botchup under the newly installed sink.
Maybe someone has an idea exactly what's going on here. I'd appreciate an explanation. When the other sink was installed there, it seemed to drain fine (except for a day or two this summer, as noted). Is it just a coincidence that the drain pipe busted now? Was it busted before and miraculously stopped leaking? I'm just confused. I see no water or leaking where the drain stubout connects to the drain pipe at the wall. If I use the sink now, even without using a plunger, water starts coming out of the living room ceiling.
Dan