Why do all drains in the house run slow

Dec 16, 2004 6 Replies

All the drains in my daughter's house run very slow, including the toilets. They never overflow or not drain, they're just slow. Whether the toilet is flushed empty or with waste makes no difference. This sounds to me like it could be the vent pipe. Is this a possibility? How do you determine if it is indeed at fault? And how do you clean it out?


They're probably full of frogs. :-)

Yes. The drains could also be clogged. If the vents are not clogged, it's probably time to snake the drains.

Climb up on the roof and look for something clogging the vent. You might need a flashlight to look down inside it, but there's a good chance you'll find a bird nest near the top, within reach.

If you can reach the clog, just pull it out with your hand. Otherwise, flush it out with a garden hose.

Good first place to look. And cheapest to correct.

Take a hose up on the roof, put it in the vent and turn it on. If the vent fills with water fairly quickly you.ve found the problem.

Try the usual tools, a plumbers snake, etc. However, the main drain may have tree roots impeding flow. Best diagnosis there would be a pro with a drain scope. Good luck.

Joe

There was a show about this on TV last week. I believe that it was Emerile's house.

Hi, Obstruction in vent stack? Tony

Would a pound of Drano down the toilet be indicated? I've never tried this, though I did pour a bunch into a cleanout one time for a friend whose drain was slow.

If you have a cardboard tube (like from wrapping paper at Christmas) you can pour Drano down the inside of the tube, and get it right into the pipe. The cleanout was angled down, and I needed the cardboard "chute" to get the crystals into the center of the pipe. I know, totally clever idea.

Am I missing something? Don't almost all houses these days have more than one vent pipe? Did all the drains start running slow at the same time, or at different times?

Meirman

If emailing, please let me know whether or not you are posting the same letter. Change domain to erols.com, if necessary.

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required