Main sewer keeps plugging up

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tuffy

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kirksville missouri
I have a 100 year old house that the main sewer line plugs up about every 2 mnts or so. Its mainly tree roots, some times its fecal mater. We don't flush paper. Is there any easy fix to this other than me digging it up and replacing it . I'm not sure what kind of pipe it is .The clean out on the out side is cast I believe
 
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UXthJMd4gg[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poqYPlhpwLI[/ame]
 
Plan "A", Roto Rooter is the name............
 
If roots are getting you have cracked or broken lines. Other than a regular schedule of rooting, digging and replacement is the option.
 
The sewer department in the town where I live will actually do the Roto Rooter type treatment for free as long as they can get the equipment into the line. You might want to check and see if your local department does the same thing.

I have used this several times,

Instant Power Main Line Cleaner ($10)
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Instant-Power-Main-Line-Cleaner-1-gal/17133602

It's cheap and works pretty well. You need to have a way to pour it into the main line near where the clog is. For me, I put a union in a vent pipe for a basement sink. I can open the union and pour the cleaner almost directly into the main stack.

In order for this to work, you need to not use any water for as many hours as you can get away with. This lets the water in the main slowly drain out around the clog. Then you pour 1-2 gallons into the main and leave it, again for as long as you can get away with without using any water in the house. Finally, you pour several gallons of very hot to boiling water into the main and then turn on the sinks in the house to hot to fill the stack with water.

The combination of this can force out the blockage. It is annoying to have to go a day without using any water in the house, but this could fix your issue for $10-$20.

If you have a massive amount of tree roots this may not work but I think it's worth a try. You will probably have to have your main replaced at some point. I live in a 140 year old house. My water supply was installed in 1917 and I had to replace it recently. I assume that the sewer will need to be replaces soon as well but I have managed to keep it going with the above treatment for a while now.

LMHmedchem
 
A home that old could be most anything, Terra Cotta pipe, steel, cast iron, Orangeburg.
Want it fixed once and for all dig it up and replace with PVC.
 
That's what I plan on doing I ,think its either steel or cast iron. If I can I would like to make it until taxes get here.
 

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