Grey Water Clog

[T.Shaw]

Hello everyone, I purchased a home about 2 years ago that was built in the 1950's. Everything has been running/draining fine up until about a week ago. Here is my situation. In our utility/laundry room it looks as though we have 2 drains both for(grey-water). One looks to be very old and one is definitely newer. The older one has been randomly backing up and overflowing into the room. It only does it a few times a day and hours apart at random intervals. This old drain pipe/grey water pipe originally had a PVC tube that ran out of my attic and down into it with putty around it to try to seal it to the metal drain. Every once in a while we would hear water running down the PVC pipe for a few seconds but never new where it was coming from. This would only happen a couple times a day at random intervals. Well one day it backed up and started spilling into the utility room. I pulled that PVC pipe out of the metal one to try to figure out where this water was coming from and found that the PVC pipe actually had a rubber tube inside of it (very jerry-rigged setup) coming from the attic. I figured that it is condensation building up from the A/C unit and that is where they ran the tube to drain it off. Well since the metal tube that it goes into is backing up, I removed it and ran it into the other grey water drain that is newer. I also ran our washing machine drain tube down the newer grey water drain. So I figured I was good to go since the old grey water pipe no longer has water running into it of any kind.
We were good for about a day and then all the sudden water backed up and started coming out of the old pipe again! My wife also said that when it happened the kitchen sink backed up just for a few seconds and then it went back down.

I really have no idea what to do next. I cant find where these drains go to. I have no problem not using the old grey water pipe but need to figure out why its randomly backing up and spilling water into the utility room. should I snake it? Should I put drain clog remover down it? Should I just put as cap on it? I have no idea where to go from here. Thanks for the help in advance guys & gals.

 

[Geofd]

does it back up without you using it or does it back up after use?????

 

[T.Shaw]

Well at first we thought it was just backing up because that condensation tube was ran down in it but I removed that. Then last night I was running water in the kitchen sink and the sink started to lightly back up. Instantly I heard water coming out of the old grey water pipe in the laundry room onto the floor. I turned off the sink and it stopped. Both the sink and the old grey water pipe slowly drained back down.

As of now nothing else in the house seems to mess with the old grey water pipe. Bathtub drains fine and so does the bathroom sink. Also toilet flushes just fine. We did have a new sceptic tank put in just before we moved into the house though.
It's just a mess trying to figure out plumbing issues for me here. The house was on a well at one time then the rual water district came through and the original plumbing was disconnected and all new plumbing was put in the attic that is connected to the rual water district. So I have old pipes under the house that aren't even working anymore. I was told that the grey water drains out into our horse pasture but I have never been able to find where it comes out. I did find a random line that comes out by my front ditch by a culvert. It seems to be wet around the ground like it drain water sometimes but I put a pitcher of water down both grey water lines old and new and nothing ever came out of it while I was standing there. So not sure if thats a grey water drain pipe or not.

 

[Diehard]

Well you either have to find out more about your existing grey water drainage system, so as to possibly replace, reroute and/or relocate a portion of it, OR put in a new one, OR route the grey water line(s) to the septic system.

Are those grey water drains still legal where you are?

 

[Jeff Handy]

Washing machine lint can be tough stuff in a clog.
It also is now mixed with grease from the kitchen.
If there is some way to snake it, try that.
The clog is pbly a long ways away from the laundry room.
Is there a basement or crawlspace where you can get at the pipes farther away from the laundry room?
You can cut out a short section of drain pipe and get a snake in there.
Then re-install the cut piece with some rubber couplings or no-hub fittings.
Or better yet, splice in a cleanout fitting.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Maybe the outlet of the drain pipe just goes somewhere to daylight, and needs cleaning out around it.
Might be buried in mud, or grass has grown over it.
Or a screen or grill is full of crud.

 

[Diehard]

If you don't have a grey water dry well or leaching pit or tank, snaking it will likely take care of it.
My experience has been with a dry well or separate leaching tank, for grey water, which was common in certain areas back in the 50's. They tend to get packed with grease and soap after a while. So if you still have a problem after snaking the line you may want to try to determine if dry wells were used in your area.
Another tell-tail sign, that I used to get, was that it was worse during or after a heavy rain

 

[Jeff Handy]

You could get some dye tracer and put that down the sink drain, or any of the drain pipes in your laundry room.
Sooner or later the dye will make its way out of the house.
If it drains into your culvert, or somewhere just onto the ground somewhere, you will see the bright color dye washing out.

If there is a dry well or leach field, you still might see some color oozing up out of the ground.
Some old dry wells or tanks have a concrete access cover near the surface of the lawn, might be only slightly buried.

Maybe you could rent a pipe locator kit that puts a signal into the older metal pipe, then go outside with the receiver and start scanning the ground for the metal pipe under it.

You could contact the septic tank poop pumpers in your area, and ask them if they have any history with your property. They might have cleaned out the gray water tank in the past. Or they might know where it is likely to be, based on common practice in your area.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.

1 Gal. Red Water Tracing Dye

https://www.homedepot.com/p/305766182

 

[T.Shaw]

Hey guys yesterday I snaked the old grey-water drain. The snake went in about 20 ft then hit something I couldn't pass. When I pulled it back out it had mud and little roots on it. Then I snaked the kitchen sink and same thing there. With the sink, I snaked in about 15 ft and got mud and roots again.

Diehard; I dont think its legal here anymore haha but this house is old and we just bought it. SO at the moment Im kinda stuck with what it had originally. We have had a lot of rain here recently though too.

Jeff Handy; Its a concrete slab home with cinder block walls. No basement or crawlspace. I'm thinking I will buy some of the dye your telling me about and see if I can find the exit. I wish I just knew more about the plumbing setup in this house. I have no idea if it drains to the septic or to daylight. So hopefully with the die I can find an exit somewhere. If not it must go to the septic.

 

[Jeff Handy]

I have never done any water-jetting for clogged drains, but it seems like they are good for blasting through mud and roots.
The plumbing pros on here will advise.

You pbly have terra cotta drain tiles, short sections of cast clay pipes, and roots and mud can invade at the joints.
Clay tiles (pipes) can also crack, and chunks can fall into the drain, with mud and roots following happily behind.

Roto-Rooter type companies can likely get through that clog for you.
Then it might need pro rodding again every year or few years. Cheaper than putting in all new drain plumbing.

Or you can keep snaking by yourself, pulling out little bits of roots and mud. It has to end somewhere!

It sometimes helps to fill the drain with water first, to help soften the mud.
But roots will pbly need a pro to deal with them.

 

[Diehard]

Yes...when I moved into my house, 43 years ago, it had both a septic tank and a dry well. After a few years of a slow running dry well I finally piped it into the pipe line in my cellar which went out to the septic tank. Relatively easy fix in my case. No problems since. Knock on wood!

 

[Jeff Handy]

He is on a slab, so no easy access to tap into other drains.