# Up the Vent Stack



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I was clearing a main line stoppage today. No c.o. anywhere, cast iron drains and vents, 2-story house, some what of a crawl space.

I pulled the toilet {which I hate, hate, hate} in order to cable the drain line. Brass closet flange with lead riser-built in the 1950's. 

I first tried the 5/8" stiff cable with my K-60. That did not seem to do well, although I pulled back some baby wipes. So I go get the bigger 7/8" cable which is what is really needed but since I'm working inside the bathroom, I tried the smaller cable first. The 5/8" ridgid cable is made in 7 1/2' & 10' lengths. I was using the 10' lengths {it is a stiffer cable}.

Since the 7/8" cables are in 15' lengths, I obviously didn't want to tangle with those inside if I could have avoided it {I often think of you guys with your drum machines at times like this.....:laughing:}. Wrestling with sectional cables sucks inside.

Anyway, I'm getting to the point: the gentleman of the house comes into the bathroom and says, "Did you know that your cable is up on the roof?"

I said, "You've got to be effing kidding me."

Eventually I cleared the babywipes and re-set the W/C, collected for the bill and bid him farewell.

I haven't gotten a cable on the roof in a long long time. Like over 15 years ago. I know the trick about putting a bend on the end of the cable. I sent a straight retriever auger down and that is what cleared the stoppage. 

Ridgid's catalog does not show a drop head in 7/8". I have one in 5/8" but need the larger one. Sometimes the older homes have the closet bend running to a cast iron tee which goes up for the lav drain and vent, and then down to the main line. I got there today at around 10 AM and left just before 2 PM.

What do you guys do in this situation? Drop head on the 7/8" or some other trick?


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I tried to jump up on the roof, but it was a metal roof with a somewhat steep slope. I was slipping and sliding, I thought I might fall off. {his second story was only over one side of the house, not the whole house}.


Only Spider-Man could have cabled that drain line from the roof.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

There’s some track houses in one part of town built for those returning from WW2. Crawl space houses, not big enough for a drum machine. The only way to not go up is with a kink and only a 2” cutter. Years ago I was struggling with a main at a vacant rental on that street, 95 degrees, fraught for every inch of 80’! Stood up to take a break to see my cable through the window. 

Ran out to the back yard to see my cable neatly coiled up next to an 8x4 unbroken window leaning up against the house.

I don’t do drain cleaning from a vent for two reasons, I don’t like heights and here the whole house vent can be 2” up to a foot above and a foot below the roof. I prefer starting with the largest cutter I can.


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## Standard Drain (Feb 17, 2016)

Up-sell the H/O a exterior cleanout install?


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Standard Drain said:


> Up-sell the H/O a exterior cleanout install?


Around here that would mean digging down to 7'+ so the cost would not be worth it.

Sent from my R1 HD using Tapatalk


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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

The Dane said:


> Around here that would mean digging down to 7'+ so the cost would not be worth it.
> 
> Sent from my R1 HD using Tapatalk


Damn Gina! In Tx so we generally are 1-3 feet. Sometimes deeper

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## Oorgnid (Apr 5, 2016)

5onthefloor said:


> The Dane said:
> 
> 
> > Around here that would mean digging down to 7'+ so the cost would not be worth it.
> ...


Here in PA they’re deep. This one was 14’ at the street. Lateral shot up and then was close to 6’ down going into the house. Escavater was terrible. He almost tore the city’s hub out, broke the water main going in, and then while digging back to the curb to replace the service, broke it on the city’s side. He also likes to put the dirt right along the side of the trench. That’s why it’s so open towards the back because it caved in several times.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Years ago I went to a college rental on a Monday after the maintenance guy worked all day Saturday trying to open the main line. Threw my cable out there and hit a spot that wouldn’t bind or anything, just spin. Brought my cable back and it looked like I had just sandblasted it. Called my boss and told him it was broken under the street.

Next day I show up to a jet job in the same town when I get a call from my boss to pack everything up and head back over there. A trash truck opened up a sink hole in the street. Turns out a 90 had shifted to the side and the sewage washed a ton of sand away. That line was 12’ down. Between the city and our excavator they worked for two days before my guys bailed. Brought in a bigger company who brought in a bigger machine and a box because it kept undermining. The city line ended up being 26’ deep. The road cut was curb to curb.

For three days I stood around looking like a city worker. What I learned was that it does help to lean on a shovel.

The total bill for the LL was around $20k. Two months later the LL filed for bankruptcy.


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

I was at a neighbors house trying to clear a partial main line stoppage. One bathroom was plugged the rest of the house drained fine. I pulled the toilet and tried to run the cable but it kept going up the vent. I checked the roof and it was non walkable tiles. I pulled the lav trap and ran my cable to at least poke a hole to at least get it draining. As I'm pulling my cable back I'd stop and pull a couple baby wipes off and repeat that til the line was cleared. Probably pulled 25 off my line. He has the same floor plan as me and my next door neighbor had been telling me he thought the guy that owned my house before me had a clean out. I came home and dug my side yard up and found it. My neighborhood was built in the late 50's early 60's and it has end of line clean outs that have been buried. I've posted the pics before.


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

...


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

Here's another non existent clean out in a different floor plan


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

......


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

Zoomed in


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

Yeah I remember finding those LOST clean outs in So. CA. just had to know the tract


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Debo22 said:


> Zoomed in


 











Debo, do you have a fiber optic camera? How are you locating the c.o.'s?


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

Tommy plumber said:


> Debo, do you have a fiber optic camera? How are you locating the c.o.'s?


There's 8 different floor plans in my neighborhood and since I realized there's buried clean outs, I've dug just outside the last bathroom straight out from the plumbing wall.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> I was clearing a main line stoppage today. No c.o. anywhere, cast iron drains and vents, 2-story house, some what of a crawl space.
> 
> I pulled the toilet {which I hate, hate, hate} in order to cable the drain line. Brass closet flange with lead riser-built in the 1950's.
> 
> ...


I use 5' 7/8 cables and have no problem working inside. Will often just use a reverse auger and rotate by hand until going in right direction.

Or I'll use my clog dog and watch the head go down the correct way while in use.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

​


gear junkie said:


> I use 5' 7/8 cables and have no problem working inside. Will often just use a reverse auger and rotate by hand until going in right direction.
> 
> Or I'll use my clog dog and watch the head go down the correct way while in use.


I’m dumb,what a clog dog???


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

Debo22 said:


> There's 8 different floor plans in my neighborhood and since I realized there's buried clean outs, I've dug just outside the last bathroom straight out from the plumbing wall.


I used to have a supervisor who would on coming up in an exterior wall for a sink, would use a combo on its back and stub a c/o to the outside and leave it buried. Every other plumber I worked with would put the c/o on the vertical below or above the fixture tee. Never understood my supervisors reasoning on that one.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

sparky said:


> ​
> I’m dumb,what a clog dog???














Spin chains at about 2000 rpms to remove roots or other blockages. Very controlled and fast way for drain cleaning.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Gear Junkie, the clog dog is like a chain knocker, right?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> Gear Junkie, the clog dog is like a chain knocker, right?


The chain knocker is the tool on the end. The clog dog is the machine made by the clog squad.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

gear junkie said:


> The chain knocker is the tool on the end. The clog dog is the machine made by the clog squad.


Where you buy this at??


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## Oorgnid (Apr 5, 2016)

I wasn’t even the one running the apparatus and I was anxious about the terra-cotta cracking and breaking. Interesting system.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

sparky said:


> Where you buy this at??


Pipe Lining Supply of Illinois


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

gear junkie said:


> Pipe Lining Supply of Illinois


How much did this cost and does it come with its own camera???


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

sparky said:


> How much did this cost and does it come with its own camera???


 Cost unsure....there are a few different ways models. Talk to Jeremy, tell him Ben (me) sent you and he'll help you out. 

You gotta use your own camera


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

sparky said:


> How much did this cost and does it come with its own camera???


sparky if you're really serious about this let me know because the clog dog is a great tool but what's great in socal may not be so good where you're from.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Got a text from my Master last night... he forgot to tell me one of his customers had called the night before with a backed up main.... which sucks because I was done at noon yesterday and we had a full day bust up.

Took 2 hours! Crawl/slab house. Pulled the stool, which I don’t really mind, extra $65. Went up the stack twice before I started looking around and found a chase hiding the vent stack behind the washer. 2” cast vent going through the roof. Got permission to cut it open to see about installing a clean out. Lucked out to find 4” cast!

Home by 7:15.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

OpenSights said:


> Got a text from my Master last night... he forgot to tell me one of his customers had called the night before with a backed up main.... which sucks because I was done at noon yesterday and we had a full day bust up.
> 
> Took 2 hours! Crawl/slab house. Pulled the stool, which I don’t really mind, extra $65. Went up the stack twice before I started looking around and found a chase hiding the vent stack behind the washer. 2” cast vent going through the roof. Got permission to cut it open to see about installing a clean out. Lucked out to find 4” cast!
> 
> Home by 7:15.


 













Only an extra $65 to pull & re-set the W/C? Not nearly enough in my opinion. My book price {to pull & re-set the W/C} is around an extra $145 as an add-on; then there is the original task price of clearing the main line stoppage. 

I detest pulling a W/C to clear a main line stoppage. Having to bring my equipment inside is no fun.......:no: I don't care that I can charge more. I prefer to charge less and have a c.o.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Tommy plumber said:


> Only an extra $65 to pull & re-set the W/C? Not nearly enough in my opinion. My book price {to pull & re-set the W/C} is around an extra $145 as an add-on; then there is the original task price of clearing the main line stoppage.
> 
> I detest pulling a W/C to clear a main line stoppage. Having to bring my equipment inside is no fun.......:no: I don't care that I can charge more. I prefer to charge less and have a c.o.


150.00 minimum here for me to pull and reset a toilet,that is if it goes easy Peasy


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