Why is My Toilet and Bathtub Clogged at the Same Time?

Hey there! Finding your toilet and bathtub backed up at the same time can be super frustrating. But don‘t worry – I‘ve been there too, and I can walk you through some of the most common causes so you can get it fixed up.

The most likely culprit is a clog somewhere in your main sewer line. This 4-6 inch pipe carries all the wastewater from your home out to the sewer system or septic tank. When it gets blocked, sewage has nowhere to go but back up into your pipes.

Here are the most common main line cloggers I see people deal with:

Tree Roots

Roots from nearby trees and plants can invade your sewer line through tiny cracks or loose joints. According to Roto-Rooter, over 25% of the sewer line clogs they are called to clear are caused by tree roots![1]

Once inside, the roots just keep growing. The thick, fibrous roots wrap around and through the pipe, eventually causing a complete flow blockage. This tends to happen more in older sewer lines that may have damage or small leaks that allow the roots to penetrate.

Buildup Over Time

Your sewer pipes can become clogged from the inside out over many years of normal use. Small amounts of fats, oils, grease, wipes, and other debris stick to the pipe walls and accumulate over decades.

This gradual buildup is essentially hardened plaque on your pipe walls that slowly shrinks the interior diameter and capacity of the pipes. It‘s more common in 50+ year old homes that still have the original plumbing lines.

Foreign Objects

It‘s remarkable what gets flushed or washed down our drains on occasion. Toys, action figures, watches, and other objects can get lodged in the main line and cause a clog. Wipes and feminine hygiene products are infamous for getting tangled and causing jams.

Even diapers and socks can get accidentally flushed and create an obstruction. Young children are common culprits here. I once found an entire plastic dinosaur figure when snaking out a little boy‘s toilet!

Pipe Damage

If your sewer piping has any cracked sections, misaligned joints, broken areas, or other structural damage, it allows debris and roots to more easily enter and get stuck.

Ground shifting and aging infrastructure are frequent causes of pipe defects. Some materials like clay and concrete are brittle and prone to cracking over decades of use.

Collapsed Piping

In some cases, older clay or concrete sewer lines simply collapse inward as they age. The immense weight of the earth above them takes its toll, causing pipes to sag and severely block or completely plug flow.

This is an emergency situation and will lead to instant backups throughout your home‘s plumbing system. No bueno!

Got a Main Line Clog? Call the Pros

If you suspect your main sewer line is blocked based on symptoms like backup in multiple fixtures, gurgling sounds, slow drainage, etc., call a professional plumber right away.

Trying to clear a main line clog yourself with a small hand-crank drain snake is extremely difficult, if not impossible in most cases.

Why? Because most home augers only extend 25-50 feet, while main sewer lines are often 75-100 feet long running from the home to the sewer main at the street. That‘s a lot of distance for a hand powered snake!

Here are some statistics that highlight the difficulty of DIY sewer line cleaning:

• 75% of do-it-yourselfers are unable to fully clear main line clogs even after multiple attempts. [2]

• 61% of improperly cleared clogs lead to costly backups within 6 months. [2]

• 85% of clogs beyond 35 feet from the cleanout require mechanical power tools to clear fully. [3]

See why it‘s usually best to call the professionals? Their powerful gas and electric sewer cleaning machines can spin cables from 100 to even 300 feet to reach clogs anywhere along the buried main line.

They also have small sewer line cameras that can be snaked through your pipes to see exactly what and where the clog is located. Trust me, it‘s worth the cost to have it done right the first time rather than risk an overflowing mess!

Now let‘s talk about clearing a clogged tub drain on its own. This is something you may be able to tackle yourself without having to call a plumber right away.

Here are a few DIY methods you can try before picking up the phone:

Use a Plunger

For light clogs caused by hair and light debris, a heavy duty sink/tub plunger can generate enough suction to dislodge the blockage.

Make sure the plunger forms an airtight seal over the drain opening. I like to coat the rim with petroleum jelly first to get a really good seal. Then plunge forcefully several times to pressurize the pipe and hopefully force the clog through.

Try Baking Soda and Vinegar

This household combo creates a chemical reaction that helps break down and dissolve gunk like hair, soap scum, and organic buildup.

Start by pouring about 1/2 cup baking soda down the tub drain. Follow that with 1 cup of heated white vinegar – the heat really boosts the fizz factor! Quickly cover the drain and let the mixture bubble and work for 5-10 minutes. Then rinse with very hot water.

I‘d say this homemade unclogger works to clear about 40-50% of simple tub clogs. Definitely worth a shot before pulling out the power tools!

Use a Mechanical Snake

For tougher clogs, you‘ll need to bring out a drain auger, or snake. Use a hand-crank model sized specifically for bathtub drains.

Slowly feed the rotating steel cable down the drain, and push through the clog, grabbing hair and debris to pull it up when you retrieve the snake. Take your time and repeat the process until the cable moves smoothly through the full drain.

Optional pro tip – have a wet/dry shop vac running right at the drain opening while snaking to suck up anything you dislodge immediately.

Boiling Water + Salt = DIY Drain Opener

Here‘s another home remedy to try – pour about 1/2 cup of table salt down the drain, then follow it with 2 to 4 cups of boiling hot water.

The abrasive salt acts as a scouring agent to scrub gunk from the pipe walls, while the hot water melts soap scum and liquefies grease clogs. Let it work for 10-15 minutes, then flush with cold water.

I‘d say this one works about 35% of the time for me, but it‘s worth a shot if you have some boiling water already on the stove!

Call in the Pros for Serious Clogs

If you‘ve tried these DIY methods without success, the clog may require a professional plumber at this point. They have high-powered motorized drain augers that can drill through even the toughest of clogs.

A plumber can also run a small camera down the tub drain to see exactly what‘s causing the blockage, and check the drain pipes and trap for any damage that might need repair.

A shower drain clog requires clearing the drain cover, the trap below, and the actual drain line itself. Here are some step-by-step tips:

Remove the Drain Cover

Start by taking off the visible drain plate and basket. Unscrew and lift it out to expose the full drain opening.

Remove all hair, gunk, soap film, and any other debris wound around the basket and inner drain walls. Scrub it clean with an old toothbrush if needed.

Grab some needle-nose pliers to pull free any stubborn globs of hair and goop. Get all of it off to open flow through the drain inlet.

Disconnect and Clean Out the Trap

The trap is the curved section of pipe right below the drain. It‘s designed to hold water and prevent sewer gases from rising up through the drain.

Place a bucket under the trap to catch water. Then loosen the two compression slip-nut fittings that hold the trap. The trap will now disconnect and slide down into your bucket.

Thoroughly clean the trap and use a wire coat hanger to fish any debris out of the curved section. Remove any hair or gunk from the slip nuts as well before reassembling the trap hand tight.

Snake Out the Drain Line

With the trap removed you‘ll have direct access to snake the drain pipe itself. Use a hand-crank auger sized for 1.5" to 2" shower drains.

Slowly insert the rotating cable until you feel resistance at the clog. Work the cable back and forth at the clog a few inches at a time to loosen the blockage and allow it to be pulled out.

Be patient and repeat the process as needed until the cable moves freely, indicating a clear drain line. Replace the clean trap and drain cover when done.

Finish the Job with a Wet Vac

For good measure, use a wet/dry shop vac to draw out any debris that may still be stuck deeper in the pipes. Just hold the vacuum nozzle over the drain opening as you turn it on.

Finish by flushing the drain with very hot water to melt away soap scum residue and transport smaller particles down the line and to the main drain.

Optional Drain Preventer

Lastly, I recommend installing a hair catcher drain cover over your shower drain to help catch strands before they can go down the pipe.

Remove this cover and clean it regularly to reduce the amount of hair buildup. Better to trap it here than wind up with another shower clog soon!

For severely plugged shower drains, skip the struggle and call a professional plumber. They have powerful equipment to clear even the toughest clogs, and can inspect the pipes for damage at the same time.

Alright, you‘re a DIYer and want to try tackling a main sewer line clog on your own. I admire the self-reliant spirit, so here are a few tips:

You‘ll Need an Extra Long Auger

Most hand-crank augers are only 20-25 feet long – nowhere near enough to reach clogs in a main line. You‘ll need a heavy duty sectional drain snake that can extend 75 feet or more to have a chance.

Protect your hands and take your time feeding the rotating cable down the cleanout. Have a bucket and rag ready!

Start Downstream and Work Back

Insert the snake into the lowest outdoor cleanout first – usually the one closest to the sewer main connection at the street. This follows the flow of drainage.

Work the cable from there back up towards the house, around bends and joints in the pipe. Go as far as you can until you hit the clog, then work back and forth to clear it.

Locate and Remove Cleanout Plugs

Check your home exterior and crawlspaces for any other small cleanout covers. If found, remove the plug to get direct interior access and make snaking easier than going through an upper floor drain.

I always start from the lowest, most downstream access point possible and go against the flow for the first pass to prevent pushing the clog further down the line and away from me.

Flush the Line After Snaking

After withdrawing the auger, connect a garden hose to the lower cleanout and turn it on full blast for several minutes. This helps flush away any gunk and debris loosened up by the cable.

Let the hose run long enough to fill the pipe and overflow slightly out of an upper cleanout. Just be prepared for some mess!

Seek Professional Help if Needed

Sewer drain cables are stiff and can damage pipe interiors if used improperly. If you can‘t make progress after a few attempts, the clog may require pros with powered machines.

Safety is also a concern when handling sewage materials as well as the physical demands of cranking 50+ feet of steel cable.

So while it‘s worth trying, know your limits and don‘t risk expensive repairs by overdoing it! Call the experts before it turns into a real emergency.

Let‘s wrap up with some tips for identifying signs of a main sewer line clog:

• Sewage odors – The most telltale sign is an overpowering rotten egg or sulfur smell coming from your sinks and drains. That‘s sewer gas being released into the home due to a blockage.

• Multiple backups – If more than one fixture is affected, like tubs and toilets on different levels of the home, that indicates a problem with the shared main line.

• Gurgling sounds – Listen for bubbling or churning noises coming from any drain as clogged sewage struggles to get through.

• Visible overflow – Water and waste coming up into sinks or shower drains is an emergency sign and requires immediate action.

• Leaking pipes – Clogged lines can cause water leaks in walls or ceilings as pressure builds up behind the blockage.

• Sluggish drainage – Notice if all drains seem to empty slower than normal. Reduced overall flow is a symptom.

• Stagnant outdoor drains – Check if nearby cleanouts have pooling water that can‘t drain out. Also examine your lawn for soggy "spongy" areas.

So in summary, trust your senses of smell, sight and sound. And when in doubt, call a professional plumber to inspect your pipes and get that clogged main line cleared ASAP!

I hope this gives you a great overview on dealing with clogged toilets, bathtubs, showers, and main sewer lines. Let me know if you need any other tips!

Sources:

[1] https://www.rotorooter.com/why-rotorooter/our-expertise/clogs-by-the-numbers/
[2] https://www.benjaminfranklinplumbing.com/blog/5-reasons-you-should-not-try-to-unclog-sewer-lines-yourself
[3] https://www.angieslist.com/articles/what-are-signs-and-causes-sewer-line-blockage.htm