water's coming back up my shower plughole..!

[adriang]

I've a raised Queenslander, and it's built underneath, with garage and a rumpus room underneath. At the back of the rumpus room is a shower and a toilet, so I'd say that the shower is the lowest plug in the property.

We've had a couple of big downpours in the past few days, and on Saturday night, we had the first and it was a big one as I was cought out in it. I came home to be greeted with a flood, and the water had come back up through the plug. First time this has ever happened.

Since then, it's happened twice, but there has also been a couple of downpours where it did not happen.

From my place to the road, where I'd assume the sewer is, there are only a couple of palm trees, so I don't think I've a tree root problem.

Any ideas on what could cause this, and especially cause it to be intermittent? I've not tried draino or anything like that, because if it was constant, then I'd think it was a blockage.

Any thoughts/ideas/advice on what to do next?

[bitingmidge]

The first thing to do is to make sure that your stormwater pipes aren't connected to the sewer.

Then, (and only then, because council will smoke test the sewer) call the council guys. There should be no stormwater in the sewer system, and the problem is probably caused by a monster load of rainwater trying to get out through a 100 sewer.

If the water's not slow to get away normally, you are probably safe from tree roots!

cheers,

P
:D

[wonderplumb]

Same thing happens here, stormwater gets into the sewer mains in a massive downpour and the sewer system cant handle it, you wouldnt know how many proprties have their s/water connected to the sewer. Go the council first. A little off topic but I helped a bloke (another plumber) fit out a bathroom reno that he had started, he stacked his bike and couldnt finish it. So I go along and fit the vanity, tapware, shower rail, WC etc, ran everything to check for leaks and job done. About a week later he gets a call from the water board to meet him and a fella from the council on-site. They take him down to the bottom of the place which was a flashy waterfront place in the shire and there is a weeks worth of ???? and what not on the rocks at the high tide mark. The silly bugger had connected a new stack for the bathroom into a stormwater pipe under the house! $5,500 fine from the council, had to rectify it at his expense and had to front the tribunal and explain why he should keep his licence.

[silentC]

Hmm, I'd have thought a sense of smell would be an asset for a plumber :)

[wonderplumb]

Yeah, not to mention the slimy-ness on the inside of a sewer pipe, lucky it was him not me:2tsup:!