Plumbing problems in old house

[Dan Graney]

I just bought my first duplex and I am going to live in the upper unit to house hack. Need to get a few things fixed before I rent it out. Most serious is really slow running drains in the upper unit. If I run the water in the sink enough to brush my teeth it backs up into the bath tub.

I have tried draino but it didn't seem to make a difference.

Talked to a plumber and he wants like $500 to power auger the drains, including money to remove and replace the toilet.

So I am thinking of renting a power auger and doing it myself but I am concerned about the age of the drains. The house was built in 1920.

Found a good product that slowly eats the gunk in the drain lines over time that I will use to clean the lines further once they are flowing enough. Product is called Bio-Clean and it has many positive reviews.

Would appreciate any insight I could get. Thanks in advance.

[Mike Wood]

@Dan Graney Do you have the same problem in the lower unit?  If both units are the issue, it could be your main drain line under the house, which could be roots or broken drain lines. Both I would recommend a pro for.

I would call around to see if other plumbers charge the same in your area.  $500 sounds a bit steep.

I have used small drain snakes in my properties, but never had a situation where drains would flood other fixtures.  I have a small 50ft snake (less than $30 at the home store) that I can connect to my drill. Its been helpful for clearing my blockages.  I am very handy and typically not afraid of large power tools, but I would pass on the large power auger.