Help! First call from Tenant with an issue

[Jay Patel]

Hey BP,

I purchased my first SFR back in March and got it rented out on April 1st. The tenants have been quiet so far but today they texted with their first issue:

Water is slow to go down the shower. When the toilet is flushed while showering, the water level in the toilet rises high (close to over topping). The toilet bubbles when the bathroom sink is in use. They said they tried drainol on in the shower but its still the same. 

What do I do? I am not really handy by nature. 

Thanks!

[David Cox]

I would call a plumber and have the drain snaked, if it's something they flushed down the drain I would charge them for the service, it could also be roots in the drain line or a clogged vent pipe

[Andy R.]

Jay, 

Your main sewer line might be clogged. 

If you rather not deal with it yourself you may want to call a few plumbers in the area (google search) and describe the problem; hire the one that understands the issue. 

Your tenant will thank you for it!

[Robert Newburn]

Jay, it sound like you have a blockage in your shower drain. You can pick up a snake or a drill powered drain auger fairly cheap ($30) at Home Depot. I have been a landlord for sometime now and drains, toilets, sinks, and outside faucets are things that you should be fairly comfortable with. There are videos on YouTube and articles on the Internet to walk you through. Also, if I ever pay a plumber to come out, I always watch him do the work. If I am going to pay him then I am going to learn from him.

[Jay Patel]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I just heard that the tenant tried to both plunge and snake the shower and so the blockage may be further down the line. I may have no choice but to call a plumber. 

[Ramone Reese]

Another suggestion is shoot to Home Depot. I forget which products are safe for use in your toilet. But there are two products that I have had very good luck with. One is called Hair and Grease, it comes in a bag as it's an acid product-so consider your pipes and the environment. It's usually near the draino and also usually in the tool rental section. The drill powered auger is a good way to go. They also have one that hooks to a water hose. It's kind of like a balloon and and it inflates and then shoots water to clear the clog.

All that said, in my experience it's quicker and easier and tenant will be happier if you just call a plumber. I often use those products on a vacant house and just call a plumber for inhabited rentals. Look for a referral or hop on CL. There are often companies that advertise there heavily and usually offer a discount. Around here (Detroit) it's $75-100. While the hair and grease is only 10, if you've never had the drains snaked it's probably time. I usually follow it up with the hair and grease product or another that comes in a white bottle (usually next to the hair and grease), depending on what the plumbers say the problem was.

[Jay Patel]

@Ramone Reese I think that is really good advice since the rental is occupied. I want to keep it as professional as possible with the tenant. If the home was between tenants I could try to figure it out myself. 

I will look into finding a good plumber and try to get the issue sorted out while hopefully keeping the cost low. 

[Ramone Reese]

@Jay Patel I think that's a good call. I tried the trial and error before and it was a headache for both me and the tenant. Plus, I ended up having to call a plumber anyway. You really don't want water backing up ruining floors, paint, potentially wetting the subfloor creating mold and a potentially even bigger problem. When they are vacant though, I'll do a lot of trial and error. Helps me learn for myself what works, what doesn't, and often saves me money too! 

[Scott Weaner]

Call a plumber now. Don't wait until something floods, or sewage backs up somewhere. Not worth it.

[Mel Quiroa]

I would recommend looking into Hydro Jetting.  I had a similar issue at my house and one of my contractors recommended this. It was the best $280 i have ever spent, and my drains worked like new again.  

[Jonathan G.]

Call plumber.

[Joe Splitrock]

@Jay Patel the bubbling leads me to believe there is a clog in your drain stack. That is the pipe that goes out your roof to let air in so water can drain. It could be an obstruction due to a birds nest or could even be an improperly routed pipes. It could also be a drain clog. Based on your skill level, It sounds like you should call a plumber. I would recommend a company that specializes in only cleaning clogged drains. I had a full service plumber tell me that a clogged shower needed to be replaced due to corroded pipes that he could not clear. It would have been several thousand to cut the cement floor and get everything replaced. I call Roto-Rooter and $100 later the drain was cleared. Cleaning drains is a skilled labor effort. Plumbers don't always recommend the least expensive solution so don't ever feel bad getting a second opinion.

[Jay Patel]

@Joe Splitrock Thanks for the response. I believe you are right. Its more than just a clogged shower or toilet and sink. I believe the clog is further down since all of them are being effected. I am in the process of finding somone to do the work this morning. I will have to add rotorooter to the list and get a quote from there. They are based an hour away from me so we'll see how that affects things. Thanks for the reply.