When Multiple Fixtures Back Up at Once

There's one symptom that almost always means a main-line problem: when using one fixture makes another back up. Here's why that pattern is so telling.

The Cross-Connection Clue

Flush the toilet and the bathtub gurgles or fills. Run the washing machine and the floor drain overflows. That cross-connection means water can't get past a blockage in the main line, so it backs up into the next-lowest opening it can find.

Don't Keep Using Water

Every additional use adds to the backup. Stop running water, and get the main line cleared before it progresses to a full basement backup. A camera inspection afterward tells you whether it'll happen again.