The layout in brief
Backsplits and side-splits were a favourite of 1960s and 1970s builders in Erindale, Lorne Park, Clarkson and parts of Applewood. Bedrooms and the main bathroom sit a half-flight above the living room, a family room sits a half-flight below, and a basement or crawlspace sits under that. For a plumber, the result is a drain system with more horizontal pipe than most houses: the upper bathroom drains sideways over a ceiling before it drops, and the lowest level frequently has a separate bathroom or laundry that needs its own route to the main.
Problems that come with the split
- Long horizontal drain runs with low slope, where grease and hair settle and build up
- Crawlspace pipes under the family room that freeze in a cold snap if the space is vented or poorly insulated
- Cleanouts buried behind panelling added in a renovation decades ago
- Lower-level bathrooms sitting near or below sewer grade, at risk of backup during storms
How we approach a split-level
We start by mapping the route: which level drains where, where the stack is, and where we can get a cable in. A long, flat run needs a drum machine with the right head and patience; a quick blast with a small hand auger just pushes the plug further along. If the lowest bathroom is the one that backs up, we camera the main before anything else, because the cause is often downstream of the house. In crawlspaces we look closely at insulation and heat; keeping those runs above freezing is cheaper than cutting out split copper in February.
Upgrades that suit these houses
A backwater valve protects the lowest level. Accessible cleanouts, added when walls are open, save hours on every later call. Where supply pipe has been patched many times, a planned repipe routed through the open crawlspace can be easier here than in most homes.
Where to look first in this house
A call-out, start to finish
- 1Call and describe the fixture, floor and symptom
- 2We arrive, lay drop cloths and shut the water where needed
- 3Trap pulled, line cabled or camera run to find the cause
- 4Fix explained, then cut, joined or replaced
- 5Water run through, joints checked, written note left
Answers our Mississauga crew gives most
Why is only my upstairs tub slow?
Its drain usually runs sideways over a ceiling before dropping. Hair and soap gather on that flat stretch; a cable from the tub overflow normally clears it.
Do crawlspace pipes need heat tape?
Sometimes. Sealing vents and insulating the space is often the better first fix; we will look at both.