Odd plumbing problem

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  • Cameramonkey

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    OK, this is an odd one. We live in a split level house. full bath upstairs, half bath down.

    About once a month, I notice when the bathtub is draining (normally) , air is bubbling up out of the downstairs toilet. Tonight I noticed the smell in the downstairs bath reeked of sewer gas Since when I first heard it I had to go help one of the kids and couldnt take care of it immediately.

    The fix is to vigorously plunge the downstairs toilet. After doing that, air bubbles cease, and it drains normally without the bubbles downstairs.

    I wouldnt think its a vent issue, because I can fix it by plunging. And we have a special cap on the vent to prevent gasses from wafting out, because you could sometimes smell the gas from our elevated deck. So it shouldnt be anything like a birds nest or whatnot clogging the vent.

    Ideas?
     

    Cameramonkey

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    Update. Even after plunging, I got bubbles again when the upstairs toilet flushed. When I had them flush again, it was bubbling, and had drawn some water out of the downstairs toilet. As the upstairs toilet filled, I flushed downstairs and they said the upstairs toilet let out a few bubbles.

    Maybe it IS a vent issue.
     

    spencer5650

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    I had the same exact problem as you, Then the water started draining slower. Really sucked when water and sewage started coming out of the downstairs toilet when we took a shower upstairs. Had to have Roto-Rooter come out, roots growing through the waste line.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    I had the same exact problem as you, Then the water started draining slower. Really sucked when water and sewage started coming out of the downstairs toilet when we took a shower upstairs. Had to have Roto-Rooter come out, roots growing through the waste line.


    Lucky for me there are no trees between the house and the street. Unlike MANY of my neighbors, our front yard does not have a tree in it for the roots to infiltrate the sewer pipe.

    Water has no trouble draining. Everything drains at full speed.
     

    femurphy77

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    I'm suspect of your lines as.well, you'd be surprised at the amount and types of biologics that can thrive in that ecosystem. I won't go into details of the life forms we've video'd in sewer lines at work that are similarly sized to a home sewer system.
     

    churchmouse

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    Yup. Get the main cleaned out. We had this in both houses here at the compound. No trees in my yard but there was a blockage in my main. Once cleared mine is fine. Next door required a back hoe but there is a tree.
    Get it cleared before you have some serious issues.
     

    CHCRandy

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    I agree with these other guys....if you can drop a snake in your roof vent and no clog, I'd lean toward something in the drain pipe restricting it. It don't even have to be a root....it can be something as easy as a pipe connection that allows a small buildup to catch on it. Call ARS and use their coupon for less than $100 they will clean it and put a camera in it to find your problem. You can sit and watch it on the tv. I kept having same problem, come to find out it was where my sewer line from house connected to the city sewer line in the road. No roots but just a small lip that allowed for buildup.

    This is gonna sound stupid but put some dish washing liquid in your toilet and let it sit a bit then flush......don't know why, but this worked for us.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    I agree with these other guys....if you can drop a snake in your roof vent and no clog, I'd lean toward something in the drain pipe restricting it. It don't even have to be a root....it can be something as easy as a pipe connection that allows a small buildup to catch on it. Call ARS and use their coupon for less than $100 they will clean it and put a camera in it to find your problem. You can sit and watch it on the tv. I kept having same problem, come to find out it was where my sewer line from house connected to the city sewer line in the road. No roots but just a small lip that allowed for buildup.

    This is gonna sound stupid but put some dish washing liquid in your toilet and let it sit a bit then flush......don't know why, but this worked for us.

    Nothing stupid at all. Another trick is to get a BIG pot of boiling water going. As soon as it comes to a rolling boil, remove from the heat and add some dish soap to it. take it to the suspect drain and pour it down.

    Between the heat and the soap, it will break up a LOT of stuff.
     

    femurphy77

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    I've never heard of the soap trick but we had just the opposite at work. The soap that we supplied in all of the restrooms was a thick liquid. Since most people don't know how to "hospital wash" their hands the undiluted soap was congealing in the pipes and causing us all kinds of problems. We solved that problem by installing foam soap dispensers.

    Now about those "flushable" wipes!:shoot:
     

    dudley0

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    Now about those "flushable" wipes!:shoot:

    Those damned things should be outlawed. Had a rental that we couldn't get the big snake thru. Dug it up and found wipes had caught a lip on a pipe and then turned basically to stone. My leases specifically state that no wipes are allowed to be flushed. Otherwise if they find them during a drain problem the tenant is responsible for all costs.
     

    CHCRandy

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    Those damned things should be outlawed. Had a rental that we couldn't get the big snake thru. Dug it up and found wipes had caught a lip on a pipe and then turned basically to stone. My leases specifically state that no wipes are allowed to be flushed. Otherwise if they find them during a drain problem the tenant is responsible for all costs.

    I had a customer a few years back who had a rental home in Greenwood. They were having draining issues so I went down with my plumber and he found out it was septic tank related. So we then called in a septic guy...long story short he dug it up and found the entire system clogged with condoms, they were even in the finger system! It destroyed the entire septic system.
     

    Alpo

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    Weather down in the 10's or below can wreak havoc on sewer systems. I notice the shower drain slowing a bit when really cold. It opens up to normal after some hot water has been in the line. The house is almost 130 years old and I have no idea when it was connected to the city sewer system. No issues with clogging or backups. Just slow when cold.
     

    femurphy77

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    I had a customer a few years back who had a rental home in Greenwood. They were having draining issues so I went down with my plumber and he found out it was septic tank related. So we then called in a septic guy...long story short he dug it up and found the entire system clogged with condoms, they were even in the finger system! It destroyed the entire septic system.

    DUDE!!! I'd be bragging about that one right there!:rockwoot:
     

    Cameramonkey

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    I did the 5 gallons of HOT water with Dawn down the downstairs toilet as fast as it would drain. Immediately followed by every sink and tub in the house draining. Then a vigorous plunging of the partially clogged floor drain the the laundry room and no now no sign of any issues.

    And after a long talk with the mini monkeys regarding their excessive use of wipes, the costs to fix a clog like that, etc. we'll see how long it lasts.
     

    CHCRandy

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    That's a lot of f'ing around.

    Guy must have been pretty fit huh? Made me tired thinking about it.....
    DUDE!!! I'd be bragging about that one right there!:rockwoot:

    lol, you and I think the same. The day they told the old landlord what was wrong he was all upset. He told me the young man was an attorney and only rented there less than a year. I told the old guy I was impressed and he said why is it impressive....I told him that would take me 8-10, maybe even 100 lifetimes and that young fellow did it in 8-10 months. He wasn't nearly as humored as I was. I still don't know how a guy could do that, unless he had help.....if you follow me.
     

    DeadeyeChrista'sdad

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    DeadeyeChrista had a friend who would stay over, and thought flushing her tampons was a good idea. I rented a roto rooter, ran the sewer pipe, and came up with a couple. Went into the house and asked her to come outside with me.
    I wasn't angry, it was just one of those things people don't know.
    I explained to her what it was, assured her that I thought she had more sense than that, and then pointed out that the substance on my hands and clothes was, indeed, human waste. I then told her I wasn't even going to say anything to her friend, that I'd leave that up to her. But if it happened again, she'd be out there with me roto rootering.
    It never did.
     

    Snapdragon

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    Probably unrelated, but I once had a buddy who suddenly had problems with the toilet in one of his bathrooms clogging up. Every time he cleared it, it would clog again. I said "How old is your daughter now?" He said 13. I suggested he have a talk with her about disposing of feminine products. Sure enough, that was it.
     
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