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Plumbing question... gurgling toilet???

post #1 of 20
1/1/10 at 5:15pm
Thread Starter 
Lots of times when taking a shower, or especially washing clothes (as it dumps the water)... air gurgles up out of the toilet. Also lately, when flushing the toilet, sometimes it acts right, and sometimes it doesn't really flush hard, just fills with water and drains slow.

Any ideas???

Thanks!
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post #2 of 20
1/1/10 at 5:23pm
First guess would be a clogged vent stack..............
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post #3 of 20
1/1/10 at 5:29pm
/\\ yup

or not enough to begin with.
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post #4 of 20
1/1/10 at 5:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve in Mass View Post
First guess would be a clogged vent stack..............


That was my thought, actually went on the roof, when I still could (maybe 2 years ago), and dropped a 4oz weight down with my 209, pulling up and down, lol Then ran water from the hose in it. Never felt any resistance though. It's always done it once in a while, but now "much" more consistant. Just today, filled the washer, plugged all the sink and tub drains, as well as overflow vents (in the sinks and tub & and around the outlet pipe on the washer)), and got everything ready, to spin the water out the washer, while holding the plunger (sealed with bubblewrap) in the full toilet to force "something/anything" out as the washer dumped On the last flush to fill the toilet to the top, it all broke free, so it'll be back, as it has been, "whenever" it's in the mood

Forgot to mention, a rancher with one bath, so not much to plug up, if what I was trying will work, lol The county just put in a view pipe (whatever they called it) at the street. I can open it, and when it stops flushing right in the house, it's the smallest little trickle running by. When it's in a good mood, and flushing, it's flying by, by the time I can walk out to it.



What's the right way to go about it, provided it's the vent?

Thanks.......................
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post #5 of 20
1/1/10 at 6:35pm
Or more likely you have a partially clogged drain. When the water goes down the waste pipe it hits the clog. The water forms a temporary seal and the vented air gets trapped. This trapped air gets pushed backwards by the backed up water toward the drain, where it escapes( gurgling sound)

If you are not seeing water backing up through the sink traps or toilet its because the clog is far enough down the line that it slowly drains before it backs up. I wouldn't suspect a clogged vent pipe. This almost never occurs unless its done by someone intentionally, or the vent pipe is abnormally undersized.
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post #6 of 20
1/1/10 at 10:22pm
partial clog, probably tree roots.

could try flushing some copper sulphate down the toilet before you go to bed for the night a few times and see if that helps.
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post #7 of 20
1/2/10 at 12:41am
Get your hands on a closet auger. Run it through a couple of times and test.
Normally, slow toilets will catch debris in the outlet of the closet. Very common. When stacks or main drain are fully clogged it will blow out a wax seal depending on the length of blockage and pressure.

If the auger does not do the job then you need to run a snake down the drain through a clean out. If there is no clean out, then you need to pull the closets to gain access. 9 times out of 10 it will be the Closet outlet and the auger will get you out of it.





Your toilet/closet vent is probably wet vented depending on your state code and the plumber that roughed in the job. Meaning the waste of your sink will also serve as a vent for the water closet. (see diagram below)..if there are no fixtures above you, you will also have a stack vent. That will also vent your fixtures if a wet vent or fixtures individual vent is clogged.

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post #8 of 20
1/2/10 at 7:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by go_speedracer_go View Post
Or more likely you have a partially clogged drain. .


Quote:
Originally Posted by ted527 View Post
partial clog, probably tree roots.

.



Don't think it's a partial, or clog at all....

Quote:
Originally Posted by wizardude View Post
The county just put in a view pipe (whatever they called it) at the street. I can open it to look down, and when it stops flushing right in the house, it's the smallest little trickle running by. When it's in a good mood, and flushing, it's flying by, by the time I can walk out to it.



When it works, I can dump a full tub/the washer,have every other available water running/and flush the toilet... just to stand at the junction: house main line into the street line (where they put a 6inch "view" pipe at the junction at the curb) and watch the water fly by as long as I leave it running.... It's either wide open flowing fast, or a trickle/basically "nothing"...


We sit under tons of Oaks, house from the 40's, acorns/tons every year... there is nothing to keep this, or birds from building, devious squirrels everywhere probably dropping acorns down it They throw 'em everywhere else.... and none ever get clogged??? Just don't see how a drain can be stopped up, but work great most of the time???
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post #9 of 20
1/2/10 at 8:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wizardude View Post
Just don't see how a drain can be stopped up, but work great most of the time???




at my apartment building i have a section on side of house that roots get into. when it starts acting up root section will grab some tp or something else and create a clog then all the sudden it will break loose and be good for a week or so and then do it again. when things are slow and not running properly it will gurgle one of the 1st floor toilets.


not a turdherder by trade but i have had this problem on buildings i own.
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post #10 of 20
1/3/10 at 5:57am
Thread Starter 
It's the vent.... dropped a line and trebledown and pulled up bits of wet leaves/just dirty gutter looking... but who knows how much is in there after 50 years??? Didn't think a clog could open and close like a valve, especially with putting nothing but "pee" in for 3 days (not even toilet paper)... know the neighbor likes us, to loan out their house

So how you go about cleaning it out, don't want to cause a worse problem?


And how come everyone thought vent until I asked how to clean it

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post #11 of 20
1/3/10 at 6:10am
Did you say this was a ranch style house?



Is the vent stack PVC? How far down did you find the blockage?
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post #12 of 20
1/3/10 at 12:46pm
Pour water down the vent pipe. Or use a garden hose. That will push the clog out of the small vent pipe and into the larger main waste line. From there it eventually makes its way to the sea.
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post #13 of 20
1/3/10 at 1:04pm
Couldn't that also back water into the sink(s) if the main stack is clogged depending where? Maybe try an augur instead of a treble down the main stack.
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post #14 of 20
1/3/10 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimW View Post
Couldn't that also back water into the sink(s) if the main stack is clogged depending where? Maybe try an augur instead of a treble down the main stack.


A few wet leaves shouldn't be too hard to flush out. Its worth a shot IMO.
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post #15 of 20
1/3/10 at 7:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadhead View Post
Did you say this was a ranch style house?

Is the vent stack PVC? How far down did you find the blockage?


Yep/ranch with one bath... Vent is PVC (at least at the roof-line), and guessing 2 1/2" diameter? Distance/near the bottom, I'd guess, really hard to say...

Quote:
Originally Posted by go_speedracer_go View Post
Pour water down the vent pipe. Or use a garden hose. That will push the clog out of the small vent pipe and into the larger main waste line. From there it eventually makes its way to the sea.


That's what I did about 4 years ago (garden hose after running a 4oz lead up and down a dozen times), and got us by until the past month (which just happen to coinside with some major work done further "upline" a month ago... puts all kinds of questions in ya head). Still gurgled taking a shower sometimes, but didn't slow up on the flushing end as now. Problem now, is whether I'm able to "safely" manage the climb, and working off the roof anymore. I say ranch, but a "Cape" is probably a better description.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JimW View Post
Couldn't that also back water into the sink(s) if the main stack is clogged depending where? Maybe try an augur instead of a treble down the main stack.


An auger down the "vent"??????



Thanks guys, keep boosted!
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