A plumbing question

[JB4310]

Well, I my toilet still gurgles. I poured three five gallon buckets of water down the toilet, no back up at all. Took the hose up on the roof today and ran it into the air vent for about a half hour with no back ups. Looked in the cleanout as the water was running. No backups from septic tank. I'm about out of ideas.

One possible cause,
If the toilet is not dumping (no pun) into the main sewer stack close by, then there may be a tee in the main vent for that toilet, in which case there would be a horizontal run of the waste line as well as the vent from that toilet, which could have some blockage in it. (Possibly no seperate vent with the horizontal run) when you were pouring water down the main vent on the roof it was just going past the tee down the main sewer.

JB.

 

[Pirate]

Thanks. I'm not sure how the vent line runs but what you say about a Tee makes sense. I see a vent line running into the wall right behind the toilet drain but it definitely does not match where it goes vertical into the wall with where it comes out in the roof. I guess I should cut the vent line where I can see it and then snake it out . Thanks, you've given me another area to look at.

 

[JB4310]

Thanks. I'm not sure how the vent line runs but what you say about a Tee makes sense. I see a vent line running into the wall right behind the toilet drain but it definitely does not match where it goes vertical into the wall with where it comes out in the roof. I guess I should cut the vent line where I can see it and then snake it out . Thanks, you've given me another area to look at.

I should tell you I'm not a plumber, I do know a little about drainage though, but before you start cutting or tearin up stuff, maybe consult with a plumber, unless your confident you can put it back together properly.

Good Luck, JB.

 

[Pirate]

I should tell you I'm not a plumber, I do know a little about drainage though, but before you start cutting or tearin up stuff, maybe consult with a plumber, unless your confident you can put it back together properly.

Good Luck, JB.

Too late JB, sawsall already ripped all them white pipes apart. I cut the wrong pipe, sewage all over the place. Dang it, and I thought you knew what you were talking about. Now what am I going to do?

 

[JB4310]

Too late JB, sawsall already ripped all them white pipes apart. I cut the wrong pipe, sewage all over the place. Dang it, and I thought you knew what you were talking about. Now what am I going to do?

You better be Joking!

 

[kenmac]

sounds like you are on septic system. I think you need to call someone to check it. Or you can check it by diging up the main drain to the tank (close to the tank )cut a section out, flush the toilet. If it flushes ok. Buy some couplings ,put it back together & call someone to check you'er sept system

 

[Kfbeal]

Is there not a clean-out between the house and septic system? If so, you could open that clean-out and view water flow after flushing.

 

[allenr]

Don't know whether toilets work the same downunder, but I've heard that barometric pressure can cause fluctutions in the level of water in a toilet bowl. Personally I don't believe that.

Another theory which may have some merit, is that low flow toilets can sometimes leave toilet paper draped over the top of the S bend (hope that's correct description, I'm not a plumber) and then it can act as a wick.

 

[Egon]

toilets work the same downunder

I have never been able to understand how the water stays in the downunder toilet bowls when they upside down compared to ours in the northern hemisphere!

 

[Pirate]

I do have a clean out where the main line goes down below grade. I had it open when flushing. The water comes past it nice and fast. It's only about 8' to the septic tank. Nothing flowed back out when I opened the cleanout. Besides, I'm a real septic fanatic. I clean out every 2 years, used lint filters on the washers, banned the use of garbage disposal, and even have signs in guest potty reminding folks what is safe and not to flush.