weird plumbing issue

Greyd

Platinum Member
Dec 4, 2001
2,119
0
0
Well, I'm starting looking into a new toilet because the one we have is having issues.

I have tried the following:
-Snaking the toilet (small snake), snaking the line (industrial snake), checked for clogs, used that draino stuff,etc.

There are two toilets upstairs, one downstairs. One of the upstairs ones is the problem one. The other toilet which is in another room about 3 feet away from the problem toilet has no problems whatsoever.

Downstairs toilet - no problem. HOWEVER, when the washer is on (which is 3-4 feet) away from the downstairs toilet, sometimes the water in the toilet will have air bubbling. Sometimes if you try to flush the downstairs toilet when the washer is going, it will not flush all the way and the water comes back up. THIS IS ONLY when the washer is going. Any other time, the toilet is fine.

Upstairs toilet - The problem is that it will not flush all the way. Water rises up, kinda stops, goes down a little bit and then that's it. I have no problems with the other upstairs toilet which is only 3-4 feet away from the problem one and which shares the same "down" pipe as the other toilet.

Any ideas?

 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
166
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
I don't think it's a toilet problem - it's sounds more like a problem with the vent - either the plumbing is run wrong, or the vent pipe has something clogging it (rather than the drain pipe.) At that point, it really depends on how your pipes are run as to the ease of unclogging a vent pipe.
 

Greyd

Platinum Member
Dec 4, 2001
2,119
0
0
Originally posted by: DrPizza
I don't think it's a toilet problem - it's sounds more like a problem with the vent - either the plumbing is run wrong, or the vent pipe has something clogging it (rather than the drain pipe.) At that point, it really depends on how your pipes are run as to the ease of unclogging a vent pipe.

But wouldn't a problem with the vent pipe cause problems with BOTH of the upstairs toilets and not just the the one upstairs toilet?
 

dartworth

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
15,200
10
81
I had a similar issue a long time ago...I tried snaking the toilet out with no luck:(:|...I ended up taking the toilet off the floor and emptying it out in the bathtub...

I had some chick staying with me and one of here curlers came rolling out of the toilet...:|WTF1
 

amdskip

Lifer
Jan 6, 2001
22,530
13
81
Originally posted by: DrPizza
I don't think it's a toilet problem - it's sounds more like a problem with the vent - either the plumbing is run wrong, or the vent pipe has something clogging it (rather than the drain pipe.) At that point, it really depends on how your pipes are run as to the ease of unclogging a vent pipe.
I too think this is your problem.
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
I'm also thinking stack vent. You said the toilets are 3 feet apart, so they're staggered, but backed up to same wall? I wonder if they share the same stack and if they do how are they sharing (tee? y-pipe?)
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
17,962
140
106
Originally posted by: DrPizza
I don't think it's a toilet problem - it's sounds more like a problem with the vent - either the plumbing is run wrong, or the vent pipe has something clogging it (rather than the drain pipe.) At that point, it really depends on how your pipes are run as to the ease of unclogging a vent pipe.



..could be. Or the sewer pipe is too small in diameter or there's a blockage. Find the cast iron stack and open the clean out. Run a snake thru it or pressure blast it.
 

arcas

Platinum Member
Apr 10, 2001
2,155
2
0
Sounds like a vent pipe blockage of some kind. A plumber can snake a camera down the pipe to find it. Just don't repeat my coworker's mistake of attaching a leaf blower to the roof vent to try to dislodge the clog. He learned a valuable lesson that day.

 

runzwithsizorz

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2002
3,497
14
76
I also had this problem, turned out to be some critter had crawled into the vent pipe, and died.
Oh, what fun that was, me on the roof with a drain snake. Whatever it was, it was too big to flush down, so I had to pull it out, piece, by piece, are you getting the visuals here?
Vent screens FTW!
 

ATLien247

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2000
4,597
0
0
Originally posted by: arcas
Sounds like a vent pipe blockage of some kind. A plumber can snake a camera down the pipe to find it. Just don't repeat my coworker's mistake of attaching a leaf blower to the roof vent to try to dislodge the clog. He learned a valuable lesson that day.

What lesson was that?
 

Demon-Xanth

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
20,551
2
81
Originally posted by: ATLien247
Originally posted by: arcas
Sounds like a vent pipe blockage of some kind. A plumber can snake a camera down the pipe to find it. Just don't repeat my coworker's mistake of attaching a leaf blower to the roof vent to try to dislodge the clog. He learned a valuable lesson that day.

What lesson was that?

Imagine air pushing things out every OTHER opening...