My downstairs toilet recently started to not flush well, Vent problem?

Question

My downstairs toilet recently started to not flush well, it bubbles-up when the washing machine drains, and won't flush at all for about an hour after the bathtub upstairs drains.

All other drains in the house seem just fine.

Tried to snake the vent tube on the roof, didn't help.
I pulled the toilet off the floor to check for obstructions, but didn't find any.

While the toilet was off I ran water from the garden hose down the drain and it seemed to flow fine, although some water was standing in the tube about 18 inches down the drain, I assumed that this was normal after running so much water down the drain and it not backing up to the top.

Vent problem?

Answer 1

The toilet shouldn't bubble--that indicates a venting problem. But you also have a drain problem. The fact that the problem coincides with using the washing machine or bathtub upstairs makes me wonder if you have a wet vent. Perhaps your toilet vent pipe is also the drain pipe for the washing machine or the bathtub.

Also, I wouldn't really expect to see any standing water in your toilet drain pipe, since the trap is not in the floor but is built into the toilet. You might see a little bit of water at the closet bend, but it wouldn't fill the pipe.

I'd think the best starting point might be to run your snake down the bathtub drain for at least 15 feet. I assume the bathtub is over the problematic toilet. Then run the snake down the washing machine drain far enough to reach the toilet drain pipe. If this doesn't solve your problem, pull the toilet off the floor again and run the snake down the toilet drain.

Just to be thorough, you might also try running the snake up through the bottom of the toilet into the bowl. Be careful you don't scratch the ceramic.

Hopefully this will knock the obstruction loose. Run a lot of hot water through the drain pipe once you free it up. In the future, it would be good to periodically use a drain cleaner in your system. There are several good products that are essentially a powerful detergent that you leave in the drain overnight. I wouldn't use a chemically reactive cleaner because it may damage your pipes.

Answer 2

I think the tech dude has the right idea. your plumbing sounds like it could be run incorrectly causing the wet vent and bubbling. As far as the standing water, you have something blocking your line or causing a hump in your line. Roots can grow into the smallest cracks and fill a line in no time. or a root or just plain house settling can cause dips and humps in your lines stopping the smooth grade downward required to let the water flow out of your house. Think of a water slide with speed bumps. same concept. I would suggest having the lines camera viewed this will show you whats causing the water to stand.

Answer 3

i'm guessing that the way will be to get rid of the rest room and attain into it from below. That truthfully will artwork. so some distance as issues to attempt really, you want to have the ability to attain down into the bend of the rest room and snag the stuck field. no matter if it truly is made up of plastic (I even do not understand what that type of purifier is packaged in) then using a plumbers snake that has a pointed hook on the great might want to have the ability to grab it. there are a kind of them maximum having a versatile shaft and a cope with to reveal. attempt turning and in case you imagine you've hooked it save turning and pulling up. in case you could't snag it attempt pushing right down to deliver it previous the bend.

Answer 4

at your hardware store,(i went to lowes) they sell a bacteria that you flush down drain. it eats away the gunk inside the pipes worked very good for me