OK, this is personal, not an inspection. Septic system for 2700 sq ft home, three bathrooms, two levels.
While my wife was taking a shower this morning I noticed the toilet bubbling( (bubbles coming from the drain). later when I flushed another toilet in the house, the sink closest to the toilet gurgled (apparently air backing through the trap).
Is this a waste vent problem or a septic system drain problem.
Any help would be appreciated.
Jim Campbell
I would first check your vent from up on the roof for obstructions. I’m on a septic with maple trees all around and have to check it a couple times a year.
How old is the system ,How often does it get pumped.
How many people live in the home.
Does any one take long showers.
When was the system built.
When was the system built Has there been a lot of rain lately.
Does a sump pump discharge into the septic .
How modern is the home and when was the system built .
What kind of soil is in the area . Any other info you can supply might help.
Any chance harsh chemicals could have been flushed into the system .
How much laundry is done and spread out over the week or all done at once.
Any chance a tap or toilet could be running ?
How old is the system-- 15 years ,How often does it get pumped. Pumped 1 1/2 years ago
How many people live in the home.–2
Does any one take long showers. no
When was the system built. 1998
When was the system built Has there been a lot of rain lately. no
Does a sump pump discharge into the septic . no
How modern is the home and when was the system built . 1998 vintage
What kind of soil is in the area Clay . Any other info you can supply might help.
Any chance harsh chemicals could have been flushed into the system . no
How much laundry is done and spread out over the week or all done at once. 2-3 loads a week spread out
Any chance a tap or toilet could be running ? no
JIm Campbell
From Drain lines - InterNACHI Inspection Forum http://www.nachi.org/forum/f22/drain-lines-85931/#ixzz2ixnvH7Dw
It could also be that your pipes aren’t draining properly. There may be an obstruction in the line like too much paper or a foreign object that is caught in there somewhere.
The air is forced back up the pipe and comes out somewhere…gurgling out.
With clay soil, I hope the installer removed and replaced what soil was needed to have a good septic and drain bed system.
Just a thought…
Could we have lost a diaper or a face cloth . You might want to get a big plastic Storage box and lots of 5 gallon pails . open the pipe from the home to the access pipe to the out side and see if it has some sort of blockage there .
With luck there will not be a lot of refuse there .
Please keep us posted how it goes … Roy
Pumped 1 1/2 years ago when before that and how often did it get pumped
Have you had any difficulty before ???
If the problem is local to the bathroom, than it is a branch line issue. If you notice a problem anywhere else, look inside your main line cleanout. If the cleanout is full there is a clog down stream. You will either have to clear from main line cleanout OR from a pulled stool. The odds of it being a vent issue are slim to none. JMO
Thanks guys. Past my expertise. Time to call a plumber.
We tried please let us know how it works out.
Can you help me(and any others) understand this? How could a clog which is affecting multiple locations force air in or out of the traps but not involve the venting in some way? I can’t visualize this.
While stationed at Fort Campbell several years ago we bought our first house. Brand new being built. I got deployed to Fla after Hurricane Andrew so my wife had to move from our rental into the newly built home. About a week later she seen water/maggots coming from the basement/garage. The plumber forgot to take out the test balloon!!! Fast forward to 15 years later.now 22 years but…we had an addition built on to include a master bath…and guess what…the same thing happened again…LOL.
:DOk, It was the main waste line downstream of the toilet and north of the septic tank. The gurgling was caused by water backed up in the system that had blocked the waste vent which was next to the toilet.
The plumber said if I had removed the clean out plug I would have flooded the place with the waste water from two stories of backed up waste water. The clean out is located in a storage area in the back of the house, but it would have been a real mess.
Your input helped me decide to bring in the plumber and he went through a shower drain to clear the main. It worked, and I and the house don’t smell like sewage.
Thanks,
Jim Campbell
AAAAAAAAAAH you spoiled all the fun .
Glad you got the plumber to fix the difficulty .
Good outcome and thanks for the detailed follow up. Two stories of waste water, now that I can visualize! :shock:
WAIT!!! The plumber cleared the Main Line from a shower drain?! The plumber should clear the main line with a large machine from a yard cleanout, stack cleanout, pulled stool or vent stack. Thats it. If the shower line or a related branch are clogged, then he would obviously go from that direction. BUT, if a drain cleaner does the main line from a small drain line, “through the trap” and into the main line bouncing around the large line with this small cable a couple things could happen.
A. The cable wraps around itself and gets stuck.
B. you get way lucky and bounce enough to get it open, but not clear.
C. All the above.
Next question; what was the cause for the stoppage in the first place?