Every once in a while this problem will occur, and it doesn't matter whether it is hot or cold outside: I will wash a load of clothes, the pipe (somewhere along the line) gets backed up and overflows onto my laundry room floor. Meanwhile, sooty water (sometimes with some fecal matter) will back up into my bathtub, and our toilet will gurgle and bubble air. Is there any way I can ascertain what kind of backup I might be having, and where it might be occurring? This all happened once more yesterday, and this morning after I flushed the toilet, I heard bubbling for a while coming from my bathtub drain (no back-up of water this time, though), and then all the water from the toilet got sucked out of the bowl really quickly. Any ideas? Thanks in advance! :)

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Originally Posted by paralyticpossum

Every once in a while this problem will occur, and it doesn't matter whether it is hot or cold outside: I will wash a load of clothes, the pipe (somewhere along the line) gets backed up and overflows onto my laundry room floor. Meanwhile, sooty water (sometimes with some fecal matter) will back up into my bathtub, and our toilet will gurgle and bubble air. Is there any way I can ascertain what kind of backup I might be having, and where it might be occurring? This all happened once more yesterday, and this morning after I flushed the toilet, I heard bubbling for a while coming from my bathtub drain (no back-up of water this time, though), and then all the water from the toilet got sucked out of the bowl really quickly. Any ideas? Thanks in advance! :)

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Are you on a sewer or septic tank? There is no doubt that you have a blockage somewhere that sends a bubble of air back up the line when the discharge hits it. The blockage sounds like it's outside the house but I don't have enough information to tell you if it's in the sewer line or the septic tank. Also since the system attempted to vent through the toilet,( then all the water from the toilet got sucked out of the bowl really quickly) I would have the bathroom vent checked.
Can you give me more details? Tom

Hi Tom, thanks for taking the time to answer my question. We are on city sewer lines, and all the city pipes in our yard are plastic. I think the immediate problem may have been alleviated yesterday when I heard my bathtub drain gurgling and then the water got sucked out of the toilet - At least, I mean I think whatever was causing that particular blockage may have dislodged for the time being. There's been no more gurgling, bubbling, trouble flushing, or drainage problems with our washing machine. Is there anything poor dumb laypeople like myself can do in-between crises to help keep our pipe system clear?

Thanks so much!

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Originally Posted by paralyticpossum

Hi Tom, thanks for taking the time to answer my question. We are on city sewer lines, and all the city pipes in our yard are plastic. I think the immediate problem may have been alleviated yesterday when I heard my bathtub drain gurgling and then the water got sucked out of the toilet - At least, I mean I think whatever was causing that particular blockage may have dislodged for the time being. There's been no more gurgling, bubbling, trouble flushing, or drainage problems with our washing machine. Is there anything poor dumb laypeople like myself can do in-between crises to help keep our pipe system clear?

Thanks so much!

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I was mistaken when I said I thought the blockage was outside the house.
What you just described could only happen if the blockage was downstream from the toilet and upstream from the bathroom vent. Whether the blockage was something dropped and then flushed down the toilet or simply solids that built up over time we will never know. Let's hope that whatever it was found its way out to the street. I wish I could give you advice on how to keep your drainage clear but the best advice I can give you is to save your money and don't spend it on harsh chemicals advertised on TV to keep your drains open. Most of them don't work and I've yet to see one open up a total blockage. Good luck, Tom

Help me!
My toilet in by back bathroom seems to backup in the tub and the toilet will overflow when we wash clothes. Sometimes the tub will backup and the contents from the front or the back toilet or the washer will come up. There is a gurgle sound when this happens. Sometimes when I don't wash the toilet will flush fine the flush the back toilet a few minutes later and everything happens again. What is happening?

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Originally Posted by vansmallwood

Help me!
My toilet in by back bathroom seems to backup in the tub and the toilet will overflow when we wash clothes. Sometimes the tub will backup and the contents from the front or the back toilet or the washer will come up. There is a gurgle sound when this happens. Sometimes when I don't wash the toilet will flush fine the flush the back toilet a few minutes later and everything happens again. What is happening?

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Are you on city sewer or a septic system?