Birstall
Jun 12, 2007, 11:29 AM
We have had this problem since we bought the house 15 years ago but was not an issue for previous owners so they say.
Our laundry is on the second floor above the first floor bathroom. The waste pipe from the washer is a 2" wet vent pipe which flows into a 3" sewer downstream of the downstairs toilet (now bypassed). We are on a city system; all pipes are PVC. When the washer has emptied and the spin cycle starts the toilet bubbles vociferously for about 45 seconds during and after that, the toilet will not empty for at least two minutes.
This only happens when there are clothes/blankets in the washer and is on a full load. When full of water but without clothes it doesn't do it.
We have checked the line for a blockage twice by camera out to the street. We have checked for grade, no problem. We have run a parallel sewer line from the toilet for about 6ft bypassing the washer inlet into the 3" sewer and separately vented that bypass line to above the washer. We have temporarily removed the valves off the vents.
After doing all this and having employed countless plumbers I am at a loss to understand this unless it's the fact that we put in a very large Maytag washing machine that pumps so much water into the system that the air is put under pressure and backs up. The fact that it happens only when it spins with clothes in the washer leads me to think that it has something to do with air being pushed down that vent by the action of the spinner and is acting as a blower. Your pearls of wisdom would be much appreciated. :confused:
Our laundry is on the second floor above the first floor bathroom. The waste pipe from the washer is a 2" wet vent pipe which flows into a 3" sewer downstream of the downstairs toilet (now bypassed). We are on a city system; all pipes are PVC. When the washer has emptied and the spin cycle starts the toilet bubbles vociferously for about 45 seconds during and after that, the toilet will not empty for at least two minutes.
This only happens when there are clothes/blankets in the washer and is on a full load. When full of water but without clothes it doesn't do it.
We have checked the line for a blockage twice by camera out to the street. We have checked for grade, no problem. We have run a parallel sewer line from the toilet for about 6ft bypassing the washer inlet into the 3" sewer and separately vented that bypass line to above the washer. We have temporarily removed the valves off the vents.
After doing all this and having employed countless plumbers I am at a loss to understand this unless it's the fact that we put in a very large Maytag washing machine that pumps so much water into the system that the air is put under pressure and backs up. The fact that it happens only when it spins with clothes in the washer leads me to think that it has something to do with air being pushed down that vent by the action of the spinner and is acting as a blower. Your pearls of wisdom would be much appreciated. :confused: