Hi, we're having a problem with a partial clog. When the washing machine empties, the back master bathroom toilet bubbles violently and we smell sewer gasses. There is a hall bathroom which is next to the laundry room, and that toilet's water will only waver and not bubble. However, most of the sewer gas smell comes from that bathroom. There is a cleanout beyond the laundry room, it is outside past the foundation by about 2 feet.

So, working backwards, it's cleanout, laundry, hall bath, master bath. A kitchen is directly across from the laundry. I've snaked the three roof vents for the laundry and both bathrooms. I've snaked from the cleanout to the street. Still no luck. The tubs only have a single drain with no overflow and I've pulled out entire hairy animals from the back bathroom tub's drain on a fairly regular basis to try to keep it cleaned out.

Any idea where the clog is? Is there any way for me to snake it without having to pull up the toilet?

Thanks for any help!!

"When the washing machine empties, the back master bathroom toilet bubbles violently and we smell sewer gasses."

This tells me that the discharge from the washer goes downstream until it hits a clog and bounces back sending a bubble back up the line where it comes out as sewer gas from the nearest fixture. Logic dictates that the clog is downstream from the fixture that reacts the most.
Air, water and electricity follow the path of least resistance so I can only surmise that the back master bath is somehow tied in closer to the laundry room then what you have described. Have you isolated this by opening up the clean out and cycling the washer. If the water backs up out of the cleanout then the problem's outside the house. First isolate it and then track it down by elimination.

"I've pulled out entire hairy animals from the back bathroom tub's drain on a fairly regular basis to try to keep it cleaned out." Please explain.
Regards, Tom

Hello Tom,

"This tells me that the discharge from the washer goes downstream until it hits a clog and bounces back sending a bubble back up the line where it comes out as sewer gas from the nearest fixture. Logic dictates that the clog is downstream from the fixture that reacts the most.
Air, water and electricity follow the path of least resistance so I can only surmise that the back master bath is somehow tied in closer to the laundry room then what you have described. "

No, the master bathroom is in the back of the house at the end of the line, then there's the hallway bathroom, and then comes the laundry room. I've crawled under the house, and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of slope to the drainage line. All sinks have a small vent along side, then there are also 3 vents out to the roof. But, as I said those are all clear.

"Have you isolated this by opening up the clean out and cycling the washer. If the water backs up out of the cleanout then the problem's outside the house. First isolate it and then track it down by elimination. "

OK, thanks, I'll do that. If it's somewhere inside, between the laundry and the cleanout, can I snake it from the cleanout into the house?

"I've pulled out entire hairy animals from the back bathroom tub's drain on a fairly regular basis to try to keep it cleaned out." Please explain."

<sheepish grin> Sorry about that discription - two women with very long hair use that shower and despite having a little metal strainer in the tub's drain, I can still use a hooked piece of wire and pull out gobs of their hair that I call "Giant Drain Rats" and tease 'em with ... those are the "hairy animals" I was referring to... not very professional lingo, eh? :rolleyes: ; )

Regards, Tom

" If it's somewhere inside, between the laundry and the cleanout, can I snake it from the cleanout into the house?"
NO, Always snake with the flow. If you snake against the fittings back into the house you will have no idea of where the snake will come at. Try discharging past the cleanout and let me know and we'll go from there.

"two women with very long hair use that shower and despite having a little metal strainer in the tub's drain, I can still use a hooked piece of wire and pull out gobs of their hair that I call "Giant Drain Rats" and tease 'em with ... those are the "hairy animals" I was referring to... not very professional lingo, eh? "
Perhaps not a very "professional" way to put it but very apt. I can certainly identify with that. My companion, (see image) has long hair that keeps clogging the drains when she showers or washes her hair.
Regards, Tom

OK, I ran the machine and it seems to go past the cleanout and out just fine.

I crawled under the house and saw that the back bathroom is on a separate drain line that joins into the other.

Also, and this seemed very peculiar to me, the hall bathroom and laundry drain runs down, then towards the back of the house, then takes a U turn and runs down toward the main drain line about 3 feet from where the back bathroom ties into it. Why all the backtracking and not just straight down & out?

Nice photo Tom, we're lucky to have such women to cause us to crawl under the house for, eh?

"This seemed very peculiar to me, the hall bathroom and laundry drain runs down, then towards the back of the house, then takes a U turn and runs down toward the main drain line about 3 feet from where the back bathroom ties into it. Why all the backtracking and not just straight down & out?"
Haven't the foggest! We try to keep our drainage as free from turns and elbos as possible . Regards. Tom

OK, That's what I thought... a bad little monkey built this house. You should see where the floor vents are placed. One of the doors was installed upside down... But I digress...

So, I'm figuring maybe it's the back toilet that has a clog. Can I just use my snake down the toilet (it's just a 1/4" cable) or do I need something else?

Also, on the drains out there were what looked like short sections of connecting pipe. On the top and bottom sides of them were quarter sized rounds with what looked like a straight raised up line in the middle of them... like maybe you could get a small wrench on them and open up a little access? Does that sound like anything you've seen? They're so small that I almost can't imagine they'd be access openings, but hey, if I could get into one I suppose it's worth a try.

We're going out of town till tomorrow, so I'll tackle this when I get back and see if I can getrdone finally!

Hi Tom,

I'm back home again and I snaked out both the back bathroom and hallway bathroom. Both toilets now bubble violently when we run the washing machine. The hallway one smells the worst of sewer gasses.

So, what's next... renting a power auger and taking the toilets off to get at the drains? I'm getting *so* burnt out on trying to locate and clear this clog!

Sam

Plumbers just left. There's a break in the drain line at the sidewalk... right where there's a new patch of concrete SBC put in after digging there last year. Seems they busted my line in the process and it's taken awhile to develop a clog.

I'm developing a migraine!