House is about 1.5 yrs old + connected to City Sewer system.
When up stairs washing machine drains, we get gurgling + suds in downstairs toilet bowl (just beneath it). No other drains are problem. Only gurgles when upstairs washer drains from full load with suds (does not happen when just try it with water only -- + does not happen with less than full load of water in washer). Plumber snaked drain + no effect. He now thinks we have NO vent but has not gone on roof yet. If we had NO vent, wouldn't there have been other problems + not just from full load of water in washer? House was inspected by City many times during construction. Any suggestions P-L-E-A-S-E. My guess is vent is partially obstucted somewhere between roof + washer but I am a layman so desperate for some professional help.

Where did the plumber snake out the drain from? As a rule when we get a back up it's because the discharge hits a partial clog and backs until it drains away. Having said that, and the fact that it's suds and not clear water that comes up in the toilet it could very well be a clogged vent. Have your plumber snake out the washer vent line. If your house were 150 years old instead of 1.5 years I might buy that the washer wasn't vented. Your plumber's blowing smoke. If he can't locate the vent coming out the roof have him check in the attic to see if it was revented back into the main roof vent. It's up there, he just has to locate it. Good luck, Tom

Thanks speedball. The plumber snaked from the toilet bowl (even removed it too). He also snaked from the wye. Is it possible to blow some air into the washer drain pipe line to see if that unclogs anything? Does it make any sense to do so before climbing the roof etc? Thanks again for your help.

"Is it possible to blow some air into the washer drain pipe line to see if that unclogs anything? does it make any sense to do so before climbing the roof etc?"

No, You can't be certain where the air will go. It has two places you know. Say the vent was clogged. The pressure would just blow down the drain line. The only way to be sure is snake the washer vent. Regards, Tom

Plumber put camera by toilet + said that he thinks (not sure) that the toilet is hooked up to the vent line - he acknowledges that the vent is on the roof but doesn't see that the toilet is hooked up to it. As the house is 1.5 yrs old + the toilet functions fine + no backups except when washer is draining a full load of water with suds. My gut says the vent at the roof line is restricted.Do you still agree? If not, what are the options? Thanks again for your help.

This is a correction:

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Originally Posted by Evinx

plumber put camera by toilet + said that he thinks (not sure) that the toilet is not hooked up into the vent line - he acknowledges that the vent is on the roof but doesn't see that the toilet is hooked up to it. As the house is 1.5 yrs old + the toilet functions fine + no backups except when washer is draining a full load of water with suds. My gut says the vent at the roof line is restricted.Do you still agree? if not, what are the options? Thanks again for your help.

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You haven't said but if the toilet is part of a bathroom group,( toilet, lavatory and tub/shower) it's being wet vented by the lavatory vent. Your plumber should have known that. As a home owner it would disturb me that he didn't.
Did this problem just start or has it been ongoing? If this has been a ongoing problem is it possible that the toilet is located so close to where the washer discharge hits the base of the stack that the suds just "bubble" up out of the bowl? In which case not much can be done as nothinhg is blocked or clogged. This is me just shooting from the hip and not based on facts that I have any knowledge of. Regards, Tom

Toilet is just a sink and a toilet -- no tub, no shower. The toilet is downstairs about 8 or 9 feet north of the upstairs washing machine. There is about a 16' drop between the washer drain height + the floor of the toilet. Is there such a thing as a check valve that can be installed at the base of a toilet so that nothing can back up? Just asking. Thanks again for your help.

"Toilet is just a sink and a toilet"

The toilet is wet vented by the sinks vent. I seriously doubt your plumbers competence if he thought that a year and a half old dwelling would pass 2nd. Tub set inspection with a unvented fixture. Unbelievable!

" Is there such a thing as a check valve that can be installed at the base of a toilet so that nothing can back up?"
Sadly, there is not.
The washer pump creates a lot of pressure and volume as it discharges, add to that a sixteen foot drop and that discharge hits the main loike a runaway train. This may be a drainage design flaw that you'll just have to live with or get a washing detergent that produces less suds since that seems to be the only time the problem shows up.
Regards, Tom

Not sure I understand - maybe you can spell it out better for a simple guy:

2nd. Tub set inspection with a unvented fixture -- what does this mean? We have not tub in this bathrm - just sink + toilet.

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Originally Posted by Evinx

not sure I understand - maybe you can spell it out better for a simple guy:

2nd. tub set inspection with a unvented fixture -- what does this mean? we have not tub in this bathrm - just sink + toilet.

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Sorry about the confusion. Plumbers are inspected three times. (1) the rough in inspection for undergouund pipes.
(2) The tub set inspection for vents, waterpiping and installing a tub if there is one.
(3) The final or trim out inspection. Where we install the fixtures and tweek out our work.
All I meant was that your man should have known from jump street that that toilet was vented. And if he didn't that would make me wonder why. Tom

Thanks Speedball -- you've been a great help!