To clear a vent do I flush it with a water hose or can I get access from the waste pipe behind the wall trap. I have a basement toilet that is gurgling and water is sepping out from the ring when there is a lot of activity in the house.. ie. I already had a back-up from the sewer and cleared it from the trap to the street, which showed the water flowing however I neglected to snake it from the basement toilet to the sewer. If it is not the vent then I need to proceed to work on clear the line from the toilet.

The easiest and most quick way might be to pull the toilet and snake through the bin to the street. I have cleared vents with acid, but have been told here that it is not recommended. Flushing with a garden hose may work, there is an attachment that swells inside the pipe allowing you to build up some pressure against the blockage.

Forget that I'm going to put the house up for sale and buy a condo!! Thanks... I'll have to work on this one...

Inza:

You said, "I have a basement toilet that is gurgling and water is seeping out from the ring when there is alot of activity in the house"...

Doesn't sound like the vent is clogged to me... not if waste is pushing out from under the toilet during periods of high activity.

Lift the toilet and snake the drain. Only way to resolve this once and for all!

Good luck... MARK

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Mark... I finally had by sewer drain cleaned today buy a professional. It appears to have some kind of resistance in the house to the street possible a tree or cracked sewer line which is causing a snag. If I want to have it checked out by camera he quoted about $375. I do have a tree in the front of the house. I'm not ready to deal with that right now as long as there is a flow I'm happy. I need to be cautious with what goes down that drain. Too bad your not in Jersey. I could have use you to add a shower to my basement. I have a sink and toilet bowl and I need to start getting ideas and estimates of this project. The house was built in the 50's a level ranch with a semi finished basement.

If you have a root problem this may help
RootX or Robics Foaming Root Killer that contain Dichlobrnic are two products you could try.
A less expensive way would be to call around to garden supply stores and ask for fine grain Copper Sulphate. Put a 1/2 pound in your toilet and flush it down. Repeat in 6 months.
Hope this helps Tom

Inza, you lucked out and got 2 plumbers helping you with great ideas, I agree this is not a vent issue. Westnlas got some good advice too but apparently isn't always following it, do not use acid or drain cleaner for this problem. Acid will make other reapirs more difficult. The Rootx may give temporary relief but that tree will continue to be an issue. Once roots get into a line they have found a breach that will remain, this could be a full blown crack or collapse and the $375 for a camera is a fair fee.

There is another way to deal with the root problem, but it requires a lot of work, but very little money. Simply start digging a trench along the sewer line. As you near the tree, you will probably locate the errant root. Cut All the roots back along the line. You can even install a root barrier at this time.
Move to a condo? NO NO NO. Condo's have problems with maintenance also, and there isn't much they will let you DIY. Fees for maintenance increase every year as the buildings age and repair costs go up. AND most condos have your neighbors very close to you. Aren't you better off upgrading your home and staying there?

Izzy, there is not very much that you cannot do yourself to maintain your home. As you've seen here, there are many experts that can advise you. Although sometimes you are presented with "worst case" cases, it's because we can't actually see the problem ourselves. Often the most obvious and easiest to fix, are the things that go wrong. Plumbing is always a pain because as pipes age they corrode, crack, get roots in drains, etc. But even in a condo, the inside piping is the owner's responsibility. Unless you can find a unit that offers recreational amenities that you would get a lot of use of, it's more economical to stay in your home.

You guys are a riot!

Inza was just kidding... notice at post #5 that she is planning to install a new shower and plans to stay put for quite some time!

INZA: Glad to hear you are all set for now. I would recommend the FOAMING ROOT KILLER just like Tom did... great stuff that will usually foam 360 degrees around inside of draain pipe and increase chances of reaching the roots ON TOP OF THE INSIDE OF PIPE (whereas copper sulphate usually just rides the bottom of the pipes).

I also agree with Bob that you should get the drain line video taped so you will know where the roots are, how far along the damage is and if the root treatment will help or if you should be saving your money to fix this drain line once and for all!

Hey, let us know if you get the video taping done!

Also, when you do start to work on that shower... let us know if we can help you... glad to do so... ;)

Westnlas...welcome to AMHD!

Have good day all!

MARK