Recently, my downstairs toilet tarted bubbling when I was doing laundry upstairs. I've also noticed the water level in that same toilet seems to be lower. Does this mean I'm going to have to get the tank pumped, or is it possible I have a clog and either a snake, plunger or drain opener can fix it?

Are you sure it isn't a gurgle that you hear? A lowered bowl level indicates a clogged vent that suctions the water out of the bowl when the washer discharges. To check whether the septic tank needs to be pumped open up the house cleanout and cycle the washer. If you get water coming out of the cleanout the tank needs pumping. Good luck, Tom

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Originally Posted by nsmasonry

Recently, my downstairs toilet tarted bubbling when I was doing laundry upstairs. I've also noticed the water level in that same toilet seems to be lower. Does this mean I'm going to have to get the tank pumped, or is it possible I have a clog and either a snake, plunger or drain opener can fix it?

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When your washer discharges its waste it is causing compression within the stack because a plug of water from your washer goes paste the toilet branch and pulls out the trap seal. There is a few causes the common one is a long radius elbow is not fitted at bottom of the stach or your WC is fit too low to the invert or the drain. A easy cheap solution is to re run your waste from your washer into a hopper or a surface mounted back inlet gully.

Junior,

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when your washer discharges its waste it is causing compression within the stack because a plug of water from your washer goes paste the toilet branch and pulls out the trap seal.

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Hate to rain ion your parade but that's whatr lavatory vents are there to prevent.
The suction on the toilet branch is caused by a clogged lavatory vent not doing it's job.

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There is a few causes the common one is a long radius elbow is not fitted at bottom of the stach or your WC is fit too low to the invert of the drain. A easy cheap solution is to re run your waste from your washer into a hopper or a surface mounted back inlet gully.

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Ya got to "splain" that long sweep thingy on the stack to me. And then you can enlighten me as to what the hell is a "inverted drain" and what relationship it has to a toilet. Sooo! Let's hear it. Regards, Tom