I noticed today that the side plumbing vent (just in the foundation) had some accumulated water and toilet paper around it. Not a lot, but enough to know that it wasn't there yesterday. Upon close inspection of the vent, I noticed along with the toilet paper, there is a bit of human waste visible. Again, not a lot, but enough to know that it shouldn't be there.

There haven't been any odors, no gurgling toilets. I did notice that the shower was draining a little slowly last week, but that problem has since disappeared. I had someone flush the toilet while I was in front of the vent and no water came out. Is this just a case of having an intermittent clog that has since gone away or am I looking at something a bit more serious?

Hi page and welcome, the "vent" your looking in could that be called a cleanout? Sounds to me like you may have a partial blockage or poor pitch on your drain. Can you see if the line might have a broken hangar? Or a sag in the line? There'll be a pro along shortly for a better answer, hang tight and good luck

Also it would be helpful to know if your on city or septic.

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Originally Posted by parttime

Hi page and welcome, the "vent" your looking in could that be called a cleanout? sounds to me like you may have a partial blockage or poor pitch on your drain. Can you see if the line might have a broken hangar? or a sag in the line? There'll be a pro along shortly for a better answer, hang tight and good luck

also it would be helpful to know if your on city or septic.

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I'm on a city line. I've owned the house for over 5 years (it was built in the mid 1950's). I'm on a slab, so no basement. There have been several updates to the plumbing since then, so I'm not overly concerned with a huge, tear out my front lawn type of problem. It was just a little shocking to see.

I'm curious as to why you wanted to look in a cleanout without an obvious problem

There is no "side vent", only a roof vent or AAV. If you see directly into the cleanout, the cap is missing. What exactly are you considering a "side vent"?