[jim dandy]

I would be happy to hear any suggestions that you may have with this one and thank you for taking the time to try and help

[speedball1]

Good morning Jim,

" i know this sounds both like a vent problem and a back up problem but i have video proof the drain is not blocked or holding water in any way and in this plat we have done this modle several times the same way with no problems exept this one and also the washer is old not in any way a new style washer house is 1 year old"

Jim, If it's not the drainage or the vents then that leaves just one thing. The drainage design. I realize that you said all the houses were plumbed off the same set of as-built prints but something in this house is different. How about installing a "dedicated vent" from the bathroom to exaust any blowback? If we can't locate the problem let's work on modifying the set up to make it go away. I like the New washer rule increasing the drain to 3".
On another note. We can always use expert plumbers on this page. Ever think of signing up as a AMHD plumbing expert? Cheers, Tom

[hvac1000]

I never heard of that being legal before?

[speedball1]

I never heard of that being legal before?

Please explain when dedicated vents were outlawed? This will be a vent just the same as the others. A dedicated vent is used in all holding tank systems and has never been "red tagged" yet. Cheers, Tom

[hvac1000]

Illegal should have been the word. I guess I am getting old. LOL

[lch77]

My "double" septic is about 34 years old and will probably needs to be replaced in the near future. I just want to postpone that as long as I can. I also don't want to pay for both the rooter guys and the pumping guys if I only need one service but I think my line out to the septic might be broken and slightly offset. The septic was pumped around 1990 and then again in 2000 and the guys said it was only half full at that time.

The laundry is one the second floor and the lowest drains are a toilet and shower on the first floor. When doing the laundry during or right after a heavy rain, one upstairs and the downstairs toilet sometimes gurgle. Recently, soap bubbles came up the downstairs shower drain and from under the new downstairs toilet. What do you think is the cause? Tank full, main line blocked, partial blockage elsewhere, vent blockage? Also, should I replace the seal in the downstairs toilet or will these bubbles always force their way out? Note, this bathroom is at one end of the house and its waste line runs about 20 feet before it meets the waste lines from the upstairs. That means the bubbles back up 20 horizontal feet plus 4 or 5 vertical feet to come out the drain.

[speedball1]

The laundry is one the second floor and the lowest drains are a toilet and shower on the first floor. When doing the laundry during or right after a heavy rain, one upstairs and the downstairs toilet sometimes gurgle. Recently, soap bubbles came up the downstairs shower drain and from under the new downstairs toilet. Also, should I replace the seal in the downstairs toilet or will these bubbles always force their way out? Note, this bathroom is at one end of the house and its waste line runs about 20 feet before it meets the waste lines from the upstairs. That means the bubbles back up 20 horizontal feet plus 4 or 5 vertical feet to come out the drain. What do you think is the cause? Tank full, main line blocked, partial blockage elsewhere, vent blockage?

It's sounds like the problem's downstream from the house. Locate the house clean out and open it up. (You should find it not over 18" out from the foundation on the same side as the septic tank. It might be buried under the soil so probe for it.) Once it's open cycle the washer. If the pipe fills up then the problem could very well be the tank full, main line blocked or a partial blockage. It doesn't sound like a blocked vent. I would focus on the septic system. Good luck, Tom

[lch77]

Speedball

Thanks for your quick reply. I'm sorry I didn't thank you sooner but I forgot my login information.

You confirmed what I suspected and it that it would be outside the house, but I'd have to flip a coin on whether to pump the tank or clear the line first. I guess the problem will always be whichever you pay to get checked second.

The septic people pumped out my tank and said my problem could be the offset waste line from the house to the tank OR my field is starting to fail. He recommended that I should consider getting my tank pumped out more often and putting in a 24" cleanout to replace the original 8" one we have. He said the bigger connection allowed him to better reach corners in the tank and do a better job cleaning. Sounds reasonable.

Do you think that the soap bubbles had enough force to break the seal between the toilet and the floor flange or was it just a bad seal to begin with? I just noticed that it now leaks with each flush. The problem here is the flange is much larger in diameter (maybe 9" or 10" OD by 5" or 6" ID) than a standard flange and, as such, the standard wax rings are too small. Should I just use an extra think ring or try to take a few rings and mold them by hand to fit the flange?

[speedball1]

Do you think that the soap bubbles had enough force to break the seal between the toilet and the floor flange or was it just a bad seal to begin with? I just noticed that it now leaks with each flush. The problem here is the flange is much larger in diameter (maybe 9" or 10" OD by 5" or 6" ID) than a standard flange and, as such, the standard wax rings are too small. Should I just use an extra think ring or try to take a few rings and mold them by hand to fit the flange?

I think the seal may be ruptured or open. I would pull the toilet and replace the wax seal with one with a funnel. If you feel that there isn't enough wax to make a deceit seal you may add some from the old wax seal. Just make sure you bevel the wax outward so it doesn't spread inward and block the flow. Good luck, Tom