drains gurgling
drains gurgling
I have a problem that I've been working on for several months now. The toilets will gurgle sometimes. They work fine exept when one of the showers are running, then they fill to the top of the rim and drain slowly. I can take a vent cap under the sink off and it will help some. I ran a snke in every drain and found nothing. I crawled under the house and took the cleanout cap off and had my wife start the shower and flush and every thing worked fine, put it back on and same problem. I have even got on the roof and run a hose and ran water in the vents. Its getting annoying. Any ideas??
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David Oxhandler
- Posts: 1459
- Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:37 am
Re: drains gurgling
Sounds like either a blockage or a venting problem.
Start with a small and easy step. Replace the auto vent under the sink... the one you said when removed improves improves the flow. For compete directions see What is A Plumbing Check Vent?
If changing the vent fails to fix the problem and opening a clean out permits good flow, chances are there is something going on beyond that clean out. I would start by renting the longest power snake available and clearing the drain line beyond the clean out.
If you are on a central sewer system, snake to the point where the line from your home joins the main sewer line. If your snake can not reach that far uncover your sewer line at about the point where the snake was able to reach. Cut the line and continue to snake towards the street. Install another clean out at that point to splice the cut line.
If your home is set back far from the main line you may have to do this more than once. As long as the clean-outs are installed correctly you have made a great and inexpensive improvement that will save a lot of time and money the next time you need to clear the line.
If your home is on a private septic system and snaking the line as far as the tank fails to correct the flow uncover and open the tank. If the tank appears to be filled near to the top with mostly human waste, pumping out the tank will probably solve the problem. If you find the tank filled mostly with water, uncover the outlet side of the tank. You should find a distribution box at the point where liquid flows out of the tank.
The distribution box (D box) may be made of concrete or plastic. Either way there will be a removable lid. distibution boxIf that chamber is holding water (after a flush) chances are your drain field is not performing. This could be due to saturation or blockage. Either way you will probably need some additional drain field.
With older homes, at any point along the line, around the tank or in a drain filed you might find that tree roots are the problem. Anyplace where there is the slightest leakage in a sewer line, roots will reach out and flourish on the rich diet they have discovered. I have seen the inside of a septic tank that was close to filled with roots. They enter through the smallest of seepage openings and over time, grow to the point where they crack and destroy the tank.
When roots find a drain field it is just a matter of time before they cause blockage in the field that slows and eventually stops water absorption.
The second greatest drain filed killer is grease. If cooking oil is poured down the drain it will start to solidify as soon as it cools and over time will form a dam in the drain line. If your drain lines have good pitch and the grease reaches the drain field it will leach out with the other liquids but will not absorb into the earth. This leaves a "bio-mat" or a layer of water resistant grease under the field. Over time drainage decreases and backups increase.
It is important to maintain your private septic system. "Taking care of your septic system isn't difficult, because modern systems function efficiently when you follow a few basic guidelines." See How to Care for Your Septic Tank and Septic System
Start with a small and easy step. Replace the auto vent under the sink... the one you said when removed improves improves the flow. For compete directions see What is A Plumbing Check Vent?
If changing the vent fails to fix the problem and opening a clean out permits good flow, chances are there is something going on beyond that clean out. I would start by renting the longest power snake available and clearing the drain line beyond the clean out.
If you are on a central sewer system, snake to the point where the line from your home joins the main sewer line. If your snake can not reach that far uncover your sewer line at about the point where the snake was able to reach. Cut the line and continue to snake towards the street. Install another clean out at that point to splice the cut line.
If your home is set back far from the main line you may have to do this more than once. As long as the clean-outs are installed correctly you have made a great and inexpensive improvement that will save a lot of time and money the next time you need to clear the line.
If your home is on a private septic system and snaking the line as far as the tank fails to correct the flow uncover and open the tank. If the tank appears to be filled near to the top with mostly human waste, pumping out the tank will probably solve the problem. If you find the tank filled mostly with water, uncover the outlet side of the tank. You should find a distribution box at the point where liquid flows out of the tank.
The distribution box (D box) may be made of concrete or plastic. Either way there will be a removable lid. distibution boxIf that chamber is holding water (after a flush) chances are your drain field is not performing. This could be due to saturation or blockage. Either way you will probably need some additional drain field.
With older homes, at any point along the line, around the tank or in a drain filed you might find that tree roots are the problem. Anyplace where there is the slightest leakage in a sewer line, roots will reach out and flourish on the rich diet they have discovered. I have seen the inside of a septic tank that was close to filled with roots. They enter through the smallest of seepage openings and over time, grow to the point where they crack and destroy the tank.
When roots find a drain field it is just a matter of time before they cause blockage in the field that slows and eventually stops water absorption.
The second greatest drain filed killer is grease. If cooking oil is poured down the drain it will start to solidify as soon as it cools and over time will form a dam in the drain line. If your drain lines have good pitch and the grease reaches the drain field it will leach out with the other liquids but will not absorb into the earth. This leaves a "bio-mat" or a layer of water resistant grease under the field. Over time drainage decreases and backups increase.
It is important to maintain your private septic system. "Taking care of your septic system isn't difficult, because modern systems function efficiently when you follow a few basic guidelines." See How to Care for Your Septic Tank and Septic System
David Oxhandler
[email protected]
[email protected]
Re: drains gurgling
Just had the tank pumped 1.5 years ago, also have replaced all vents under the sinks in every location, even the showers.
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David Oxhandler
- Posts: 1459
- Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:37 am
Re: drains gurgling
Pumping the tank will not resolve d-box or drain field problems... it will only delay the time it takes to start backing up.
It is possible that a roof vent has become loose in the wall. If you can't determine this from the roof, You may have to open a wall to find out. If it is not venting and not the tank then it has to be a blockage in line or d-box or an absorption problem in the field.
Uncover the d-box and run water into it with a hose... if the water flows back into the tank you know there is a problem in the field.. if it runs into the field with out backing up odds are good that there is a blockage in the lines.
It is possible that a roof vent has become loose in the wall. If you can't determine this from the roof, You may have to open a wall to find out. If it is not venting and not the tank then it has to be a blockage in line or d-box or an absorption problem in the field.
Uncover the d-box and run water into it with a hose... if the water flows back into the tank you know there is a problem in the field.. if it runs into the field with out backing up odds are good that there is a blockage in the lines.
David Oxhandler
[email protected]
[email protected]
Re: drains gurgling
Will go today and check the line to the tank. Thanks
Re: drains gurgling
wow that was really nice thread thanks for sharing that info with us.
Drainfield Repair
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