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#1
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What sucked my traps dry?
I have a basement bathroom that is located at the very front of the
house. All of the fixtures are within a few feet of the last clean out before the main drain leaves my house. The house is about 50 feet from the town's sewer pipe. I came home from work last night (Monday) to find that the toilet had very little water in it. There was still some water in the toilet, but it was below the bottom of the bowl section. When I flushed it I could hear noise from the shower drain, so I turned on the shower and heard the shower trap filling up with water. Since I had used the toilet and shower that morning, whatever happened had happened during the work day. I should add that the town was at the neighbor's house on Sunday evening, apparently snaking their drain. Their house is downstream from mine. However, as I said, I used the bathroom Monday morning so I know the toilet and shower trap were full when I left for work. Could the town have come back on Monday and done something with the sewer that would have sucked the water out of my toilet and shower trap? Obviously I'll check when I get home tonight to see if it happened again, but I'm curious as to what might cause the toilet and trap to loose water. Thanks. |
#2
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What sucked my traps dry?
On 09/11/2012 06:54 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
I have a basement bathroom that is located at the very front of the house. All of the fixtures are within a few feet of the last clean out before the main drain leaves my house. The house is about 50 feet from the town's sewer pipe. I came home from work last night (Monday) to find that the toilet had very little water in it. There was still some water in the toilet, but it was below the bottom of the bowl section. When I flushed it I could hear noise from the shower drain, so I turned on the shower and heard the shower trap filling up with water. Since I had used the toilet and shower that morning, whatever happened had happened during the work day. I should add that the town was at the neighbor's house on Sunday evening, apparently snaking their drain. Their house is downstream from mine. However, as I said, I used the bathroom Monday morning so I know the toilet and shower trap were full when I left for work. Could the town have come back on Monday and done something with the sewer that would have sucked the water out of my toilet and shower trap? Obviously I'll check when I get home tonight to see if it happened again, but I'm curious as to what might cause the toilet and trap to loose water. That would be my guess. Around here, they use those big Vactor (brand) trucks to suck things out of the sewer system; perhaps the problem wasn't with your neighbor's lines, but with the sewer main, and they came out with the Vactor truck to vacuum them out. Jon |
#3
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 9:54:38 AM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote:
I have a basement bathroom that is located at the very front of the house.. All of the fixtures are within a few feet of the last clean out before the main drain leaves my house. The house is about 50 feet from the town's sewer pipe. I came home from work last night (Monday) to find that the toilet had very little water in it. There was still some water in the toilet, but it was below the bottom of the bowl section. When I flushed it I could hear noise from the shower drain, so I turned on the shower and heard the shower trap filling up with water. Since I had used the toilet and shower that morning, whatever happened had happened during the work day. I should add that the town was at the neighbor's house on Sunday evening, apparently snaking their drain. Their house is downstream from mine. However, as I said, I used the bathroom Monday morning so I know the toilet and shower trap were full when I left for work. Could the town have come back on Monday and done something with the sewer that would have sucked the water out of my toilet and shower trap? Obviously I'll check when I get home tonight to see if it happened again, but I'm curious as to what might cause the toilet and trap to loose water. Thanks. It would be an unusual event unless your waste system is not adequately vented. Is that bathroom traditionally vented or does it have a studor vent under the sink? Studor vents do stick when they get old. Usually they are easy to replace. |
#4
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What sucked my traps dry?
Very possible, that something the town did, sucked the water out of your
traps. I've had similar thing happen. Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "DerbyDad03" wrote in message ... I have a basement bathroom that is located at the very front of the house. All of the fixtures are within a few feet of the last clean out before the main drain leaves my house. The house is about 50 feet from the town's sewer pipe. I came home from work last night (Monday) to find that the toilet had very little water in it. There was still some water in the toilet, but it was below the bottom of the bowl section. When I flushed it I could hear noise from the shower drain, so I turned on the shower and heard the shower trap filling up with water. Since I had used the toilet and shower that morning, whatever happened had happened during the work day. I should add that the town was at the neighbor's house on Sunday evening, apparently snaking their drain. Their house is downstream from mine. However, as I said, I used the bathroom Monday morning so I know the toilet and shower trap were full when I left for work. Could the town have come back on Monday and done something with the sewer that would have sucked the water out of my toilet and shower trap? Obviously I'll check when I get home tonight to see if it happened again, but I'm curious as to what might cause the toilet and trap to loose water. Thanks. |
#5
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 11, 10:20*am, jamesgang wrote:
On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 9:54:38 AM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote: I have a basement bathroom that is located at the very front of the house. All of the fixtures are within a few feet of the last clean out before the main drain leaves my house. The house is about 50 feet from the town's sewer pipe. I came home from work last night (Monday) to find that the toilet had very little water in it. There was still some water in the toilet, but it was below the bottom of the bowl section. When I flushed it I could hear noise from the shower drain, so I turned on the shower and heard the shower trap filling up with water. Since I had used the toilet and shower that morning, whatever happened had happened during the work day. I should add that the town was at the neighbor's house on Sunday evening, apparently snaking their drain. Their house is downstream from mine. However, as I said, I used the bathroom Monday morning so I know the toilet and shower trap were full when I left for work. Could the town have come back on Monday and done something with the sewer that would have sucked the water out of my toilet and shower trap? Obviously I'll check when I get home tonight to see if it happened again, but I'm curious as to what might cause the toilet and trap to loose water. Thanks. It would be an unusual event unless your waste system is not adequately vented. *Is that bathroom traditionally vented or does it have a studor vent under the sink? *Studor vents do stick when they get old. *Usually they are easy to replace. "It would be an unusual event unless your waste system is not adequately vented" Well, in my case, both of those conditions exist, so "unless" doesn't fit here. 1 - It's an unusual event - first time it's happened in 20 or so years, at least that I've noticed, and I use this toilet and shower every day. 2 - The waste system is not adequately vented. 1956 house with the only vent being the main stack. None of the fixtures in the house have their own vents, but we've never had any of the problems typically associated with inadequate venting. Hopefully this is just a one off but I'll keep my eye on it. |
#6
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What sucked my traps dry?
LOL!.....
I have no idea what sucked your traps dry, but I do love the question. Sounds like it outta be a sage ol' saw, like, "well, that sure chaps my hide!" or "that really frosts my balls". I like it. Gonna use it. "Well, that certainly sucks my traps dry!" lol... nb -- Definition of objectivism: "Eff you! I got mine." http://www.nongmoproject.org/ |
#7
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 11, 11:18*am, notbob wrote:
LOL!..... I have no idea what sucked your traps dry, but I do love the question. Sounds like it outta be a sage ol' saw, like, "well, that sure chaps my hide!" or "that really frosts my balls". *I like it. *Gonna use it. "Well, that certainly sucks my traps dry!" lol... nb Any use of this article without the NFL's...errrr...I mean...*my* express written consent is prohibited. |
#8
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 10:43:22 AM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Sep 11, 10:20*am, jamesgang wrote: On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 9:54:38 AM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote: I have a basement bathroom that is located at the very front of the house. All of the fixtures are within a few feet of the last clean out before the main drain leaves my house. The house is about 50 feet from the town's sewer pipe. I came home from work last night (Monday) to find that the toilet had very little water in it. There was still some water in the toilet, but it was below the bottom of the bowl section. When I flushed it I could hear noise from the shower drain, so I turned on the shower and heard the shower trap filling up with water. Since I had used the toilet and shower that morning, whatever happened had happened during the work day. I should add that the town was at the neighbor's house on Sunday evening, apparently snaking their drain. Their house is downstream from mine. However, as I said, I used the bathroom Monday morning so I know the toilet and shower trap were full when I left for work. Could the town have come back on Monday and done something with the sewer that would have sucked the water out of my toilet and shower trap? Obviously I'll check when I get home tonight to see if it happened again, but I'm curious as to what might cause the toilet and trap to loose water. Thanks. It would be an unusual event unless your waste system is not adequately vented. *Is that bathroom traditionally vented or does it have a studor vent under the sink? *Studor vents do stick when they get old. *Usually they are easy to replace. "It would be an unusual event unless your waste system is not adequately vented" Well, in my case, both of those conditions exist, so "unless" doesn't fit here. 1 - It's an unusual event - first time it's happened in 20 or so years, at least that I've noticed, and I use this toilet and shower every day. 2 - The waste system is not adequately vented. 1956 house with the only vent being the main stack. None of the fixtures in the house have their own vents, but we've never had any of the problems typically associated with inadequate venting. Hopefully this is just a one off but I'll keep my eye on it. You may be able to add a studor vent under your sink. Easiest if the drain comes up from the floor but either way you just need to get a T into it somewhere. That will help vent the other stuff in that bathroom. |
#9
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 11, 12:10*pm, jamesgang wrote:
On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 10:43:22 AM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote: On Sep 11, 10:20*am, jamesgang wrote: On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 9:54:38 AM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote: I have a basement bathroom that is located at the very front of the house. All of the fixtures are within a few feet of the last clean out before the main drain leaves my house. The house is about 50 feet from the town's sewer pipe. I came home from work last night (Monday) to find that the toilet had very little water in it. There was still some water in the toilet, but it was below the bottom of the bowl section. When I flushed it I could hear noise from the shower drain, so I turned on the shower and heard the shower trap filling up with water. Since I had used the toilet and shower that morning, whatever happened had happened during the work day. I should add that the town was at the neighbor's house on Sunday evening, apparently snaking their drain. Their house is downstream from mine. However, as I said, I used the bathroom Monday morning so I know the toilet and shower trap were full when I left for work. Could the town have come back on Monday and done something with the sewer that would have sucked the water out of my toilet and shower trap? Obviously I'll check when I get home tonight to see if it happened again, but I'm curious as to what might cause the toilet and trap to loose water. Thanks. It would be an unusual event unless your waste system is not adequately vented. *Is that bathroom traditionally vented or does it have a studor vent under the sink? *Studor vents do stick when they get old. *Usually they are easy to replace. "It would be an unusual event unless your waste system is not adequately vented" Well, in my case, both of those conditions exist, so "unless" doesn't fit here. 1 - It's an unusual event - first time it's happened in 20 or so years, at least that I've noticed, and I use this toilet and shower every day. 2 - The waste system is not adequately vented. 1956 house with the only vent being the main stack. None of the fixtures in the house have their own vents, but we've never had any of the problems typically associated with inadequate venting. Hopefully this is just a one off but I'll keep my eye on it. You may be able to add a studor vent under your sink. *Easiest if the drain comes up from the floor but either way you just need to get a T into it somewhere. *That will help vent the other stuff in that bathroom. I've considered venting numerous times, just because "it's supposed to be vented" but I've never had any reason to go through the trouble. Up until yesterday I never saw any indication that I needed to alter anything related to the plumbing. At this point, it's a bit hard to imagine that after using this bathroom nearly every day since I remodeled it 20+ years ago I've suddenly got a venting problem. I guess it could happen, but something else must have changed also. So here's the next question: If it were indeed a venting issue, please explain what happened yesterday. I used the toilet and shower in the morning so I know they were OK. I was the last one to leave the house and the first one home. In other words, no water was used from the time I left to the time I noticed the low level in the toilet. What could have happened during the day that - vent related - would have caused the water in the toilet and trap to be sucked out? |
#10
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:56:38 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote: What could have happened during the day that - vent related - would have caused the water in the toilet and trap to be sucked out? High winds? I've seen my toilet water level drop after wind storms, and it is vented. I don't have a single vent for the entire house, but several. High winds is the only thing I could possibly associate with the water level drop. |
#11
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 11, 2:34*pm, Oren wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:56:38 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03 wrote: What could have happened during the day that - vent related - would have caused the water in the toilet and trap to be sucked out? High winds? *I've seen my toilet water level drop after wind storms, and it is vented. I don't have a single vent for the entire house, but several. High winds is the only thing I could possibly associate with the water level drop. I've heard that, but I don't think that was the cause. Yesterday was a beautiful day with just a slight breeze. We have certainly had much windier days around here, even recently, with no noticeable issues with our toilets or traps. |
#12
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 11, 12:56*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
I've considered venting numerous times, just because "it's supposed to be vented" but I've never had any reason to go through the trouble. Up until yesterday I never saw any indication that I needed to alter anything related to the plumbing. At this point, it's a bit hard to imagine that after using this bathroom nearly every day since I remodeled it 20+ years ago I've suddenly got a venting problem. I guess it could happen, but something else must have changed also. So here's the next question: If it were indeed a venting issue, please explain what happened yesterday. I used the toilet and shower in the morning so I know they were OK. I was the last one to leave the house and the first one home. In other words, no water was used from the time I left to the time I noticed the low level in the toilet. What could have happened during the day that - vent related - would have caused the water in the toilet and trap to be sucked out? Plumbing fixtures that are not vented at the connection to the drain at each fixture with a T going up to the vent and down to the drain where the fixture pipe enters can have the water in the drain traps siphoned out by pressure changes in the piping or by suction created by a large volume of water draining past that fixture... It sounds like your house uses the main stack as a wet vent, rather than having individual vent pipes which are connected to a vent stack which can then be connected to the main stack above the level of the highest fixture in the building... It could have had something to do with the town doing that sewer line cleaning, it could have been a washing machine emptying at just the right time when a pressure differential existed or could have been the wind... |
#13
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 12:56:38 PM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote:
I've considered venting numerous times, just because "it's supposed to be vented" but I've never had any reason to go through the trouble. Maybe the bird didn't get around to building a nest on/in your vent pipe until recently... |
#14
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:48:21 -0700 (PDT), Larry Fishel
wrote: Maybe the bird didn't get around to building a nest on/in your vent pipe until recently... I'd expect that to cause a slow flush, especially on a septic system. Tree frogs seek refuge in vent pipes in South Florida, avoiding heat. Seeking a cool location. The option is to flush them out with a water hose. |
#15
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 11, 3:44*pm, Evan wrote:
On Sep 11, 12:56*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote: I've considered venting numerous times, just because "it's supposed to be vented" but I've never had any reason to go through the trouble. Up until yesterday I never saw any indication that I needed to alter anything related to the plumbing. At this point, it's a bit hard to imagine that after using this bathroom nearly every day since I remodeled it 20+ years ago I've suddenly got a venting problem. I guess it could happen, but something else must have changed also. So here's the next question: If it were indeed a venting issue, please explain what happened yesterday. I used the toilet and shower in the morning so I know they were OK. I was the last one to leave the house and the first one home. In other words, no water was used from the time I left to the time I noticed the low level in the toilet. What could have happened during the day that - vent related - would have caused the water in the toilet and trap to be sucked out? Plumbing fixtures that are not vented at the connection to the drain at each fixture with a T going up to the vent and down to the drain where the fixture pipe enters can have the water in the drain traps siphoned out by pressure changes in the piping or by suction created by a large volume of water draining past that fixture... It sounds like your house uses the main stack as a wet vent, rather than having individual vent pipes which are connected to a vent stack which can then be connected to the main stack above the level of the highest fixture in the building... It could have had something to do with the town doing that sewer line cleaning, it could have been a washing machine emptying at just the right time when a pressure differential existed or could have been the wind...- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - All of that makes sense, but at this point the only logical choice from those 3 options is the sewer cleaning - if that even occurred. No one was home to do a laundry and it wasn't anything close to a windy day. Besides, we've been doing laundry for 20+ years and we've certainly had windy days during that time period and it's never happened before, not that I recall or noticed. It's too late to call the town right now, but I may call tomorrow. I'll be curious to see what I find when I get home tonight. |
#16
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 11, 3:48*pm, Larry Fishel wrote:
On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 12:56:38 PM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote: I've considered venting numerous times, just because "it's supposed to be vented" but I've never had any reason to go through the trouble. Maybe the bird didn't get around to building a nest on/in your vent pipe until recently... Why would a clogged vent cause water to be sucked out of multiple traps during the time we were at work? |
#17
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What sucked my traps dry?
When you get tired of watching sink traps, there is always paint drying for
real excitement? Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "DerbyDad03" wrote in message ... Hopefully this is just a one off but I'll keep my eye on it. |
#18
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:23:08 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote: Maybe the bird didn't get around to building a nest on/in your vent pipe until recently... Why would a clogged vent cause water to be sucked out of multiple traps during the time we were at work? I don't think it would. I would consider a hairline crack in the lower portion of the toilet. Let us know if this gremlin continues once you get home for another inspection of low water. |
#19
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What sucked my traps dry?
Oren wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:23:08 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03 wrote: Maybe the bird didn't get around to building a nest on/in your vent pipe until recently... Why would a clogged vent cause water to be sucked out of multiple traps during the time we were at work? I don't think it would. That was a question for Larry. I don't think it would either. Can't even imagine how it could. I would consider a hairline crack in the lower portion of the toilet. A hairline crack might explain the toilet being low, but not the empty shower trap. Let us know if this gremlin continues once you get home for another inspection of low water. Ok... Came home, took one look at the manhole cover in front of my house and said "My, it's sure is clean around the seam. I'm guessing someone's had this cover off very recently." I going with the "town did something yesterday" theory for now. No low water situation in the basement bathroom. |
#20
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What sucked my traps dry?
On 2012-09-11, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Any use of this article without the NFL's...errrr...I mean...*my* express written consent is prohibited. Well, that certainly sucks my traps dry!! nb --rofl... -- Definition of objectivism: "Eff you! I got mine." http://www.nongmoproject.org/ |
#21
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 4:23:08 PM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Why would a clogged vent cause water to be sucked out of multiple traps during the time we were at work? By itself, it wouldn't, but it would "seal" your drain system and allow some other event downstream (maybe related to opening a manhole) to suck your traps, which shouldn't happen if the vent is NOT blocked... |
#22
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 12, 12:20*am, Larry Fishel wrote:
On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 4:23:08 PM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote: Why would a clogged vent cause water to be sucked out of multiple traps during the time we were at work? By itself, it wouldn't, but it would "seal" your drain system and allow some other event downstream (maybe related to opening a manhole) to suck your traps, which shouldn't happen if the vent is NOT blocked... I guess that's possible, but it would be a strange coincidence for both the blockage and the downstream event to occur at the same time. Since I've seen no other symptoms associated with a blocked vent, it would have to have been a 1 - 2 punch on Monday. I'll keep an eye on the situation and see if any "blocked vent" symptoms become apparent. |
#23
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What sucked my traps dry?
Since I've seen no other symptoms associated with a blocked vent, it would have to have been a 1 - 2 punch on Monday. I'll keep an eye on the situation and see if any "blocked vent" symptoms become apparent. letssay theres a big clog downstream that suddenly clears, this can create a vacuumn that sucks the water out of your traps...... I had it happen here once when the sewer company was working unlikely but probably what happened to you. probably a good time to look for your main house trap vent, they often get covered or lost over the years.... it would of prevented what you had occur, thats its job. along with preventing flammables to get into your interior drain pipes |
#24
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 12, 10:52*am, bob haller wrote:
Since I've seen no other symptoms associated with a blocked vent, it would have to have been a 1 - 2 punch on Monday. I'll keep an eye on the situation and see if any "blocked vent" symptoms become apparent. letssay theres a big clog downstream that suddenly clears, this can create a vacuumn that sucks the water out of your traps...... I had it happen here once when the sewer company was working unlikely but probably what happened to you. probably a good time to look for your main house trap vent, they often get covered or lost over the years.... it would of prevented what you had occur, thats its job. along with preventing flammables to get into your interior drain pipes main house trap vent? Never heard of that. I'd be surprised if I even had one. What should I be looking for? |
#25
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 12, 1:26*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Sep 12, 10:52*am, bob haller wrote: Since I've seen no other symptoms associated with a blocked vent, it would have to have been a 1 - 2 punch on Monday. I'll keep an eye on the situation and see if any "blocked vent" symptoms become apparent. letssay theres a big clog downstream that suddenly clears, this can create a vacuumn that sucks the water out of your traps...... I had it happen here once when the sewer company was working unlikely but probably what happened to you. probably a good time to look for your main house trap vent, they often get covered or lost over the years.... it would of prevented what you had occur, thats its job. along with preventing flammables to get into your interior drain pipes main house trap vent? Never heard of that. I'd be surprised if I even had one. What should I be looking for? Every home around here has a trap just outside the permiter of the foundtion.... its 4 inches around here and has a vent too, they frequently get lost over the years. around here the sewer company requires its located and functionally any time a home is sold. along with a dye test to confirm there are no illegal connections like downspout to sanitary sewer....... ask a neighbor who has lived near you a long time, thats how i found mine.... they also knew where the doorbell wires were buried too. a previous occupant had removed the actual doorbell..... and buried the wires in drywall mud 5 minutes looking at their doorbell explained it all. the neighbors who lived nearby forever can be very informative |
#26
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 12, 3:52*pm, bob haller wrote:
On Sep 12, 1:26*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote: On Sep 12, 10:52*am, bob haller wrote: Since I've seen no other symptoms associated with a blocked vent, it would have to have been a 1 - 2 punch on Monday. I'll keep an eye on the situation and see if any "blocked vent" symptoms become apparent. letssay theres a big clog downstream that suddenly clears, this can create a vacuumn that sucks the water out of your traps...... I had it happen here once when the sewer company was working unlikely but probably what happened to you. probably a good time to look for your main house trap vent, they often get covered or lost over the years.... it would of prevented what you had occur, thats its job. along with preventing flammables to get into your interior drain pipes main house trap vent? Never heard of that. I'd be surprised if I even had one. What should I be looking for? Every home around here has a trap just outside the permiter of the foundtion.... its 4 inches around here and has a vent too, they frequently get lost over the years. around here the sewer company requires its located and functionally any time a home is sold. along with a dye test to confirm there are no illegal connections like downspout to sanitary sewer....... ask a neighbor who has lived near you a long time, thats how i found mine.... they also knew where the doorbell wires were buried too. a previous occupant had removed the actual doorbell..... and buried the wires in drywall mud * * * 5 minutes looking at their doorbell explained it all. the neighbors who lived nearby forever can be very informative- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I'll address your points in reverse order: I'm one of the longest tenured residents in my immediate area. The little old ladies that have been here longer probably won't be much help. In addition, every house in my neighborhood is of a different style and different age, with my 56 YO house being one of the newer ones. I doubt that any other house is laid out, plumbing wise, the same as mine. But that's all moot anyway, since I don't have any trap outside the house perimeter. I've snaked my own line enough times and have had it scoped, so I know that there is no trap after the drain leaves the house. There is a cleanout on the other side of the basement where the main stack comes down through the house, but that's just a cleanout on the cast iron pipe just before it goes under the slab. I'm sure that I don't have a "main house trap vent" or even a "main house trap". |
#27
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What sucked my traps dry?
On 9/11/2012 8:54 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
I have a basement bathroom that is located at the very front of the house. All of the fixtures are within a few feet of the last clean out before the main drain leaves my house. The house is about 50 feet from the town's sewer pipe. I came home from work last night (Monday) to find that the toilet had very little water in it. There was still some water in the toilet, but it was below the bottom of the bowl section. When I flushed it I could hear noise from the shower drain, so I turned on the shower and heard the shower trap filling up with water. Since I had used the toilet and shower that morning, whatever happened had happened during the work day. I should add that the town was at the neighbor's house on Sunday evening, apparently snaking their drain. Their house is downstream from mine. However, as I said, I used the bathroom Monday morning so I know the toilet and shower trap were full when I left for work. Could the town have come back on Monday and done something with the sewer that would have sucked the water out of my toilet and shower trap? Obviously I'll check when I get home tonight to see if it happened again, but I'm curious as to what might cause the toilet and trap to loose water. Thanks. a good wind storm can get the water "bounced" out of a toilet. from blowing across the roof stack. have wind that day? -- Steve Barker remove the "not" from my address to email |
#28
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Sep 13, 1:59*am, Steve Barker wrote:
On 9/11/2012 8:54 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote: I have a basement bathroom that is located at the very front of the house. All of the fixtures are within a few feet of the last clean out before the main drain leaves my house. The house is about 50 feet from the town's sewer pipe. I came home from work last night (Monday) to find that the toilet had very little water in it. There was still some water in the toilet, but it was below the bottom of the bowl section. When I flushed it I could hear noise from the shower drain, so I turned on the shower and heard the shower trap filling up with water. Since I had used the toilet and shower that morning, whatever happened had happened during the work day. I should add that the town was at the neighbor's house on Sunday evening, apparently snaking their drain. Their house is downstream from mine. However, as I said, I used the bathroom Monday morning so I know the toilet and shower trap were full when I left for work. Could the town have come back on Monday and done something with the sewer that would have sucked the water out of my toilet and shower trap? Obviously I'll check when I get home tonight to see if it happened again, but I'm curious as to what might cause the toilet and trap to loose water. Thanks. a good wind storm can get the water "bounced" out of a toilet. *from blowing across the roof stack. have wind that day? -- Steve Barker remove the "not" from my address to email- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - That was addressed earlier in the thread. There was barely a breeze the day it happened and over the years we've had days with major wind events that did not impact the traps. As I mentioned earlier, I looked at the man hole cover the other night and the seam around it was extremely clean, leading me to believe that the man hole had been opened and sewer work had been done. Unless it happens again, I'm assuming that that was the cause and not worrying about it. Thanks! |
#29
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What sucked my traps dry?
I'm wondering if there's another way to reduce pressure in the main sewer relative to your drain lines.
What if they flushed the line with a large volume of water? The sewers I've had open have usually had a small amount of the line actually full of water, just a small flow at the bottom, and your line dumps in well above that.. But if they were flushing with lots of water, the moving water might rise above your inlet, and pull your water out with it. Not sure this happens but seems like it might be possible. |
#30
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What sucked my traps dry?
replying to Evan, David75 wrote:
I checked on a house yesterday. It had a sewer gas smell in basement. I dont think the basement fixtures are vented properly?walls are up ?how can I tell if shower or vanity is vented properly?or what would cause traps to be sucked dry?other than a venting issue? -- for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...ry-713000-.htm |
#31
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What sucked my traps dry?
On 8/1/2019 8:44 AM, David75 wrote:
replying to Evan, David75 wrote: I checked on a house yesterday. It had a sewer gas smell in basement. I dont think the basement fixtures are vented properly?walls are up ?how can I tell if shower or vanity is vented properly?or what would cause traps to be sucked dry?other than a venting issue? If unoccupied, evaporation. |
#32
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What sucked my traps dry?
On Thursday, August 1, 2019 at 10:06:10 AM UTC-4, dpb wrote:
On 8/1/2019 8:44 AM, David75 wrote: replying to Evan, David75 wrote: I checked on a house yesterday. It had a sewer gas smell in basement. I dont think the basement fixtures are vented properly?walls are up ?how can I tell if shower or vanity is vented properly?or what would cause traps to be sucked dry?other than a venting issue? If unoccupied, evaporation. Or never filled. He said "walls are up", which may imply it's new construction? Or the traps could be fine and there could be a vent line that was never connected. |
#33
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What sucked my traps dry?
On 8/1/19 10:06 AM, dpb wrote:
On 8/1/2019 8:44 AM, David75 wrote: replying to Evan, David75 wrote: I checked on a house yesterday. It had a sewer gas smell in basement. I dont think the basement fixtures are vented properly?walls are up ?how can I tell if shower or vanity is vented properly?or what would cause traps to be sucked dry?other than a venting issue? If unoccupied, evaporation. Right. Some years ago I had a 2 houses with a floor drains in an unfinished basement. Every so often would need to pour water into them due to evaporation |
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