I have a 2 year old house. I have 2 upstairs bathrooms that are
having flush problems. If you flush either toilet once, you're OK.
Twice and you will have the water swirl up to the top and drain across
about an hour. Also, if you flush one of them and then use either of
two sinks, bubbles of air will come up through one of the toilets.
The stack pipe to the basement is shared by these toilets and sinks,
but also by a shower and two tubs. The tubs and showers don't cause
the bubble effect at the toilets. That being the case I am thinking
that if I pull the toilet closest to the stack pipe, and go into the
drain with my trusty 1/2 inch snake(my old house was always having
problems), within a few feet, I should reach the clog. I don't think
it is the stack pipe itself, because in construction photos I have the
tubs and shower go into one pipe through a double tee that returns to
the stack and the toilets/sinks take a separate pipe that goes to the
stack. These two return lines intersect with the stac with a tee. My
theory is that the clog must be in the line from the doubletee to the
tee intersect with the stack. I would think that if it was farther,
the tubs/shower would cause the bubbling. In fact while the sinks do
cause the bubbling, filling the tubs and letting them drain does not.
Does my theory hold water?(pun intended) What do you guys think?
Also, when I run this, I will push in to the problem and twist a few
times and then pull back to dirup the clog. Should I then be worried
about clogging the stack if this goes on its way? Obviously I will be
breaking up the clog and I run a biunch of water through after the
clog is dispersed. Well, what do you think?

1) How long has the problem been going on? If it just started, it *could*
be a blockage in the drains. If it's been going on for a while, it *could*
be a venting problem.

2) This may not be a clog, but a venting problem. Your drain system in the
house is a "system," it all works together.

I would suggest, if you don't want to call a plumber, to get on the roof
with a water hose and run water down the DWV pipe that serves the sinks and
toilets. Have your wife stand near the offending fixtures and tell you if
water is coming up in them.

Good luck.


"Brad and Julie Vaughn" wrote in message
om...
I have a 2 year old house. I have 2 upstairs bathrooms that are
having flush problems. If you flush either toilet once, you're OK.
Twice and you will have the water swirl up to the top and drain across
about an hour. Also, if you flush one of them and then use either of
two sinks, bubbles of air will come up through one of the toilets.
The stack pipe to the basement is shared by these toilets and sinks,
but also by a shower and two tubs. The tubs and showers don't cause
the bubble effect at the toilets. That being the case I am thinking
that if I pull the toilet closest to the stack pipe, and go into the
drain with my trusty 1/2 inch snake(my old house was always having
problems), within a few feet, I should reach the clog. I don't think
it is the stack pipe itself, because in construction photos I have the
tubs and shower go into one pipe through a double tee that returns to
the stack and the toilets/sinks take a separate pipe that goes to the
stack. These two return lines intersect with the stac with a tee. My
theory is that the clog must be in the line from the doubletee to the
tee intersect with the stack. I would think that if it was farther,
the tubs/shower would cause the bubbling. In fact while the sinks do
cause the bubbling, filling the tubs and letting them drain does not.
Does my theory hold water?(pun intended) What do you guys think?
Also, when I run this, I will push in to the problem and twist a few
times and then pull back to dirup the clog. Should I then be worried
about clogging the stack if this goes on its way? Obviously I will be
breaking up the clog and I run a biunch of water through after the
clog is dispersed. Well, what do you think?

Brad and Julie Vaughn wrote:

I have a 2 year old house. I have 2 upstairs bathrooms that are
having flush problems. If you flush either toilet once, you're OK.
Twice and you will have the water swirl up to the top and drain across
about an hour. Also, if you flush one of them and then use either of
two sinks, bubbles of air will come up through one of the toilets.

Yes, snake it out. Could be something like a wash rag jammed in
there.
If the snake has a spring hook end, it may be able to snag whatever.

This is *not* a venting issue. A completely blocked vent will not
prevent water from flowing downhill.

Jim