• Slow draining toilet plus sewage smell

    Aug.11.2010

    Don't know if this makes a difference or not, but thought I should mention that the home in this question is a 1997 Marlette, manufactured home. The problem is: slow draining toilet (won't pass solids without a plunger). It gurgles when the washer is on the spin cycle, or when either of the two showers in the house are running. I've been noticing a sewage smell outside periodically...oh, and now, when the spin cycle is running, water backs into the bathtub in the same bathroom as the other toilet (which seems to be fine). Ran a hose down the sewer vent and nothing came back at me, but it caused the toilet to gurgle...when I tried to snake the vent (both vents, actually) could only get down a few feet - as if a mechanism in the vent was preventing passage...what am I doing wrong? Thanks for your time.

    Dana, Port Orchard, WA

    It sounds like you have a few things going on here.  The first that comes to mind is the fact that you couldn’t get a plumber’s snake to pass through your vent pipes.  I would have a professional plumber check this first.  Vent pipes are designed in a plumbing system for two main reasons. 1.) To allow the sewer gases to escape.  2.) To allow an air relief in the plumbing system, preventing an air lock.  If the vent line is partially blocked, this may cause the issues that you have described.  You may also have a main line blockage causing your tub to back up when other fixtures are draining.  Finally, the toilet may need to be replaced or at least pulled and inspected for some type of blockage.  The vent or mainline issues may cause the toilet to not flush properly but, the toilet may have a separate problem.  All of these items should be fairly simple for a professional plumber, such as the Rescue Rooter branch in Pacific, WA at (800) 869-6980. 

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