Toilet question

Originally Posted By: jday
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



I did a house with 3 toilets that were acting up and I was wondering if anyone can tell me what might be going on.


There is a master bathroom, a half bath in one of the bedrooms and a full bath in the hallway. When you flush the master it fills up to the rim and takes forever to go down-the toilet in the half bath does the same. The hallway bath does just fine when it is flushed. The two slow ones will also gurgle when they finally do go all the way down. Would this be something wrong with the toilets or something with the plumbing?

Thanks.
Jeff


Originally Posted By: Blaine Wiley
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Could be several different issues. Clogged line, bad venting, etc. Being the weenie that I am, I would state the problem in the report, and recommend further evaluation and repairs by a qualified licensed plumbing contractor. icon_rolleyes.gif


Blaine


Originally Posted By: jonofrey
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



It’s all plumbing. If it’s the fixtures, vents, supplies, drains, etc. Report what you observe. Drill down on it as far as you can visually.



Inspection Nirvana!


We're NACHI. Get over it.

Originally Posted By: dvalley
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Jeff,


Blaine said it to a tee.

Good advise Blaine! Observe & Report.

Do yourself a favor. If you find defects on your inspection that need to be corrected...always advise your client to have it repaired by a professional of that particular component.


--
David Valley
MAB Member

Massachusetts Certified Home Inspections
http://www.masscertified.com

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."

Originally Posted By: ecrofutt
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Observe & Report is good for the report.


BUT, it would appear Jeff isn't asking what to report.

He's asking for his own knowledge and education purposes.

Jeff, did you take your flashlight on the roof and look down the vent stack?


--
Erby Crofutt
B4U Close Home Inspections
Georgetown, Kentucky

www.b4uclose.com

Originally Posted By: mjones1
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Jeff,


We ran into the same problem on a rental we were working on.


turns out the tenant somehow flushed a pice of carpet.


so we just opened up the cleanout and got the snake going and pulled it out.


people flush the darndest things.![icon_mrgreen.gif](upload://tbe1CncrrOs48cXpHvziOT8r0T3.gif)


Mike


Originally Posted By: rking
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Jeff,


If it were just one toilet my opinion would be that it was clogged pretty good. Now if it is two, they are both clogged pretty good or else they are on the same trunk line awfully close together and ones problem is affecting the other.
It could also be that there is no venting for these toilets at all, how did the other fixtures in these baths drain?
If there is no vent I would tell my clients that the fixtures are not vented and as such cannot function as intended and recommend a qualified plumber be consulted for further evaluation.
If there is venting visible, I would tell my clients that it is impossible to know for sure exactly what the problem is without doing some investigating which then becomes technically exhaustive and is beyond the scope of a standard home inspection. And again recommend a qualified plumber for further evaluation.


--
Muskoka Home Inspections
"Wisdom is the Anticipation of the Consequences"
Steering Committee Member At Large

Originally Posted By: jmyers
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Eat lots of mexican food and have the toilets handy when it comes time for the power dump…go sit down and blow that line out! icon_biggrin.gif


Joe Myers


Originally Posted By: dvalley
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Joe,


LOL


--
David Valley
MAB Member

Massachusetts Certified Home Inspections
http://www.masscertified.com

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."

Originally Posted By: arosenbaum
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



If something isn’t vented right… it will still drain… I see S-traps all the time… but it takes forever for them to drain and they gurgle…(a sink with an S trap will gurgle pretty nicely) icon_wink.gif


Originally Posted By: jpeck
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



One way to find out where the stoppage is (to a point) is to remove the main sewer clean out outside the house. (yes, this is beyond the inspection, but this is for learning purposes)


If the toilets and all are draining slowly, slowly remove the clean out, if it is blocked to the street, water will come out as the cap is removed (if you have a big back up, be careful, you'll have a big mess), however, if the cap comes off and the line is dry, the stoppage is inside.

As stated, a clogged vent will still allow it to drain, slower, but still drain.


--
Jerry Peck
South Florida

Originally Posted By: jrooff
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Joe, A simple little cherry bomb and a long fuse work great too.


James,


Originally Posted By: ekartal
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Hello Aaron


I thought P traps are required in a home ?


Erol Kartal ![icon_smile.gif](upload://b6iczyK1ETUUqRUc4PAkX83GF2O.gif) ![icon_smile.gif](upload://b6iczyK1ETUUqRUc4PAkX83GF2O.gif)
ProInspect


Originally Posted By: jfarsetta
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Lots of s-traps out there. If the house is old, and the AHJ allows them, they are grandfathered.



Joe Farsetta


Illigitimi Non Carborundum
"Dont let the bastards grind you down..."

Originally Posted By: rhinck
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



I had this problem a couple times- once a squirrel had gone down the roof vent , got stuck, and died. The second time the house had cast iron drains and had corroded on the top of the pipe and allowed it to suck air- hence toilet would not flush.


Rick


Originally Posted By: Mike Parks
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Sometimes the plumbers leave the test cap on the main stack. You can see this from the ground, if it is on top. There are two different types. One is in the pipe one is on top of the pipe.


Mike P.