Plumbing Problem

TJ in KY · Nov 19, 2023

I have a house with a finished basement. 2 bathrooms, utility room, kitchen up stairs. Basement bathroom has vanity, shower stall, toilet and another sink in a kitchenette. The basement toilet keeps getting drained dry. I have had this problem off and on. The downstairs bath is the last thing in line before it goes to the septic. By drained dry I mean water level goes down until there is nothing left in the toilet bowl, bone dry over a period of a couple of days. this has been happening off and on for the last 3 or 4 months. No leakage around the base of toilet.
Any ideas what to check. I am think a vent problem would be most likely, but when the water level lowers and allows it to suck air I thought there would be a little water in the base of bowl, but it is absolutely dry.

showcrop · Nov 19, 2023

You are correct. It is lack of venting. Because of the size of the trap a toile flows the water out quickly so it will suck it nearly dry if it doesn't vent. How far horizontally to your vent stack?

TJ in KY · Nov 19, 2023

About 12 foot horizontal then vertical drop to basement toilet and out to the septic, I think. . Toilet was low right now and I had my wife turn on
everything on the that drains thru that horizontal run and the water in the bottom bowl wavered a little bit but did not suck dry. Front bathroom is
on a different drop but it is vented back to the same 4 inch drain/vent. Only one penetration thru roof.

M-MAN · Nov 19, 2023

Put a closet vent on the drain line under the bathroom sink would be easiest.

stevieb49829 · Nov 19, 2023

Go up on the roof and remove the dead bird, feathers and all out of the top of the vent stack. Or the squirrel. Then have someone flush the upstairs toilet and listen for the gurgle. steve

showcrop · Nov 19, 2023

(quoted from post at 15:34:01 11/19/23) About 12 foot horizontal then vertical drop to basement toilet and out to the septic, I think. . Toilet was low right now and I had my wife turn on
everything on the that drains thru that horizontal run and the water in the bottom bowl wavered a little bit but did not suck dry. Front bathroom is
on a different drop but it is vented back to the same 4 inch drain/vent. Only one penetration thru roof.

Yes you are waaaay to far away from your vent. You need to install a "back vent" with a vertical tee off your drainpipe and up and over above to your vent stack

TJ in KY · Nov 19, 2023

I have lived in this house for 20 years. This has been happening off and on for the last 3-4 months. It makes me lean toward something in the vent pipe, so I think I will get someone to check that out after Thanksgiving. The roof is too steep for me to get on. thanks for the replies, it gives me a place to start.

Stephen Newell · Nov 20, 2023

Check the sewer vent that goes through the roof and see if it's stopped up somewhere. The toilet drains dry because there is a vacuum in the drain line as it drains and sucks the water out. I've seen them were dirt dobbers build a nest inside the vent pipe closing it off.

DoubleO7 · Nov 20, 2023

(reply to post at 01:20:50 11/20/23)

Get or make a hardware cloth basket for that vent pipe.
So you can have it put on after they clean it out.

TJ in KY · Nov 20, 2023

Good idea thanks

Plumbing Problem

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