Any plumbers?

Ken Ibold

Ken Ibold

Final Approach
Joined
Feb 21, 2005
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Ken Ibold
The amount of expertise on this board is amazing, so I'll throw out my latest puzzle. We went to our vacation condo and found the following plumbing problem:

1. When flushing the toilet in the master bathroom, the kitchen sink drain emits a bubbling noise. Flushing the toilet in the guest bathroom does not cause the drain to bubble.

2. The master bathroom sink occasionally decides not to drain. At all. Then, seemingly randomly, it suddenly drains normally and continues to operate normally for a while. The other sinks drain normally always.

I'm thinking something along the lines of a plugged roof vent to the master. Sound reasonable?
 
The partially plugged roof vent was my first thought as well, Ken. If I was a gambling man I'd guess a bird nest.
 
Ken Ibold said:
The amount of expertise on this board is amazing, so I'll throw out my latest puzzle. We went to our vacation condo and found the following plumbing problem:

1. When flushing the toilet in the master bathroom, the kitchen sink drain emits a bubbling noise. Flushing the toilet in the guest bathroom does not cause the drain to bubble.

2. The master bathroom sink occasionally decides not to drain. At all. Then, seemingly randomly, it suddenly drains normally and continues to operate normally for a while. The other sinks drain normally always.

I'm thinking something along the lines of a plugged roof vent to the master. Sound reasonable?
Click to expand...

I like the roof vent theory. Is there a common vent through the roof for the kitchen and the master bath, and a different roof penetration for the guest bath? If yes, it supports the roof vent theory.

Bird nest? Could also be a stuck critter.

-Skip
 
I'm no plumber nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express recently, but that's my guess as well.
 
kevin47881 said:
The partially plugged roof vent was my first thought as well, Ken. If I was a gambling man I'd guess a bird nest.
Click to expand...

Skip Miller said:
I like the roof vent theory. Is there a common vent through the roof for the kitchen and the master bath, and a different roof penetration for the guest bath? If yes, it supports the roof vent theory.

Bird nest? Could also be a stuck critter.

-Skip
Click to expand...

Agree. They had this very kind of problem on "Ask This Old House."

Rich went up to the roof and dropped a camera down the vent to see the clog on the vent just above the toilet - a bunch of leaves. He cleared it by running a snake down the vent.
 
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mikea said:
Agree. They had this very kind of problem on "Ask This Old House."

Rich went up to roof and dropped a camera down the vent to see the clog on the vent just above the toliet - a bunch of leaves. He cleared it by running a snake down the vent.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'd wager against stuck leaves in this case though. The prevailing wind is from the gulf of mexico (100 feet away), and there are no trees higher than the vent between the vent and the water.
 
Ken,

Are you connected to a sewer system or a septic system? It sounds like a vent problem, but I get the same kind of thing happening when the lift pump at the septic tank is off line.

Barb
 
Ken Ibold said:
Thanks. I'd wager against stuck leaves in this case though. The prevailing wind is from the gulf of mexico (100 feet away), and there are no trees higher than the vent between the vent and the water.
Click to expand...

Now that I remember, Rich used a running garden hose as the "snake" to clear it.
 
Ken Ibold said:
The amount of expertise on this board is amazing, so I'll throw out my latest puzzle. We went to our vacation condo and found the following plumbing problem:

1. When flushing the toilet in the master bathroom, the kitchen sink drain emits a bubbling noise. Flushing the toilet in the guest bathroom does not cause the drain to bubble.

2. The master bathroom sink occasionally decides not to drain. At all. Then, seemingly randomly, it suddenly drains normally and continues to operate normally for a while. The other sinks drain normally always.

I'm thinking something along the lines of a plugged roof vent to the master. Sound reasonable?
Click to expand...
Makes sense to me. Sounds like the master bathroom sink may be the highest vent point in the stack at the moment.
 
Roof vent pipe seems most likely to me, too.

(I'm so jaded - the first thing I though of was the Watergate/Nixon "plumbers"...)
 
wsuffa said:
Roof vent pipe seems most likely to me, too.

(I'm so jaded - the first thing I though of was the Watergate/Nixon "plumbers"...)
Click to expand...

My first thought was Joe from the recent elections.
 
I know absolutely nothing about plumbing, but if everyone else says it's a plugged roof vent, I'll be a sheeple and agree. It's the American Way! :)
 
Sounds like it could be expensive. You should apply for a bailout
 
When ya find the vents in good shape come back and read this post.

There is a flow restriction/partial clog down stream from the kitchen sink. The waste flow hits the restriction and the entrained air gurgles back to the sink.

Go rent the monster power snake from the rental place and snake the line from the kitchen sink out to the main connection. It's well worth the effort to avoid a catastrophy.
 
ew, now I understand those admonishments to not drink from garden hoses!
 
Speaking of plumbing. I just noticed a strange thing at the Home Depot plumbing department. It was the sink air gap for the dishwasher connection. I get how it works. In fact, I realize I've seen those and now I know what it is.

I just bought the hoses to hook my dishwasher back up. Can you get one of those that doesn't require a hole on top of the sink?
 
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Well the air gap has to be above the sink or it'll dump any back-up before the sink overflows...
 
what about bar sinks, where there is no higher place right next to the sink? Don't they have those air admittance valves that are actually a one way valve? Or do you have to plumb those into the nearest wall?
 
mikea said:
Speaking of plumbing. I just noticed a strange thing at Home Depot plumbing department. It was the sink air gap for the dishwasher connection. I get how works. In fact, I realize I've seen those and now I know what it is.

I just bought the hoses to hook my dishwasher back up. Can you get one of those that doesn't require a hole on top of the sink?
Click to expand...

Mike, you can avoid using the air gap as long as you ensure that the hose from the dishwasher to the disposer has a loop which goes significantly higher than the top of the sink (i.e., so that the head pressure created by an overflowed sink will not push down into the dishwasher).
 
Cap'n Jack said:
My first thought was Joe from the recent elections.
Click to expand...
Mine was too.


But the only thing I know about plumbing is how to sweat copper joints and run extra water lines. I never had to deal with a clogged vent. I have had unused pipes have their elbow pipes go empty and that has caused a similiar symptom. But jsut refilling them by running the water was enough.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
what about bar sinks, where there is no higher place right next to the sink? Don't they have those air admittance valves that are actually a one way valve? Or do you have to plumb those into the nearest wall?
Click to expand...

An AAV is used were venting is not possible like an island sink. Local code may allow one to be used in other places...
 
SCCutler said:
Mike, you can avoid using the air gap as long as you ensure that the hose from the dishwasher to the disposer has a loop which goes significantly higher than the top of the sink (i.e., so that the head pressure created by an overflowed sink will not push down into the dishwasher).
Click to expand...

Oh, yeah. Doh! I think I've seen that. Thanks.
 
Journeyman Plumbers Exam.

1. S*#t runs
a. uphill
b. downhill

2. Payday is Friday.
a. True
b. False

:) not meant to disparage my brother (and sister) plumbers - but the joke has been stuck on the first retrievable neural address in my brain for years, index key "plumber" :)
 
gkainz said:
Journeyman Plumbers Exam.

1. S*#t runs
a. uphill
b. downhill

2. Payday is Friday.
a. True
b. False

:) not meant to disparage my brother (and sister) plumbers - but the joke has been stuck on the first retrievable neural address in my brain for years, index key "plumber" :)
Click to expand...

Similar joke:

Apprentice to his friend: "It's easy. All you have to know is that water flows downhill."

Journeyman, having overheard the former comment: "That's not all you need to know. It ain't all water..."

-Skip
 
Skip Miller said:
Similar joke:

Apprentice to his friend: "It's easy. All you have to know is that water flows downhill."

Journeyman, having overheard the former comment: "That's not all you need to know. It ain't all water..."

-Skip
Click to expand...

And, don't chew your fingernails.
 
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