Signs and Solutions to Toilet Venting Problems
It is seldom that you meet a homeowner who knows exactly how their home toilet works. The reality is that many people do not understand, which is why it becomes difficult for them to identify the source of the problem when something goes wrong. Did you know that when you have a bubbling toilet or sudden change in water level in your toilet bowl the problem can be poorly vented drain systems? Learn more about these common toilet venting problems from your Orange County plumber, Scott English!
Rising Air Bubbles
When you have air bubbles rising up through the bowl when you are not flushing this is a sign of an improperly vented toilet. This is a common problem especially when your clothes washer is installed nearby. What does improperly vented toilet mean? Simply put it is your drain line choking or trying to gasp for air.
When water goes down the drain it requires air to ensure that the pressure within the drain line is equalized. This is the importance of the venting system in your home plumbing system. Keep in mind that water going down the drains will eventually pull the water from the P-traps located near it; and the toilet bowl is generally classified as a P-trap.
Usually air is prevented from moving within the system if there is a blockage, which is why it is important to snake out toilet clogs to prevent gurgling and dropping. To solve missing or clogged vents, there is a need to check the drain system. This means breaking into walls or foundations. So you need to call on professional plumbers to help you solve this problem.
Draining Bowl Water
Have you ever experience the water in your toilet bowl draining by itself or the bowl just can’t hold the water? This is a potential sign of a clogged vent inside your walls. Vents are simply pipes connected to all your toilets, tub drains, and sinks and leads to the outside of your home through the roof.
When these vents are clogged, the system is not equalized making it difficult for wastewater to flow freely. As a result, water will drain slowly or water from the nearest trap will be sucked out. So this is possibly what is happening when the water in your toilet bowl is draining on its own, it is being sucked out by a clogged vent nearby.
What should you do? The best solution is to call a licensed plumber to clear the vent pipes. There will be instances wherein the installation of an air-admittance valve may be recommended to allow more air to come into the system to equalize it. This valve is usually fitted in the vanity cabinet and will draw air from inside your home when water is going down the drain. The seals will be shut immediately to ensure that sewer gases do not escape into your home.
Breaking Toilets
Are you aware that clogged vents can break your toilet and cost you about $300 in replacement cost on the average? Toilets are basically seals or flaps that makes use of the water in the bowl to serve as a barrier to prevent bad sewer odor or gases from escaping into your home.
The toilet is a very simple device that executes this function quite efficiently unless you have a toilet venting problem. Vent problems can cause the trap or flap to gradually degrade causing the water to leak. How do you know when this happens? If you observe your toilet turning on and filling up the reserve tank with water periodically. This is an indication of a leak in the trap.
Leak in the trap will not necessarily release sewer gas or odor into your home. At times, the plunger inside the tank will go down to a level where the toilet will begin to refill. When left unattended this can cause your toilets to breakdown.
Call Scott English To Help With Toilet Venting Issues in Orange County
When you see these signs of toilet venting problems, the most effective solution is to call a licensed professional plumber so that they can apply the necessary fixes at once.