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Diagnose the Problem and Locate the Vent — Inspect the Vent Stack: Check for Obstructions

Beginner2 hours

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Stop Toilet Gurgling: Troubleshooting & Fixes · Step 2 of 2

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Begin by identifying the symptoms of a clogged vent, such as gurgling sounds from drains and slow-draining sinks or toilets. In the basement or utility area, trace the drain lines from the affected fixtures to the main vent stack. Follow this PVC pipe visually as it runs up through the house and exits through the roof. From the ground, use a ladder if necessary to visually inspect the vent opening on the roof for obstructions like leaves, sticks, or nests.

Goal: Plumbing

Used in this video

  • Flashlight (brand: Unspecified) · optionalTo look down into the dark vent pipe from the roof to inspect for clogs.
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This Old House

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FAQs

Is a regular cup plunger sufficient for fixing a gurgling toilet, or do I need a special type?

For effective plunging, especially with modern low-flow toilets, a flange plunger (also known as a toilet plunger) is highly recommended. Its extended flange creates a better seal in the toilet's drain opening, allowing for more forceful and efficient clearing of blockages than a standard cup plunger.

What are the most important safety precautions to take when inspecting the vent stack on my roof?

Always use a sturdy ladder placed on level ground, ideally with a spotter holding it for stability. Wear appropriate footwear with good grip, and never work on the roof in wet or windy conditions. Clear any loose debris or moss near your work area before ascending.

How difficult is this project for a beginner, and how long should I expect it to take?

This project is rated as beginner-friendly, primarily involving basic plunging and a visual inspection. Most individuals can complete the troubleshooting and initial fixes, including vent stack inspection, within approximately 2 hours, assuming you have the necessary tools readily available.

What should I do if plunging and clearing the vent stack don't stop the toilet from gurgling?

If these initial steps don't resolve the gurgling, it indicates a deeper plumbing issue beyond a simple blockage or clogged vent, possibly in the main sewer line. At this point, it's best to contact a professional plumber to properly diagnose and fix the underlying problem.

Transcript
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This is the drain and the plumbing from the utility sink and the washing machine area. This is all going into this drain. This is a clean out cap here for all the plumbing, so if you get any clogs and you made your problems, you take that cap off so you can run a sewer sink down there. Now this split right here, this is our air vent going up, up, up, it joins and picks up the kitchen here and it keeps going up. It goes out through a bump out, up through the eaves and right up through the roof. Before I get too far into this whole venting situation, I want to make sure that this vent isn't plugged. Now you can see right over there by the chimney, that's the main vent coming up through the bathroom and the rest of the house. So kitchen and bath, each have their own vent on this house. I need to make sure that that's not just clogged. I two or three times a year, I need to clean out my eaves and clean off the roof of sticks and debris because these maple trees really like to fill up everything. It's only been about four weeks since I've done this and the leads are just now starting to fall. You can see they're going right into that eaves. This is all going to get a new roof. I'm pretty sure we're going to be putting on some eaves straw or gutter covers to prevent that from happening. But you can see here, I've got quite a collection. Now if you look right down in this vent, there's some cobwebs down in there. But it doesn't go very far and it's filled full of leaves and debris. Now I can tell you, you can call out Mr. Ruder, Roto Ruder or a plumber and they can clean this fixture out for you, but you can also do it yourself. We're at the advantage that we've got really long sticks for cleaning things out. You could use something like a 10 or a 12 foot piece of trim. I want to get down as far as possible and you know what, I've got plumbing tools to do the job. We're going to go get our drain cleaner and we're going to run this down and see what you can do.

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