I had my bathroom completely re-modeled about a month ago. A couple of weeks ago we noticed a gurgling sound from the bathtub whenever the toilet was flushed. It started out barely noticeable, then, as the days went on, increased in volume.
I knew/know that this is a venting issue.
So I called my contractor and he came out and put in a Studer vent in the bathtub drain (designed to draw air in and facilitate drainage).
Well, this eliminated the gurgling, but now the bathtub does not drain well. Once you are done taking a shower you are standing in 2-3 inches of water.
It is not the pop-up assembly; I removed that completely with no effect.
I tried plunging but that did nothing.
I tried covering the Studer with a plastic bag taped over it to disable it; that had no effect.
I called the contractor and he will come back and look at it when he can fit it into his schedule.
I am stumped. Any thoughts?
(Of note: during the remodel, the tub was moved 18" from its original location, which places it 18" further from the stink pipe).
That’s weird. The Studor should make it drain better, not worse. I’m guessing you just have an unrelated clog. Have you tried putting one of those hair-puller thingies down the drain?
Yeah, it’s very weird. I have not tried what you suggested because the entire system - tub and drain pipe right up to the vent pipe (the big stink pipe, not the Studer) is brand new.
Sounds like an unrelated clog – or if it’s related then only because some of the renovation efforts managed to send debris down into the drainage system and over time stuff has built up to become a clog.
The question, really, is how much time it’s taking for the water to build up? From your OP, it sounds like the water is draining (albeit slowly) so that you’re not exceeding the tub’s capacity.
Try turning on the shower and listening to the drain while watching the water flow and also watching a clock or stopwatch. Watch how far the leading edge of the water travels in one full second. Then, when the water gets to the tub drain, you should hear the normal gurgly pitch descend as the water heads down the line. Then (if it hits a clog and starts backing-up) the pitch will start rising again until the water starts back-flowing out of the drain and filling the tub. The overall idea, here, is to get a general sense of how far down the line that clog is sitting.
You note that you’ve moved that drain line away from the stink pipe (the main stack). That might have introduced an extra bend (or two) where congestion is occurring. You would hear your gurgling change pitch as water fills the line and starts coming back toward the tub and that change would occur just a few seconds after the water reached the drain. If your clog is in the main stack or deep under the house in the main sewer line, it will take longer for that gurgle to change from a descending to a rising pitch. [I am suspecting this will be the case since you say the pipes from the remodelling job are new.]
Your plumber might hate me for this* suggestion, but try drain enzymes first and then the serious caustic stuff like liquid plumber or draino liquid (thoroughly read the instructions before use). IF the clogging agent is dissolve-able (hair, food, used food, extraneous body parts) you may get lucky and one of those chemicals will burn it up enough to allow it to get flushed down the line. IF the clogging agent isn’t dissolve-able (rocks/dirt, building materials, kids’ toys) you’ll be unlucky and those chemicals won’t help. You or your plumber will have to resort to a drain snake, instead.
–G!
Plumbers hate having to stick their hands into that stuff when they fail to resolve a clog. Plus the stuff stinks and isn’t very safe for noses, eyes, respiratory systems, etc.
That’s not something someone resorts to- It’s the first action one should take with a clog not fixed with a little flexible wire meant to take care of clogs near the start of the drain.
Yep, that’s a drain snake, consumer version.
I’ve even got a consumer+ version that attaches to my battery-powered drill-driver.
[Do NOT use one with a plug-in drill or driver!]
But they’re not all that easy to get the hang of and, if your first time using it is while you’ve got a clog and water up to your ankles, learning-while-panicking may get a bit frustrating.
The pro plumbers just use one that’s bigger/longer and has a free-standing spool. I’ve used those, too, and I find they’re actually easier to use than the hand-held versions.
They’re very easy to get the hang of for anyone who is at least somewhat handy. If one isn’t, then they find someone who is or hire a handy man.
So what? If one is “panicking”, he shouldn’t be trying to fix something like this. That’s true with or without a snake. If one is in water up to the ankles, that is the WORST time to be pouring in Liquid Plumber and Draino. That’s bad advice, taking into account that one may or may not be panicking. You use a snake or find someone who can.
I’ve used a snake many times, it’s not brain science. However, the contractor is coming out one day next week with a plumber. He is reliable (has had to come back for other issues) and I feel like it’s his problem to fix, not mine.
I will update when there is an update.
Showering in standing water is not my idea of fun.
mmm