Toilet bubbles and foul oder

[John Bernard]

A client has a two story home. When the flush the toilet in the second floor there are bubbles coming up from the first floor toilet and there is a very foul oder :( . There is also a shower in the first floor bathroom. It's not clear if the oder is coming from the toilet or shower.

Sounds like a venting issue, but has anyone seen any situiation like this?

Thanks in advance for any guidance

[Nick Ostrowski]

It could be a blockage in the sanitary drain line making the 1st floor toilet bubble up. And since that is air from within the drain line, the bubbles popping may be releasing the sewer gas odor. The odor could also be coming from the shower drain if there is no trap in the line. Advise her to have somebody flush the 2nd floor toilet and for her to stand in the 1st floor bath and listen to the shower drain. Try doing the same thing and flush the 1st floor toilet too. If she hears the sound of rushing water from the shower drain, there's likely trap seal loss or no trap at all.

Either way, looks like the services of a professional plumber are needed.

[Rick Cantrell]

Sounds like a venting problem.

[Scott Patterson]

Did this just start happening or has it always done it?

Did they make any changes to either of the toilets?

[John Bernard]

This situation existed when the home was purchased a few months ago

The home was built in the late 1980's and appears to have undergone some remodeling

[mathew stouffer]

Ran into something like this yesterday. The tub did not have a trap.

[Scott Patterson]

This situation existed when the home was purchased a few months ago

The home was built in the late 1980's and appears to have undergone some remodeling

It could be a few things, most are all related to venting.

I had one home that had a new toilet installed downstairs. It was a newer 1.7 gallon flush toilet and upstairs had a good old 3 gallon tank. Every time the old toilet was flushed the new toilet would "burp". A plumber installed a new toilet (1.7 gallon flush) upstairs and the burping stopped.

Apparently the large amount of water going down the pipe caused a rush of air to be forced up into the new toilet. The old toilet the proceeded the new one apparently had a larger trap in it that prevented this from happening.

As for the odor? It could be from the toilet burping or the shower might not have a trap.. I'm betting it is from the toilet.

[wayne soper]

Mabey Jose installed the new drain line at the second floor by using the vent for a drain.

[Nick Ostrowski]

Mabey Jose installed the new drain line at the second floor by using the vent for a drain.

Why is the plumber's name Jose?

[wayne soper]

Sorry!
Mabey NICK:D installed the new drain line at the second floor by using the vent for a drain.
But I am sure it was Jose