Toilet flush

[mathew stouffer]

What causes air to rush from the toilet each time it is flushed. If that makes sense. Ex, when the toilet is flushed a big bubble of air wushes up from the trap.

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[David OKeefe]

Could be a venting issue. Here is another thread on the subject.
http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_i...foul-oder.html

[Bob Elliott]

Take a look down the stack opening from the roof.
You may find something clogged there.

[John Kogel]

Take a look down the stack opening from the roof.
You may find something clogged there.

Right. Sucking hard on the vent might clear the obstruction. No, just kidding.

[Bob Elliott]

Right. Sucking hard on the vent might clear the obstruction. No, just kidding.

Last year I had a spa tub gurgling and another owner below said they had the same issue.
When I checked the buildings roof I found a big piece of plastic bag jammed near the opening and pulled it out.
Problem solved.
Guess I am one of those guys that fixes and repairs on Inspections.

[Markus Keller]

Bad venting or clogged vent. That's why I always flush the toilet at inspections. Big bubble comes up before water goes down, it gets written up as insufficient or incorrect venting.

[Jerry Peck]

What causes air to rush from the toilet each time it is flushed. If that makes sense.

Almost all (if not all) flush toilets do that, that is what makes the plume of water droplets which may extend up 4 feet and spread out 3 feet in all directions. The sudden in-rush of the large volume of water at the beginning of the flush does that.

Ex, when the toilet is flushed a big bubble of air wushes up from the trap.

I've seen several designs of toilets where there is a ridge/overhand/lip under which air gets trapped during the flush cycle, and that air escapes as a large bubble during the next flush cycle.

I would not immediately presume a venting problem - you could spend a lot of time and money on trying to find a non-existent problem.

[Rick Cantrell]

"I would not immediately presume a venting problem "

I agree with


"Almost all (if not all) flush toilets do that,"

Yeah, the ones with venting problems.


" that is what makes the plume of water droplets which may extend up 4 feet and spread out 3 feet in all directions."

4'x3' hmmm

[Ron Bibler]

OK... I just went over my complete plumbing system in my bathroom a few months back and I check everything and what I ended up doing after Ramming a garden hose down the roof vent, to a complete Snake job.
I ended up pulling the toilet and installing a new toilet and that fix the problem.

So I put the old toilet on a sheet of plywood and went to work on it with a hammer section by section looking inside the center bowl jets and what I found was after 30 or 40 years the jets around the bowl had a brown like crap stuck thought the toilet. this was slowing down the water dump making to toilet miss-fire if something big was put in it

So I now have a statement in my reports for older homes that we did not inspect these areas of the toilets and that the owner may want to employ a licensed plumber to inspect the toilet jets...

The new toilet and all vents work great now... I have put some big things in it and no problems.

Best

Ron

[Jerry Peck]

"Almost all (if not all) flush toilets do that,"

Yeah, the ones with venting problems.

The ones without venting problems too, yessiree.

" that is what makes the plume of water droplets which may extend up 4 feet and spread out 3 feet in all directions."

4'x3' hmmm

Yep, just as I said, and it appears you missed it: "up 4 feet", you know, as in "UP" 4 feet high.

And then "spread out 3 feet in all directions"

Yeppers, just as I said, and it appears you missed that too: "spread out 3 feet", you know, as in a 6 foot diameter coverage of water droplets.

So " 4'x3' " ... yep, that would be correct.

Would you like me to make a drawing showing you that?

[Ted Menelly]

What causes air to rush from the toilet each time it is flushed. If that makes sense. Ex, when the toilet is flushed a big bubble of air wushes up from the trap.

From what you describe I have never seen that unless there was a vent problem of some kind. As mentioned above there may be an obstruction even in the top of the vent pipe on the roof like crap tucked in when the roof was done over and such. I am very cautious about writing up vent problems if it is just the toilet and the rest of the plumbing is not gurgling.

As I believe Jerry said that could cost you a good bit of money. Once there was a bag of nails in the toilet beyond eye site. When I say bag I meant either they were dumped in there or someones nail bagged dumped into the toilet just as flushing. This toilet did the same thing, a big air bubble when first flushed. It was a new home and I wrote it up for further investigation by a plumber just for the fact I did not want it in writing that I said venting as I truly did not have the answer. It was not caught until someone actually used the toilet for its designed used and over flowed. Water flowed thru it just fine. The toilet paper and other goodies clogged right up.

[Rick Cantrell]

"Would you like me to make a drawing showing you that? "

No thank you, I think the image is burned into my head without any graphics.

[Jerry Peck]

No thank you, I think the image is burned into my head ...

On that final note there are these ...

rant whine 'splain espouse: The toilet plume

The Straight Dope: Does flushing the toilet cause dirty water to be spewed around the bathroom?

health hazards from "toilet plume" aerosol

Time Warp: Toilet Flush : Video : Discovery Channel Channel

[Rick Cantrell]

"On that final note there are these ... "

I don't think any of your examples were irrefutable proof that there exist a "Plume of water droplets which may extend up 4 feet and spread out 3 feet in all directions. " Even MythBusters couldn't prove it. YouTube - Toothbrush Surprise - Flushing with the lid up

But, you do have a valid point.
Now how should it be put in the report, maybe something like this?

It was observed that when the toilet was flushed, an invisible microscopic plume of aerosol water extended upward 4' above and 3" in every direction outward from the apparatus being tested. You should be aware that the plume may contain microbiological and or other matter that can contaminate all surfaces nearby and is a serious health concern. I recommend you consult with a licensed and qualified contractor specializing in "Toilet Plumes" before you close on this property. For more information on Toilet Plumes see MythBusters.

New Texas SOP
The inspector SHALL test all flushing toilets for the existence of "Toilet Plume", using only certified and approved Toilet Plume Testers, and make available to the client, a written report of the results for each Toilet Plume test.

I'll bet NACHI don't even have a training video for that.

Get your Toilet Plume certification here FOR FREE.

Certified Master Toilet Plume Inspector
Issued by: The International Board of Certified Toilet Plume Inspectors
of America (this includes Canada)

Mold may be Gold, but Plume is Platinum
Sometimes I just get on a roll.

[Vern Heiler]

You just can't give a good swirly with the new low volume toilets like you could with the old ones.

I've been told that the bubble of air has been designed into the flush to enhance the siphoning of the trap. Makes sense to me.

As far as the plume, haven't your wives told you to put the seat down? I know mine doesn't miss and opportunity.

[Edward Loughran]

Next time my wife gives me hell about leaving the seat up I'll show her the Discovery channel video.