When your washing machine drains, and there's a clog, the water path is shrunken or restricted. This forces air and water back through your pipes, searching for a place to escape. In this case, it's your toilet. Your vent pipe is blocked – Your drain and sewer pipes are connected to a vertical line called a vent pipe.
Check your pump filter to see if it's partially or totally obstructed. If so, remove the obstructions. If the pump is still running, you have another problem, but if the pump isn't running once it's drained, then that explains the overflow.
It's caused by inadequate venting of your drain pipes, so air is being sucked into the drain through your toilet trap. The suction may also be pulling water out of the traps of your sinks and baths, which will allow noxious sewer gases into your home.
Sometimes, water might back up in the kitchen sink while you're doing a load of laundry, or your bathtub will fill with water. Either case means that your main drain line is clogged. You need to call a professional to clear the drain for you.
In most cases, this type of clog clears well with a plunger. Call a professional if standard plungers don't stop your toilet from backing up. Avoid risky DIY fixes like pouring chemicals into your toilet drain, using vinegar, or repeatedly attempting to flush the toilet.
Start with a Plunger
While a toilet plunger may not be a very high-tech solution, it's often the most effective and best way to unclog a toilet. In fact, most clogged toilets can usually be cleared with a simple plunger. Just make sure that you use the right kind of plunger as there are sink plungers as well.
Atmospheric Vacuum Breakers (AVB): Installed on individual fixtures, AVBs create a physical gap in the plumbing system to prevent backflow.
When your washing machine drains, and there's a clog, the water path is shrunken or restricted. This forces air and water back through your pipes, searching for a place to escape. In this case, it's your toilet. Your vent pipe is blocked – Your drain and sewer pipes are connected to a vertical line called a vent pipe.
A basic plunger is usually all you need, though plungers with a flange on the bottom work better to unclog toilets. If a plunger fails to resolve the clog, a toilet auger is worth a try. In rare cases, you may need to shut off the water and remove a portion of the pipes to dislodge the blockage.
Do you hear a bubbly sound in the toilet when the bathtub drains? Homeowners often become surprised by the sound and panic as they wonder what's wrong. The issue is usually due to a clogged drain in the pipeline.
The most common reason this happens is due to a clogged drain. When you have a clogged drain it indicates there is a sewer issue that causes sewage backup through your bathtub drain.
It means that there is a blockage somewhere in your plumbing system. When the washing machine drains, it creates a vacuum effect that causes the toilet to bubble and indicates a blockage in the system. It could be in the main sewer line or one of the secondary sewer lines.
You will likely pay around $350 to $650 to have a plumber unclog a main sewer line unless you have complications like serious damage to the line.
With a clogged basement drain, pouring Drano or similar products down your sewer drain can actually damage your pipes or the glue holding them together, causing more sewer system problems in the future.
First, you can run hot water down the drain for 5 to 10 minutes to see if that helps break up the clog. If it doesn't, pour equal parts of vinegar and baking soda into a bowl and then pour that mixture down the drain. Let it sit for 15 minutes, and then run hot water down the drain.
Hydro jetting costs $475 on average but range from $350 to $600. A plumber can give you a quote and get rid of your sewer clog. Having to keep your plumber on speed dial is no fun for any homeowner. If chronic sewer clogs are giving you issues, it might be time to call in the big guns.
Don't let sewage backup cause damage to your home or your family. The main sewer drainpipe under your house connects all the drains in your home, such as sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets. Because the washing machine uses so much water, it can cause backups in all of your house's drains if you have a large clog.
If water is backing up after a couple of loads, it probably means the backup is past the toilet and may be a clog in the main line. Your lines need cleared from a main line cleanout, which is a professional job for plumbing companies. Roto-Rooter can assist in this sewer cleaning.
Once there is a blockage, you might quickly smell the foul odor or see water leaking. You certainly will know there is a problem. A sewer line clog is a very serious problem that can be considered a plumbing emergency.
Tried and True: Use a Plunger
The key here is to use the right kind of plunger for the job. You'll want to use a toilet plunger versus a sink plunger. These plungers have a bell shape with a cylindrical sleeve coming out of the bottom.
It can typically be found in the basement, crawl space or garage. You will want to search for a pipe that is approximately four inches in diameter with a screw cap on the top that has a notch or square knob at the top. Note that some homes have an indoor sewer cleanout point, while others may be located outdoors.
Common reasons your toilets to keep backing up are: There's not enough water in the tank. There's a clog in the drain line. The main line for the house is clogged.