My plumbing backs up when I use a lot of water, do you think I have a venting issue?
A:
You could have a venting problem in your home, but you could have other problems other than in the venting.
You really should call in a plumber to take a look at your entire plumbing system, but since you’re asking me the question then you probably won’t without some knowledge from outside sources like me before you talk to a plumber.
With respect to venting issues what you described could be a venting issue. There are several ways that the venting in your home could be faulty;
• If you don’t have a black pvc pipe that rises up through the roof into the air one to two feet you might have a problem.
• Even if you have a vent pipe through the roof you might not have venting that ties into all the bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room.
• There could be a blockage in the pipe from animals or something else like a pipe break.
There are other things that could be the problem other then venting in your home;
1. There could be a blockage or break in the exhaust pipe that runs out to your septic tank.
2. There could be something stuck in the baffle of the septic tank, this will slow the flow of water drainage in the plumbing system.
3. If you have a sewage ejection tank it could be faulty. This could cause the waste water to rise up through the plumbing system.
4. There could be a blockage in the plumbing system in the basement below where you are using the water.
As you can see your problem is a little more difficult than a simple venting problem.
Call a plumber and have it fixed properly.
Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.
