PstrSteve70
New Member
Problem: My basement toilet bubbles or gurgles when the upstairs toilet is flushed but not all this time. This started AFTER a bathroom remodel.
Background: I have been in my 44 y/o house for 15 years with no problem. I discovered during the renovation that the bathroom sink was essentially venting into the wall and not to the pipe stack that goes through the roof. They apparently used a AAV - Air Admittance Valve. The contractor also noticed that the pipe coming out of the ground was not capped on the Y joint (not sure I'm using the right term) so he capped it off. You can tell where the white PVC meets the off-white pipe. This was completely open. Had no idea this was the possible source of smells over the years. In the attached picture there is an AAV covered in blue bag to keep out dust during construction. The blue bag was removed before the wall was finished. The contractor also relocated the sink plumbing to the adjacent wall. Once the bathroom was finished and the sink installed, we started having problems immediately. Within 4-6 hours of the sink being installed, we had a full-fledge sewer backup. Paid a plumber $350 to snake it from the front yard. Problem solved or so I thought. The next day, the toilet started gurgling with the upstairs toilet was flushed. Thinking the AAV was bad, I cut the wall open in the adjoining room and had the AAV replaced. Is there anything else I can do to stop this toilet from gurgling. Busting up the floor or tearing through walls is not an options as I spent over $6000 on this bathroom already. As long as the sewer doesn't back up I can live with it, but it is annoying and I'm always worried about a backup. BTW, the basement shower, toilet, and sink all drain fine. See attached picture.
Background: I have been in my 44 y/o house for 15 years with no problem. I discovered during the renovation that the bathroom sink was essentially venting into the wall and not to the pipe stack that goes through the roof. They apparently used a AAV - Air Admittance Valve. The contractor also noticed that the pipe coming out of the ground was not capped on the Y joint (not sure I'm using the right term) so he capped it off. You can tell where the white PVC meets the off-white pipe. This was completely open. Had no idea this was the possible source of smells over the years. In the attached picture there is an AAV covered in blue bag to keep out dust during construction. The blue bag was removed before the wall was finished. The contractor also relocated the sink plumbing to the adjacent wall. Once the bathroom was finished and the sink installed, we started having problems immediately. Within 4-6 hours of the sink being installed, we had a full-fledge sewer backup. Paid a plumber $350 to snake it from the front yard. Problem solved or so I thought. The next day, the toilet started gurgling with the upstairs toilet was flushed. Thinking the AAV was bad, I cut the wall open in the adjoining room and had the AAV replaced. Is there anything else I can do to stop this toilet from gurgling. Busting up the floor or tearing through walls is not an options as I spent over $6000 on this bathroom already. As long as the sewer doesn't back up I can live with it, but it is annoying and I'm always worried about a backup. BTW, the basement shower, toilet, and sink all drain fine. See attached picture.
