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Author:
mikedel28 (NY)
Hello and Happy 4th. I recently added a bathroom for a customer who had the septic company stub in a separate 4" sewer line from the tank in to the slab. We completed the bathroom, but did not finish the venting yet because the customer is currentlly adding a second story, but is trying to use the bathroom while under construction so I just put a temporary AAV in the attic above the 1st story, and will be finishing the proper venting once the second story is framed up within the next week or two. Bathtub, lav sink and kitchen sink all drain normally with no backups, but the toilet would not flush at all. So, I pulled the aav off and notcied that the toilet now drains normally, and that there was a lot of positive pressure coming out of the vent pipe when the toilet is flushed...enough to float a small rag I was holding over the pipe for a second or two. Does this mean he has a problem with his septic tank? Or is it normal for there to be that much positive pressure?
Thanks,
Mike
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Author:
srloren (CA)
I am not that familiar with septic tanks but it would seem that there is a blockage causing that positive pressure assuming that the water line in the septic tank is below the intake. You may want to measure the distance to the septic tank and insert a snake into a cleanout that you know the distance from the tank is and run it through to clear the blockage. It could be soil from the install if they were not careful to clear any out that may have been caught inside the pipe as they were joining them. Is it clay pipe or ABS or CI? Good luck in your detective work.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
It is NOT normal, but if the tank is "flooded" so your pipe is full of water that will create the positive pressure. The other fixtures must not have a high flow or they would not drain either.
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Author:
mikedel28 (NY)
Thanks for the replies. HJ, I did notice a few bubbles in the toilet after running the faucet and tub for a while, but nothing backed up. So in a normally functioning system when you flush a toilet there should NOT be air puffing out the top of the vent stack right? Been doing this a while but have never been on the roof to check the vent when someone flushed! I do suspect the sewer line is tied into the septic incorecctly. Doesn't it have to connect to the inlet where the baffle is, or can it be anywhere that is above the outlet to the distrubution box?
Edited 1 times.
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