Clog Might Be Cause of Gurgling Drain
QUESTION: A bubbling, gurgling sound comes from the bathtub drain whenever we flush the toilet. We tried using a plunger and chemical drain cleaner to solve the problem, but neither worked. How can we deal with the noise?
Jack McCarthy of McCarthy Plumbing & Heating in Owatonna, Minn., answers:
ANSWER: There’s probably a partial clog in the vent stack--that’s the vertical pipe inside the wall that goes straight up through the roof. The culprit could be any number of things: leaves, ice, hardpacked snow or even a bird nest. Unfortunately, finding out for sure involves climbing onto the roof and peeking down the vent stack.
If the roof on your home has a 5-in-12 or steeper pitch, or if your house is two or more stories high, leave this job to a pro. If you do venture up on the roof, make sure that it’s completely dry and that your ladder set is safe and sound.
When you’re up on the roof, center yourself over the vent stack and shine a flashlight down it. Pull out any obstructions you can reach. If you can’t extract the blockage, break it up and shove it down the pipe with a long pole, stick or hand snake.
Another possible explanation for your noise problem is a partial clog in the three-inch pipe leading from the toilet. In this situation, the gurgling sound would be coming from the 1 1/2-inch pipe that connects the bathtub to the three-inch line.
Neither a plunger nor a chemical cleaner can clear the three-inch pipe, so your only option is to remove the toilet and snake out the line.
Cover Crawl Space With Polyethylene
Q: The walls in my crawl space are insulated with unfaced fiberglass. The dirt floor in the crawl space is partially covered with polyethylene plastic sheeting, though the under side of the floor above the crawl space isn’t insulated at all. Should I insulate the two heating/air-conditioning ducts that run through this space? What product should I use?
Hank Spies of Spies Home Inspection Services in Champaign, Ill., answers:
A: There are a number of blanket-type insulation products that are designed for use around ducts, and almost all of them work. But you won’t need them if the outside walls of the crawl space and band joist are insulated. Leaving the ducts uninsulated keeps most of the heat they give off in the crawl space, where it warms the floor above. In this case, the uninsulated floor can also cut your cooling bill in summer by allowing heat to radiate down to the dirt.
Just be sure to cover the entire dirt floor with polyethylene. Run it up the crawl space walls about three inches and overlap the seams six to eight inches. Also close the outside vents in winter and keep them closed all year if the crawl space is dry.
That Water Residue Is Good for Dishwasher
Q: My 5-year-old dishwasher works fine, but it never seems to drain completely. There’s always a half inch of water in the bottom of the tub. Is this situation normal? Will it damage the machine?
Donald Bailey of Spain’s Home Appliances in Marysville, Ohio, says:
A: This is normal and won’t hurt the machine. The water helps keep the flexible seals from drying out. In fact, whenever you go away for a week or longer, you can maintain the level by pouring a quart of water into the dishwasher. Add baking soda to keep it smelling fresh.
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