Water level problems in my toilet pan

[Baz in Brissy]

Can someone offer advice about the following:
Every now and then the water level in the pan of my toilet drops to the point where the water level breaks the water seal in the S bend - how it happens I don't know. There are 3 toilets in the house and this toilet is the last one on the line, the other 2 are downstream and are not effected. There is a vent pipe associated with this toilet plus another vent downstream.
I was once told that the air vent may be blocked and that suction downstream could be emptying the pan - I've checked the vent and it appears fine.

Any other thoughts?

[ozwinner]

I was once told that the air vent may be blocked and that suction downstream could be emptying the pan - I've checked the vent and it appears fine.

Any other thoughts?

That was my first though, are you sure the vent is working ok??

Al :confused:

[PhilMcCrackin]

Lay off the coloxyl with senna!

[Gumby]

For a first post, you've sure picked a good one............good luck.

[outback]

Unacustomed as I am to give a serious reply to a subject just screaming to have the ***** taken out of it. Ooops, reflex action.


The only way this can happen is if suction is occuring somewhere downstream, possibly the problem occurs when one of the other toilets is flushed. I would look seriously at the vent.

I have a not disimilar problem occaisionally after periods of extended wet, (hasn't happened for years) we have a septic system and when it gets really wet we get trouble at the absorbtion trench, which works its way back up the line to one of our toilets, with a similar problem to yours.

Look, check and recheck, there is a block somewhere.

***** of a job, but someones gotta do it.

[Baz in Brissy]

thanks for the advice so far - because I was so sure it was the vent pipe I did get a bit extreme at one stage and put a hacksaw cut thru the vent pipe just where it joins the main line and still have the problem.

[DavidG]

We sometimes have the same problem and the vent is fine.

What happens is that when the wind is blowing from a certain direction and the back door is open then the house gets pressurized.

You can hear the vent fans spin up even with the power off.

I have watched the level in the bowl and it goes down and back up with each gust of wind.
Stops if you close the door into the wind or open another door on the opposite side.

Now wait. Some one is going to cr ap on me for this.

[ozwinner]

You could play musical dunnies........


Al

[johnc]

It looks as though your problem is wind in the loo, suggest the fix might just be to lay off the baked beans.

Seriously though we have one pan upstream that does the same, it occurs rarely and hasn't really bothered us but like you I have often wondered what the cause is. I've assumed it was a vent problem and wondered if the plumbing simply has the vent a bit far down the line but can't get at it to find out.

JohnC

[doublejay]

Very occasionally, we have the same problem. My theory is that if there is an 'incomplete' flush, it is possible that there is some paper that hasn't made it completely over the hump so to speak. This paper can act as a wick causing the water to be drawn from the bowl.

Just a theory.

[johnc]

What we need is someone brave enough to stick their hand up the S bend to find out (or is that down the S bend, who gives a s..t really)

[Gumby]

Every now and then I chuck down a full bucket of water to clear the system...........and that's all I intend to say on the subject

[journeyman Mick]

Can someone offer advice about the following:
Every now and then the water level in the pan of my toilet drops........

Ya gotta stop the dog drinking out of it! :eek:

Mick

[Programmer]

Mick, by the look of your best friend, you speak from experience :eek: ! But I'm digressing. Yep, check out that S bend. Time to roll on the Ansell long gloves. It's not so bad, just look the other way and think you delivering a calf. Just think what you might find? So exciting!

[kiwigeo]

Gidday Baz,

I have a carbon copy problem with the two dunnies in my house. House is on a slope and vent is at highest point in the septic system. I thought the problem might be related to wind blowing across the vent creating a venturi effect but so far no real correlation between strong winds and lowering water levels.

An alternative theory - a combination of the perfect seal created by my giant a...e resting on the seat and the hurricane force gaseous emissions from same may be pushing the water out of the bowl and back down the septic line.