Air bubbles coming up in toilet while draining a tub beside toilet.

More than likely, this is what is happening and how to fix it:

1.      When you drain the water from the tub, that water travels into a very slightly sloped horizontal waste line and then travels through to the sewer or to the septic tank.

2.      The waste line relies on a roof air vent, where air can exit as water approaches the air vent, and where the air can enter as the water passes by the same vent. So that pressure does not build up, and also, so that a vacuum is not created, this would slow the flow of the water down or stop it from flowing all together.

3.      However; if there is a clog in the waste line, some distance from the toilet, where the water is either stopped or slowed to the point that the water begins to fill the waste line, and the roof vent servicing the toilet is also clogged; a build up of air pressure will occur which will eventually find the path of least resistence, and if that happens to be the toilet, then large air bubbles will start coming out of your toilet while making a glub, glub, glub noise.

4.      Sometimes a bird, mouse, or a rat may have entered your roof vent and died. The creatures often times swell up and create a clog in either the vent, the drain, or both the vent and the drain.

(Another scenario, to consider, would be that your septic or sewer is full of water; backing up into your waste lines, thereby preventing waste water from flowing. This, if it is happening; happens generally while it is raining, requiring your either calling the sewer utility company, generally a free service , or calling a septic/plumber, one that services septic tanks, which is something that will, more than likely, cost you.)

5.      Generally hiring a licensed plumber would be the best thing in the above case, lines 1 through 4 above.

6.      However; if you are daring and would like to attempt fixing this problem yourself, then you will have to do the following.

7.      1st, you will want to go outside your home and open your clean-out for the sewer waste line. This clean-out is generally within 2 to 5 feet from your home.

8.      2nd, look inside the clean out to see if it is dry or if it is full of water. Sometimes it is hard to see, so you may need a stick to swish around while using a flash light. If the clean-out is full, then there is a clog between the clean-out and your septic tank/sewer, which will require snaking out the waste line between your clean-out and your septic tank/sewer. Also, because your waste line, in the house was full of water, there may be waste that built up and created a clog in the house water lines as well.

a.       If when you look inside the clean-out, you see no water, or if the water is hardly flowing; skip 8. and move onto 9., below.

9.      Next, turn on the tub, and then, while the tub is running, look inside the cleanout. (If following 8. above; hopefully, you will see the water steadily flowing; which means your next step will be to clean out the air vent servicing the toilet in question.) If the water is not flowing, have someone flush the toilet while you are looking into the clean-out, while the tub continues to run down the drain. If after 5 seconds or so the water is not flowing or it is moving extremely slow; your next step will be to turn off all the running water and remove the toilet in question. Then turn the tub water back on, on medium speed and snake the line from the toilet through to the clean-out.

10.  While snaking the toilet, have someone look inside the clean-out to see when the water starts to flow. Once the water starts to flow, they should run inside and tell you that the water is starting to flow; so that you can run the snake back in forth very slowly in the area where the clog is, to break the clogged debris up thoroughly. Continue snaking until the snake can be seen at the clean-out. The water should be flowing pretty smoothly, even though the air vent is still clogged.

11.  Next, purchase a 1" to 3" drain unclogger from your local supplier, one that can be hooked to your hose, or use a snake to snake the air vent out while running the tub water on medium speed. If you use the drain unclogger, screw it onto the hose and slide it inside the roof air vent servicing the toilet and tub in question. Slide the hose unclogger into the vent, far enough in that it does not touch the lead roof flange. Have someone turn the hose on while you hold the hose connected to the unclogger inside of the vent. The unclogger will swell up and completely seal the vent, and at the same time; it will fill the air vent with water and pressure, which should force the clog out and into the waste lines. Have someone look inside the clean-out while you are cleaning the roof air vent out. They should see chunks of something flow by when you have completely unclogged the vent.

12.  Once the vent is unclogged, turn the tub on full speed and flush all the toilets in the house, while someone continues looking inside the clean-out. If the water moves rapidly, and after some time passes; does not stop or fill the clean-out up. Walla, you’re done.

Because the above involves quite a lot of work and sweat as well, you should be really proud of yourself, and should take your right hand, reach it over your shoulder, and pat yourself on the back. You deserve it.

Congratulations

Replacing a toilet flapper

1. Look at the ceramic toilet lid, paying attention to its size and shape, and then find a suitable place to place it where it will not get damaged. Remove the lid and place it there. Toilet lids are designed to fit specific brands and are very expensive and hard to find, so be careful not to damage it, and being careful that you place it in a location where someone else in the house does not accidentally damage it.

2. Turn off the shut off located approximately 6 to 9" above the floor, and generally on the left side of the toilet on the rear wall.

3. Flush the toilet, while continuing to hold the handle until most of the water has drained from the toilet tank.

4. Look inside the toilet tank while pushing the flush handle up and down, you will see the flapper jumping up and down. Reach down inside and gently remove both sides of the flapper from the prongs it is attached to. It generally pops right off. Raise the flapper so that it is easier to see, and remove the chain clipped onto it.

5. Bring the flapper to your local supplier who can assist you in finding a suitable replacement.

6. Reinstall the flapper placing the protruding concave side down over the hole, by reattaching the connecting edges to the prongs you previously removed the old flapper from.

7. Reconnect the chain to the new flapper making sure that the flapper is not held open, that it seals the opening tightly, and that the chain has a little slack, not too much slack though. You don't want the slack in the chain to interfere with the flapper sealing the hole. If the new flappers come with a new chain, after performing the above; simply unhook the old chain from the flapper while keeping the other side attached to the flush valve. Connect the new chain to the flush valve beside the old chain, and stretch both chains straight comparing the lengths, adjust the location of the hook on the new chain so that the farthest part of the hook is identical length to the old chain, and then reconnect the new chain to the flapper after cutting off the excess chain with a pair of snips, leaving a couple extra links in the chain. Remove the old chain and discard.

8. Turn the shut off valve back on and open the toilet seat so you can see inside. Once the water has filled the rear tank and the filling sound has stopped you shouldn't see any water movement inside the toilet bowl around the edges of the water.

9. Sometimes when you 1st refill the tank it may take a few seconds for the water in the bowl to stop moving. This length of time in water movement after the bowl has stopped filling generally reduces with each subsequent flush.

10. Once the toilet is filled you shouldn't hear any leaking sounds, and you have successfully installed your 1st new flapper to a toilet.

Congratulations

1st to do when you have a plumbing water line leak inside a wall or under the slab.

1. If your main water shut off is outside, which is generally the case here in Florida; you go outside and turn it off. The shut-off is generally attached to a pipe coming up out of the ground and going into your home.

(There is also another shut-off at the water meter, which is generally located on your front property line or sometimes on your rear property line. You should remember seeing it when mowing the lawn. In the event your shut off handle is stuck where you are unable to open it, turning the meter off would be the next viable step. If the meter can is to be turned off, it really should be turned off by your local water utility company, or by a licensed plumber; simply because you do not want to damage the meter, which could be costly should the utility company find it was you that damaged it.)

2. Unscrew your hose from your house and open the valve to release the built up water pressure so that additional water does not flow into your home.

3. Turn the power switch off to your Hot Water Heaters so that in the event water drains from your HWH, the elements don't burn up. This may prevent you from having to install new elements in your HWH, or even worse, prevent you from having to install a new HWH due to the elements being stuck in place as a result of calcium buildup, which generally requires replacing the HWH with a new one; adding additional expense to an already costly problem.