Why Doesn't the Toilet in My New Basement Bathroom Flush consistently/Properly? pics

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Pinballer

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Unfinished basement.

Small bathroom just built. Whirlpool tub, small sink and toilet. Builder used an Everbilt Pre-Plumbed Sewage Basin System. Model # THD1075.

Bathroom was complete and everything seemed fine. Full baths will drain seemingly normal. We've used the tub plenty. Noticed the first day weird issue with sink where it seemed water would just sit after washing hands. Seems like tiny air bubbles under drain. Swishing finger back and forth over drain gets water to empty from sink.

I had test flushed the toilet at least 3 times with builder there. How many times do you need to flush, right? Wife comes home and toilet does not flush properly. You know water is leaving the toilet and going into the pump (because, while the water does rise, it does not overflow and the pump will kick on), but it doesn't "flush" and empty the bowl.
The toilet will flush normal and correctly 2 or 3 times in a row, but then flush incorrectly as I've described above the next 4 or 5 times we try to flush. Whether it's a normal flush or problem flush, tank empties and fills like a normal toilet would. We have not "used" the toilet yet, so nothing to report about how things look with waste in there.

There are 2 things the builder did differently than he said he would before he started. #1 (pic #1) is that he didn't tie the discharge pipe into the existing plumbing where he said he would. He tied the discharge pipe into the pipe that comes down from the upstairs toilet (pic #2). Upstairs toilet works totally fine still. I do notice a slightly lower water level in the upstairs bowl when coming up after messing with the downstairs toilet.
#2 is that he did not tie into the existing vent from the upstairs bathroom. He used a Studor vent (pic #3).

After explaining toilet problem to builder, he thinks new basement sink needs it's own vent and puts a studor under there as well. Problem is not solved. He will get his plumber and come back.

I google Studor Vent, find the Studor site and take a screenshot of the faq page where it says… "The Studor Maxi-vent must be installed 150mm (5.9") above the highest branch connection." I send the screenshot to the builder and ask him if this means that the vent must be 5.9" higher than the branch connection they made into my existing plumbing/pvc pipe from upstairs toilet. He says yes and that it's an easy 5 min fix and he'll be back. But I don't wait. I buy pvc pipe, couplers, primer and cement and raise the vent higher than the branch connection (branch connection that is shown in pic #2)

Now, before I raise the vent, I noticed that there seemed to be a leak near the bottom of the discharge pipe at the pump. There is a black thing around the pipe that was not tight. I tightened it. Water was definitely dripping from it (pic #4)

Vent is raised, black thing on discharge pipe is tight now so I think that solves the leak (very small amount of water had gathered on top of pump. I have no idea if that was leaking and then drying the entire 10 days the job was done).

I flush the toilet and nothing at all has changed. Same exact issues. BUT NOW there are some serious "water bubbles" coming from the bottom of the discharge pipe (Pic #5) whenever I flush. I never noticed that before, but can not say that I ever was looking at the pump when flushing.

Please, any help as to what is causing this problem is greatly appreciated!
-Pinballer

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Studor vent is why. Doesn't work on that kind of system. Even says not to use them in instructions.
 
plumbing code, that vent SHALL be run by itself out the roof
and not tie into anything else

Not only is it code. but just plain old not work. I am surprised where he tapped in for discharge right under the upstairs toilet, that it is not sucking water from that terlit.
:eek:
 
I want to thank you all for your replies.

Was downstairs today and had time to cut that Studor off and test flush 6 times as advised. I got 6 very strong flushes in a row.

The only things that I'm questioning now are...
1) the bottom of the discharge pipe seems to have a small leak down where it meets the pump lid. What might have gotten messed up from all that "back pressure" from having the studor on for approx 40 test flushes over that week?
2) where before it seemed like the pump was only on when it would pump out the tank, it now seems to always be on or energized or whatever ever since I cut off the Studor and test flushed. I have no idea how these things perform normally. Maybe it was always sounding energized and I wasn't paying attention. I thought it was silent before.

Waiting for builder to run the pipe up through the roof.

Thanks again. Pinballer
 
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