Sabotage?

[buyrack]

Father died and inherited his house. My sister always told me drains did not work well. Remodeled and changed out all fixtures. After installing toilet, it clogged and backed up in tub. Plunger fixed and it happened again. Noticed that it flushed ok, but it was sucking air at the end (glug glug glug). Went on roof and ran camera down vent and to my disbelief, a solid piece of aluminum had been glued inside elbow. I was told that this house was finished by someone else as the original builder ran out of money which leads me to believe the plumber might not have gotten paid and this was his revenge. Thoughts? Anyone have other ideas why it would be there? Aluminum is glued inside the elbow in the picture.

 

[breplum]

crazy bad.
Just the other day we found a Gatoraid bottle stuck inside a 4" site drain pipe coming from an ejector pump. Had to be sabotage when the plumbing was done originally, just like your case.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Kid could’ve thrown it onto the roof and it went down the vent.

Roofer dropped it down the pipe.

 

[buyrack]

crazy bad.
Just the other day we found a Gatoraid bottle stuck inside a 4" site drain pipe coming from an ejector pump. Had to be sabotage when the plumbing was done originally, just like your case.

I’m going to cut this out and replace it tomorrow. When I get it out, I will try and post a pic. I’m not a plumber. Just kinda lucked into finding this and just wondered whether there would be a legitimate reason someone would do this.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I doubt that caused your slow drainage.

Most vents are to protect the ptrap from siphoning, not to facilitate good drainage.

Of course you can’t flush into a sealed drum or septic tank without any vents but I doubt that 1.5” vent is the only vent in the system.

It’s more likely you have a clogged drain or partially clogged main drain.

As the pipe fills up, it backs out of the lowest fixture which is typically a bathtub or shower. Your problem matches this description perfectly.

 

[buyrack]

It is the only vent for the two bathrooms which are basically side by side. They drain ok now but were an issue when my dad was alive. There was a huge solid blockage under the toilet in question before I replaced both flanges. The noise I hear when flushing is described in the first post. Also came in one day and smelled sewer gas in same bathroom. I have the same toilet at my house and I do not hear that noise. There is a one way vent in attic for the kitchen but none tied to that part of the plumbing. That vent services both of the bathrooms.

 

[Twowaxhack]

It is the only vent for the two bathrooms which are basically side by side. They drain ok now but were an issue when my dad was alive. There was a huge solid blockage under the toilet in question before I replaced both flanges. The noise I hear when flushing is described in the first post. Also came in one day and smelled sewer gas in same bathroom. I have the same toilet at my house and I do not hear that noise. There is a one way vent in attic for the kitchen but none tied to that part of the plumbing. That vent services both of the bathrooms.

So you have one 1.5” vent for two bathrooms.

Sounds like hillbilly plumbing. I’m not aware of any plumbing code in the US where that would be legal.

 

[buyrack]

So you have one 1.5” vent for two bathrooms.

Sounds like hillbilly plumbing. I’m not aware of any plumbing code in the US where that would be legal.

Indiana - code is 1.5”. House built in 1999. Common vent does not increase size if on same level. (Just what I am reading) Again, not a plumber. Was just asking for insight into why someone would completely and intentionally block the only vent these bathrooms have.

 

[buyrack]

So you have one 1.5” vent for two bathrooms.

Sounds like hillbilly plumbing. I’m not aware of any plumbing code in the US where that would be legal.

Question - Would it be appropriate and better to use 2 mini vents in the attic vs what I currently have and replacing the blocked elbow?

 

[Twowaxhack]

Question - Would it be appropriate and better to use 2 mini vents in the attic vs what I currently have and replacing the blocked elbow?

No it wouldn’t be.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Indiana - code is 1.5”. House built in 1999. Common vent does not increase size if on same level. (Just what I am reading) Again, not a plumber. Was just asking for insight into why someone would completely and intentionally block the only vent these bathrooms have.

No, 1.5” is not large enough to vent two bathroom groups to any plumbing code I’ve ever read.

 

[Bird Doo Head]

.... which leads me to believe the plumber might not have gotten paid and this was his revenge. Thoughts? Anyone have other ideas why it would be there? Aluminum is glued inside the elbow in the picture.

Your idea above might very well be right. The slug might have been a case of: "Wonder If We'll Get Paid Insurance" & the plumber didn't get paid.

When I was about 12 years old, I worked for a bricklayer. He would seal off new fireplace chimneys by mortaring in a piece of glass between two courses. When he got paid, I was sent to the roof to drop a brick down the chimney so the glass would break.

 

[MicEd69]

Most vents are to protect the ptrap from siphoning, not to facilitate good drainage.

?????????

 

[MicEd69]

Indiana - code is 1.5”. House built in 1999. Common vent does not increase size if on same level. (Just what I am reading) Again, not a plumber. Was just asking for insight into why someone would completely and intentionally block the only vent these bathrooms have.

IPC allows a 1 1/2" vent for 10 DFUs, and a full bathroom with a 1.6 GPF toilet or less is 5 DFUs. So that would work depending on the developed length of the vent.

However, every building needs a stack vent of at least the size of the waste stack, which I would expect would be where these toilets discharge. Various codes have also had a minimum of a 3" stack vent, and those have been in effect well before 1999. I would not expect that Indiana would have allowed a smaller stack vent in 1999 than 3".

But to answer your question, there would be no reason for a plumber to glue a piece of aluminum in a PVC pipe, especially an elbow. But is it really glued? It may have been a roofer being an A-Hole and cutting a circle of aluminum flashing and dropping it down the vent. I look forward in seeing what you find.

 

[Twowaxhack]

?????????

Yep…..



You only need a vent for drainage if you’re trying to flush or run water into a sealed container.

Air is displaced as the water drains down the pipe. As long as there’s ONE vent some place and there are no bellies holding water it’ll drain fine.

If you’re on city sewer it’ll work without a vent if the pipe is sized large enough, 4” works fine. The air is pushed into the city main and out the manholes. And the other homes connected to the system. It acts as a combination waste and vent system. Air travels on top of the flow……

A septic tank is a sealed container that doesn’t allow the air to be displaced so a vent is necessary.

After the first vent in the entire system is established, a vents only purpose is to protect the pratap from siphoning.

 

[Tim Whistler]

crazy bad.
Just the other day we found a Gatoraid bottle stuck inside a 4" site drain pipe coming from an ejector pump. Had to be sabotage when the plumbing was done originally, just like your case.

Years ago I found an ancient coke bottle AFTER the trap in a 3" floor drain. Somebody had to put it in that line before they leaded that trap 90!

 

[MicEd69]

Yep…..



You only need a vent for drainage if you’re trying to flush or run water into a sealed container.

Air is displaced as the water drains down the pipe. As long as there’s ONE vent some place and there are no bellies holding water it’ll drain fine.

If you’re on city sewer it’ll work without a vent if the pipe is sized large enough, 4” works fine. The air is pushed into the city main and out the manholes. And the other homes connected to the system. It acts as a combination waste and vent system. Air travels on top of the flow……

A septic tank is a sealed container that doesn’t allow the air to be displaced so a vent is necessary.

After the first vent in the entire system is established, a vents only purpose is to protect the pratap from siphoning.

Signs of Clogged Plumbing Vent and How to Unclog It

Slow draining fixtures, gurgling drains and a sewer gas smell in the house are telltale signs of a clogged plumbing vent. If your toilet all of sudden has a weak flush, bubbles when flushed or when the bathtub/shower drains, your vent stack is clearly clogged.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Signs of Clogged Plumbing Vent and How to Unclog It

Slow draining fixtures, gurgling drains and a sewer gas smell in the house are telltale signs of a clogged plumbing vent. If your toilet all of sudden has a weak flush, bubbles when flushed or when the bathtub/shower drains, your vent stack is clearly clogged.

That’s a load of crap off the internet from someone who thinks they know plumbing.

Those are classic symptoms of a clogged main drain or branch drain.

But you’re welcome to subscribe to that thinking.

I’ve capped every vent on a house with city sewer and it drains perfect. I did it to my own house 15 yrs ago to prove it to another plumber on the internet that sounded a lot like you. I posted a video of it

I’ve installed temporary job site toilets and lavatories without vents dumping directly into the sewer……flushes fine.

Try it ……