NOT clogged Floor Drain won't gravity drain

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There's a floor drain that has never worked right for us in this 1940's built house since we've been here.

It's of this style, but this picture is not the actual drain.
Drain opening in the bottom, clean out plug at the side.
FloorDrainExample.jpg


Here's a detailed description of the problem.

Water will stand and the drain appears to be almost clogged, and the water will very slowly go down over a few hours.

- If the clean out plug is removed, the water immediately goes down the drain opening.

- With the clean out plug still removed, water will go down the drain opening as fast as it can be added.


- With the clean out plug in place, and a fitting sealed over the drain opening hooked to a garden hose, water will also go down the drain as fast as it can be added under pressure.

IN OTHER WORDS, this drain gives every indication of being open, yet water will not gravity flow down the drain opening unless the clean out plug is removed.

The only thing I can think of is that this is a drain vent type of problem.

There's no way to see how this floor drain is plumbed in because there's no basement and the crawlspace is too tight to get into.

ANY INPUT would be greatly appreciated.
 
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hj

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You are describing a drain with a "double trap", NOT a vent issue, (unless the drain line is holding water AND the vent is plugged, which would simulate a double trapped drain).
 
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You are describing a drain with a "double trap", NOT a vent issue, (unless the drain line is holding water AND the vent is plugged, which would simulate a double trapped drain).

Thanks for the reply.

Some additional info, before I came along there was an addition added to this 1940's house in the 1990's.
I'm told that this drain worked fine before that, and hasn't worked right since.

Yet EVERY other drain and toilet in the old and new addition works fine.
Would that indicate that the vent is likely not plugged?

So maybe when the plumbing for the new addition was added, this drain got put into a "double trap" situation?
(as with the new addition, NOW all drainage from the old part passes through the new part before going to the septic tank)

I'm unable to get under the old addition where this drain pipe runs to see how it's plumbed, as the crawl space is way too small.

So as far as a SOLUTION,
since venting this drain pipe makes it work, is there anything wrong with me adding a vent to it that vents to the outside?
I do have access to the drain pipe enough to add a vent.
(Which without knowing whether this drain drains into another trap, wouldn't that be on the safer side than just leaving the clean out plug off?)

This drain only sees floor water from the water softener, and the washing machine drains into the drain opening
.
 
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If all you want to do is eliminate the symptoms, then install the vent, but it will NOT cure the real problem.

I realize that by adding a vent I won't be addressing the real problem, but I can't get to where the double trap problem is.
So I'll do the next best thing and fix the symptom in the safest way I can think of.
Thanks for the advice. :)
 
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