Washing machine makes toilet overflow with suds - ?

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pogo

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Hi:
My laundry room is upstairs and sometimes when I run a load of clothes the toilet in the bathroom downstairs as well as the sink drain start sudsing up - It looks like a bubble bath coming out of the toilet and sink. What is going on with my plumbing? Should I be worried? I just moved into this house and have never seen anything like this. The previous owners mentioned nothing of it (of course!!)

thanks
 

Cass

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If your washing machine is dumping and making profuse suds pop up in a toilet then you are using to much soap...when a washing machine dumps its water there should be barely any suds...excess suds is to much soap...beyond that you may have a problem with a partialy clogged drain or vent or both causing it to back up but until you reduce the suds it is only a guess...how old is your home?
 

theplumber

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2 possibilities. 1 - your sewer is mildly restricted somewhere due to roots or use. 2 - it was plumbed poorly and you can't fix it w/out redoing the drainlines affecting you.
 

Probedude

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If your washing machine is dumping and making profuse suds pop up in a toilet then you are using to much soap...when a washing machine dumps its water there should be barely any suds...excess suds is to much soap...beyond that you may have a problem with a partialy clogged drain or vent or both causing it to back up but until you reduce the suds it is only a guess...how old is your home?

Or you're blessed with soft water. Out where I live the water is very hard so I put in a softener about 6 years ago. Even with minimal soap there was a good quantity of suds.
 

Leejosepho

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2 possibilities. 1 - your sewer is mildly restricted somewhere due to roots or use. 2 - it was plumbed poorly and you can't fix it w/out redoing the drainlines affecting you.

Yes, and regardless of water quality or soap quantity.

I once had a similar problem at a place I was renting, and I soon discovered the septic tank was dumping into a "drain field" no larger than a five-gallon pail. My wife and I discovered the resulting drainage problem when two or three loads of wash came up through a toilet and all over the floor on a lower level.

Either by checking for yourself or by calling in a pro, you need to find out what is wrong before your toilets begin to overflow because their discharge has no place to go.
 

pogo

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If your washing machine is dumping and making profuse suds pop up in a toilet then you are using to much soap...when a washing machine dumps its water there should be barely any suds...excess suds is to much soap...beyond that you may have a problem with a partialy clogged drain or vent or both causing it to back up but until you reduce the suds it is only a guess...how old is your home?


The house is about 20 years old - if I poured drano down the pipe where the washer discharges would that be ok? Or is drano really a band aid ?

thanks
 

Cass

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You can try if you like and if you do, do it at night before bed and leave it till the AM....I doubt it will work but if you have it and want to use it...have at it...99 times out of a 100 it won't work...
 
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