Toilets, Sinks, Showers, Tubs and Disposals - re:toilet prone to plugging

hi,i read a thread about a vent line and wondered if it could apply to me.my house is 8 years old and the toilets seem prone to getting plugged [one in particular] .i was originally chalking it up to cheap toilets now i'm wondering if it could be something else like the vent. any comments would be appreciated,also if it could be the vent can i do anything or is it a job for a pro? thanks.

The vent wouldn't have anything directly to do with your toilet clogging. What is suspect is that you have a partial clog in the toilets drain line. You can try Drain Care. This is an enzyme based drain cleaner. It sticks to the clog and "eats" it. Its about $8 and availiable at your local home center ad even Walmart. This takes overnight and may take more than one application, usually around 3 depending on the severity of the clog. This will not hurt septic systems and is actually beneficial to them as it contains the enzymes.

When a vent gets clogged you will usually have an obnoxious odor coming from your fixtures. The plumbing needs air to function properly and keep sewer gases from entering the home. If the vent is plugged the water will be sucked out of your fixture traps and therefore you get the smell. If the vent is plugged it pulls air from anywhere it can, usually the closest fixture to the one used. In other words when you use the toilet, the water will be sucked from the sink,shower or bath.

Odors can also be caused by a bad wax seal under the toilet. I mention this as not all odors are caused by the vents.

Good luck and reply back if you have further questions.