Gurgling toilets

I moved into a new house. I have two toilets. One on the first floor, one on the second floor. Whenever
water is used (sink, washing machine, etc) the toilets "gurgle". Also, the first floor toilet needs to have
the handle held down during the entire flush or it doesn't empty. The water rises to the brim before
draining. Any thoughts as to what's going on?

You have a partial main line clog...

Hi Jim,
Do I need a plumber to clear it? I know nothing about this stuff. Are there any easy fixes?

You definitely need a plumber that can auger the drain completely to the street. Do not attempt to snake this yourself. Any snake that you could obtain and/or handle would be too small for the job. The size needed would probably not be available for a DIY, and even if it was, it would be very dangerous for a novice to use. Also, do not attempt to clear the clog with chemicals. These are not only ineffective on drain clogs, they create a hazard for the plumber you will eventually have to call. If you have already poured chemicals into the drain, inform the plumber what you put in and how much so he can be prepared to deal with it.

Thanks

Thanks. That makes it simple. I didn't try any chemicals so at least I didn't complicate the problem.

That's good! There's so much advertising on TV for various chemical drain cleaners that it's pretty common for folks with a drain problem to think that's the route to go and end up with a problem. Either that or they try a 25' snake and end up pushing the clog deeper and compacting it. Some jobs just aren't good for DIY.