[Shop-talk] another toilet issue

[Brian Kemp]

Tim - I have a toilet that acts similar when clogged.  The previous 
owner of my house remodeled the bathroom and moved the toilet. Since it 
is a downstairs bathroom, installing a vent on the new wall was a 
challenge, so it is actually unvented.  The sink and tub have never been 
a problem

If it starts to drain slow and is still draining enough to get down to 
the normal level, the first thing I try is to pour a 5 gallon bucket of 
water from chest level.  This makes for extra pressure and will clear a 
partial biological blockage.  Be prepared to stop the pour if the water 
backs up.

My second step is to let the bowl sit full of water almost to the bottom 
of the brim for an hour or so.  Sometimes this works enough to repeat 
the bucket of water.

My third step is the plunger.  I was told by a plumber to push the 
plunger down slowly then pull up fast.  The idea is that the blockage 
might be pulled up a little rather than be compacted.

I had a neighbor that lived alone and had a problem similar to yours.  
His problem was the cap to a can of shaving cream stuck in the toilet trap.

If the above doesn't work, I second the reply to try a toilet auger.  It 
will clear blockage in the trap and the first foot or two of drain 
pipe.  I have an older version of this one 
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-ft-Toilet-Auger-82-972-111/301879203 
($10).

I also second the reply you had about the endoscope.  I have a wifi one 
that connects to my cell phone that was about $35.  I would expect that 
you should be able to push it through the toilet.  If it is safe to be 
on your roof, you could also run it down your vent stacks to look for 
any blockage.

Brian

On 8/22/2020 2:38 PM, Tim . wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> While trying to sort the valve on our upstairs toilet, the toilet 
> itself now doesn't fully flush. The tank bits cycle, the toilet fills, 
> but it only drains slowly. It doesn't "gurgle" (for lack of a better 
> term) at the end.
>
> This has been going on for over a week now so I doubt there is 
> anything stuck. (no feminine products in use in our house any more so 
> that is not an issue.) I've plunged the hell out of it, pushing down 
> and also sucking up with plunger. I can't really get a snake to go 
> very far into the trap so not much help there.
>
> I remember reading years ago that a clogged or compromised vent can 
> affect sink drainage. Is it possible that this issue is affecting this 
> toilet? The sink and tub in the upstairs bathrrom are no affected. 
> They both drain fine. Hell, nothing else in the house is affected.
>
> thoughts please?
> thanks
> tim
>
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