Cannot get the snake through a T in the toilet drain

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Riaz Hussain

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I am trying to put a snake through a toilet bowl. I removed the bowl and I am putting the snake through the whole in the floor but the snake comes out the other toilet in the next unit toilet! will not go down the common drain for the two units. I have seen many threads but non addresses this problem? Am I asking a dumb question. Need help!
 

Terry

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Hi Riaz,
You may have a double san cross there which would make it very hard to snake from that position.
Is it a main line issue? Or in the trapway of the toilet itself giving you problems?
Any mainline snaking should be left to an expert, as the machines for that are dangerous to run safely. I don't even own one.
 

Reach4

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Maybe your neighbor could take a picture of the snake coming out of the toilet.

snake-in-toilet.jpg
 

hj

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Trying to snake through a toilet connection is ALWAYS an "exercise in futility" and even when successful can take "hours" to get the snake to turn the correct way. I never even attempt it.
 

Jadnashua

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While common on older construction, it sounds like you do not have the preferred fitting between the two toilets. That can become a major problem if you decide to upgrade them to modern, high-performance ones, as it sounds like the fitting you have would allow the flush of one toilet to upset the one opposite it. The proper fitting will have different angles on the inlets...they're bigger, so harder to install without prior planning. That fitting worked with older, slower flushing toilets. Newer ones need to do more with less water, so they are designed to accelerate the water more so that they can clear the bowl. Older ones just used lots more water, the height in the bowl rose, then had its own head pressure to start to move things down the drain.
 
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