Toilet doesn't evacuate like it used to

[Wayne K]

I own a 2 year old home in the country with a septic system. I have an upstairs and a downstairs toilet. Both toilets have independent pipes up until they combine and exit the house towards the septic. The length of pipe that they share within the house is ~1m. These two toilets always evacuated normally, you would give a quick flick of the handle and away they go. Recently both toilets have not been evacuating normally, they both will not flush completely unless you hold the handle down for considerably longer. This has been going on for a couple weeks. Last night I snaked the downstairs washroom, I can snake almost the entire length of the piping for that toilet, and there was nothing along the piping that I snaked. The only area that I can't snake is where the piping for the upstairs and downstairs toilets meet, elbow and join the larger pipe that runs out to the septic. I am able to open up the length of pipe to the septic, I had a look down the 20 feet of it, I didn't see any blocks, it was clear and free, and to make sure I sent the snake down there as well. I then took a plunger and plunged the downstairs toilet, I would let some water in, start plunging and the water would evacuate, then I would add some more water, start plunging and the water would leave. The toilets don't behave like they are blocked (also what is the likelihood that both would block at the same time when they don't share very much piping). The shower and sinks drain normally. I read somewhere about a 'vent' for the toilet, and I wasn't sure if that had anything to do with what is going on.

It is winter here, and there has been some melting plus a lot of rain last week. I really don't know what to do to fix my problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Wayne

 

[Gary Swart]

I think you were on the right track snaking the lines, but your equipment isn't up to the job. The line needs to be snaked from end to end with a auger that is long enough and that has a large enough head to cut the clog out. Heads on the DIY size snakes are too small and will often just poke through the clog and not remove it. Sometimes they actually make the clog worse. Snakes large enough and strong enough to do the job are not usually available to DIY and for good reason. They are dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced user. My suggestion is that you should have a professional plumber with professional equipment clean the line.

 

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[McMike]

i would fill a 5 gallon bucket of water and dump it all down the toilet as fast as it will take it, if the drain is clear it will take that water down fast and indicate a flush quality problem, if it does not take it fast there is a drain obstuction, if a drain problem is indicated i would fill the tub and/or sink and release and listen downstairs to get a feel for how fast these branch lines are draining, if everything but the toilets drain fine, it is a problem with flush quality or obstucted toilet drain, a big factor involving flush quality is the "new and improved" toilet papers, if the pqaper is too soft or strong it can easily slow down a toilet's flush even clogging 6inch main sewers or septic tanks

 

[Redwood]

You wouldn't by any chance have some blue glop in the right side of your toilet tank that keeps the bowl clean would you?