Toilet Troubles... and maybe a sink too. Any advice appreciated.

Users who are viewing this thread

WILLMAUS

New Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Hi Plumbing People,


I have a problem and I would be very grateful for any ideas or advice any of you might have.


My upstairs toilet will not flush (water flows into the bowl from the tank, but doesn’t flush), and when I run the sink in that bathroom the toilet bubbles and begins to fill with water. When I run the shower in the same bathroom, the water drains and has no effect on the toilet or sink.


The problem area is a small second floor bathroom with a sink, toilet, and standing shower. It’s back to back with the main bathroom that gets a lot of use (tub, sink, toilet).


A few weeks ago, my wife mentioned that the bathroom sink was draining very slowly. I said I would get to it and promptly forgot. Yesterday she said that when she ran the sink the toilet bubbled.


“That can’t be good” I thought.


I ran a drain de-clogging liquid in the sink. The sink now runs cleanly. But, when the sink runs, the toilet bubbles and begins to fill with water.


I turned the water off to the toilet. I plunged the toilet. I ran a six foot snake through the toilet. There was no sign of anything on the snake. I turned the water back on.


The toilet will not flush. It fills with water, and then slowly drains until just an inch or two remains in the bowl. I dumped a bucket of water in. Still nothing. Slow drain to almost nothing left in the bowl. The water in the tank is at a normal height.


In addition, still, when the sink runs, the toilet bubbles and then begins to fill with water. But the toilet will not flush, and the water slowly drains away from the bowl.


When the standing shower runs, nothing happens. When I run water in the adjacent bathroom, everything works normally. The toilet in the other bathroom flushes and behaves normally. The downstairs bathroom runs normally.


Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
 

Gary Swart

In the Trades
Messages
8,101
Reaction score
84
Points
48
Location
Yakima, WA
You have a clogged drain, and you have discovered what many before you have learned. First, despite all the TV ads trying to sell Sip Sop Drain Cleaner, chemical drain cleaners do not work. Second, DIY snakes also are almost always a waste of time. They usually just poke a hole which closes up again as soon as the snake is removed. Pro sized snakes are usually not available to DIY and even if one could be found, these are extremely dangerous for the novice. You need to call a professional plumber to properly auger the drain. It is usually recommended to avoid drain companies with the word "Rooter" in their name as the qualifications for those franchises is questionable. I would suspect something was flushed that should not have been. A toilet is not a garbage disposal.
 

Dj2

In the Trades
Messages
2,611
Reaction score
258
Points
83
Location
California
Over the weekend I was facing a similar situation in a rental house.

I removed the toilet and brought it outside to the yard. First I bleached the hell out of it to disinfect, then flushed it with a garden hose, and out came: a market plastic bag, a broken toothbrush and about 50 pennies. I didn't know that some tenants use the toilet as a piggy bank. Thanks goodness I had a pair of disposable gloves, the coins had to be removed by hand.

Snaking a toilet is not always the immediate answer - you don't want stuff like this pushed further down. You just want it out from the where it went in.

If that doesn't clear your problem, then the blockage may be past the toilet-sink junction. At this point, call a drain cleaner. Around here prices start at $35 per drain, due to high competition. This may not be true to your city though...
 

Asktom

Member
Messages
745
Reaction score
32
Points
18
Location
Victor, MT
If water from the lav is backing into the toilet the problem is not inside the toilet, it is at or beyond the point where the lav and toilet drain lines connect.
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,599
Reaction score
1,037
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
One of the first problems is that it is on the second floor, which VERY, VERY seldom happens and when it does it means you have a unique problem. The second fact is that it appears to be back to back with another bathroom which is NOT having the problem, which makes it even more unique and almost impossible to diagnose over the Internet. Some one would have to be at the site and make their own tests to figure out what is happening, because it would be almost impossible for it to happen the way you describe with a normal piping arrangement.
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,599
Reaction score
1,037
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
quote; Around here prices start at $35 per drain, due to high competition.

I would not even start the motor on my truck for $35.00, much less drive to the site, unload my equipment and spend time on the drain.
 

WILLMAUS

New Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Thank you all for your comments. I never cease to be amazed at the willingness of strangers to help other strangers over the internet.

Can anyone suggest a course of further action or should I just suck it up and hire someone?

Also, is there a difference between a "drain cleaning" company and a regular plumber?
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks