Up to here in feces...

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Soparklion

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PROBLEM: There is dried feces in the vertical portion of my 4" toilet sewer line.

I tore apart my 2nd floor bathroom ~2 months ago so the toilet drain has been unused long enough to be completely dry. I cut off the old lead drain piece near the T, leaving enough of a stub to Fernco to a new black pipe drain. As I reach back into the drain, there is dried feces in the vertical portion. Above the drain is the vent, there is nothing feeding that sewer line above this toilet.

The drain line runs under the full basement to the main line, which was inspected and is fine.

The toilet on the same line that is located under that toilet seems to flush appropriately. No other drains back-up. I can't locate a cleanout in the line...

How do I go about cleaning it out? I had used an enzyme treatment ~6 months ago when I started having problems with that toilet. Can I just auger the drain and see if I find a piece of debris? I have to imagine that the prior owner flushed something that they weren't supposed to flush to cause a backup like this... $hit flows downhill, so why else would it stop in a 4" vertical pipe? I already had a plumber out when the old $100 Home Depot toilet didn't flush well and told him that when I snaked the line, the spring would return with feces. He told me that I should just replace the toilet with a Drake... which is when I found out that the flange was broken, the area around the flange was rotten, the tile was on a mud box that was cracking and encased the copper supply lines that I then replaced with PEX, the original electrical lines were replaced when everything was torn open, and I am now rebuilding. Thank God for this message board.

God Bless,
SPL
 

Cacher_Chick

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It is quite common for c.i. to develop scale which can be reduced by rodding the line with a mechanical rodder and flushing with a lot of water to clear the debris. A snake or toilet auger is not going to accomplish much if anything to remove buildup in a main line.
 

Soparklion

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Thank you! Can I accomplish that with
  1. Rented Cable drain cleaner with a 2" bit - if so, should I be concerned about my 80 yr old cast iron pipes?
  2. Hydrojet
  3. Picote - air jet?
 

Reach4

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Does the drain back up when you put water into it?

You might want to make sketch of what you think the side view of the pipes that you are discussing looks like.
 

Soparklion

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The drain still accepted water that last time that it was connected. This pic is looking down into the pipe from the Toilet Drain.
DSC00557.JPG
 

Reach4

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Maybe vacuum out what you can.

The photo is looking vertically down the pipe?

It looks to me as if that went in dry, or got relocated after it dried.
 
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Soparklion

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Awesome idea! I used a closet auger and the vacuum hose from my drywall sander to break up and suck out about 8 inches of debris... the pipe entering from the sink extends into the 4" main and was the source of the holdup... much love to everyone.
 
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