What next? Toilet plugs up.

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Vicki Groth

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We are a houseful of women, and need some direction on a problem with one of our toilets. House is 30 years old, no problems prior to this. Toilet has been flushing slower over the past few months, until it clogged finally. Plunged, would clear and then stop again. It has gotten progressively slower flushing and the plunger is used every time. Nothing else is blocked, all drains empty including the other master toilet. I tried dish detergent and hot water which I read online - no laughter please. It didn't work. I have a home warranty, so called them. Last week a plumber came out and used an auger, which seemed to work. Within a few days it was doing the same thing, called back. He came again and this time he showed me a few roots on the auger. That isn't covered by my home warranty. Said he would have to remove the toilet and snake the drain which would be $300. He came back and did that 2 days ago. Said he ran it about 15 feet. It flushed good for a day or so, now it is slow again. What is my next step? He said there was nothing wrong with the toilet, which if there was something wrong would be replaced by my home warranty. Again, everything else is draining fine. Showers, washing machine, kitchen all work. Help!
 

Terry

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I would bet on the toilet.
Some augers are only 7/8" on the end. It will slip by many objects left in a trapway. We usen an auger with a 1-5/8" end. It does a good job of pushing things. out.
Your home warranty doesn't fix things? It accepts your money though.

auger_02.jpg


I don't know what warm water would do.
Though pouring a bucket of anything in the bowl will sometimes move things along if there is nothing solid there.
 

Reach4

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Roots? How does that happen, unless there is a bad sewer pipe? You did not flush them down the toilet. Did he pull then out of his back pocket so that he could show you roots? He got roots after running how far?

Any neighbors who have been there for 10 or more years? If the sewer lines often go bad, such as being invaded by roots, they are likely to know. Some types of pipe are inferior, and will have problems over time. PVC does not allow roots in generally.

Let's say the problem is roots. Are the toilets all on one level? Is the toilet having the trouble the one closest to the city sewer?

A sewer specialist is more likely to do a better snaking job. He may want to sell you some camera work for $400 to $600 and it might be worth it. I would think he might charge less than $300 to lift the toilet and rod to the street, unless you are in a costly area. And I would think he would go considerably more than 15 ft. I would look for an independent rather than a franchise.

If you want to do the water bucket challenge on your toilet, put 4 gallons of water into a 5 gallon bucket. Pour as fast as you can from as high as you can to see if you can wash something loose.

My comments are non-expert.
 

Vicki Groth

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Thanks for your reply. The house is single level, so everything is on the same level. The toilet with problems is probably 15 feet closer to the city sewer line. We do have trees in the front yard. The plumber isn't local, but is the one my home warranty contracts with. I'm tempted to replace the toilet and pay for it, and if that fixes the problem try to negotiate with the home warranty people to reimburse me, as they will pay for a faulty toilet, but this plumber is telling them the toilet is fine. I will try the water bucket idea tomorrow. At this point everything is worth a try. My mom is in hospice, and lives with me. This is her bathroom, so the problems are difficult for her. Again, thanks for your help. I'll update if things change.
 

Gary Swart

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If the toilet was installed when the house was built, then it is outdated. California is offering rebates on low flow toilets and it would be worth your time to explore this. I would recommend a Toto. Not saying there are not problems with the drain, but your toilet is overdue for replacement.
 

Daniel Collick

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Any plumber worth what most of us charge should run his cable long enough to ensure the blockage is gone and not simply pushed further down the waste line.
Yes, roots are a possibility and are more common on older, especially clay sewer pipe. Find a local with a good reputation & good experience to have any camera work done. If I pulled roots out of someone's sewer I would've recommended the sewer camera to thoroughly identify the source and location before leaving. After that, worse case scenario, I'd be digging up your yard to replace the bad portion of sewer pipe if necessary.
Did the plumber check the toilet after removing it? Sometimes things get lodged in the trap or right at the base. I wish I had a dollar for everything I pulled out of the trap of a toilet: dentures, computer mouse, empty squeeze tube of paste, half a stack of wet wipes...etc.
I'm not trying to be vulgar, but make sure no one is flushing any wet wipes, feminine hygiene products, even if the package says they're flushable, and I've heard negative rumors about Kirkland(Costco) toilet paper.
 

hj

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IF he got roots on his toilet auger, the the real problem is roots UNDER your floor. They have grown up around the toilet pipe, then grew between the bowl and flange until they were able to enter the toilet's pipe. Once there they EXPLODED into a mass the size of the pipe. The plumber has to remove the toilet, CAREFULLY, so they don't break off, pull the roots out. Then pour salt or root killer into the space around the pipe, and finally reinstall the toilet. NOTHING will get rid of the roots, including cutting the tree down, so all you can do is discourage them and repeat the above process when they finally grow back.
 
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