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Basement Toilets

6K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Fix'n it 
#1 ·
Folks, I've tried to search on the forum but couldn't find a thread on my problem, which I think would be common.

I have a bathroom in a basement, above 3-4 feet below ground in Chicago. The main waste pipe for the upper floors is about 13 feet away from the basement bathroom. The shower and sinks drain fine, but my toilet flushes unusual. It appears waste either backs up or does not fully get through the bowl trap and the waste backs up into the toilet bowl. I have to hold down the flusher and fill up the toilet bowl and after that it slowly drains. Once it drains, all th water is pretty much drained out.

My hunch is whoever laid the waste pipe did not incline the grade enough for the waste to clear the pipe. The floor is concrete so digging up the pipe and repiping is not an option.

My guess is that because the toilet is under the ground level by 3-4 feet but above the waste pipe there is not enough gravity pressure to clear the waste through the toilet bowl trap.

I was thinking that maybe I get a pressure assisted toilet, but unsure because that type of toilet was designed to save water, but I figured the additional pressure might help clear out the toilet bowl trap. I don't think I need an upflush toilet since the waste pipe is already under the ground.

any suggestions or tips???
 
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#2 ·
You can think and wish and hope all you want but it's not going to make poop run up hill.
No one here is going to be able to know how your lines were run under that concrete, or if there's any venting.
I'd be checking with a local plumber on this one.
The only other way would be to look into a Saniflo system.
 
#3 ·
Maybe the line just needs snaked out or possibly its just time for a new toilet.
I dont think gravitational pull has much to do with the water level or how far down your basement sits :)
Maybe try one of those $20 closet augers you can buy at the hardware store first to see if something is in the trap
 
#4 ·
Left off the toilet and pour water down the hole. If you see it sitting at the bottom, then it level or less than level.

I vote with getting a cheap snake an cleaning it out, or poking something down the drain like a garden hose to see if there is an obstruction.

Or else get a plumber with a cam. Chicago...union...$$$$.

B
 
#5 · (Edited)
Did it ever work correctly?

With insufficient slope to the waste pipe after the toilet, solids can come to a stop here and there along the pipe. Eventually it clogs.

In most cases the almost horizontal drain pipe under the bowl runs just a few feet to a vertical drain pipe (in the wall behind the toilet). With an extended almost horizontal run additional slope or more water is needed to get solids through.

A pressure assisted toilet gets the solids through the toilet trap (the bowl itself) better using less water but once in the drain pipe the solids rely on gravity flow. Sometimes a drain pipe worked okay with an older 3 or so gallon per flush toilet but today's 1.6 gallon toilets didn't give enough water to keep the waste moving down the drain pipe.
 
#6 ·
Did it ever work correctly?

With insufficient slope to the waste pipe after the toilet, solids can come to a stop here and there along the pipe. Eventually it clogs.

In most cases the almost horizontal drain pipe under the bowl runs just a few feet to a vertical drain pipe (in the wall behind the toilet). With an extended almost horizontal run additional slope or more water is needed to get solids through.

A pressure assisted toilet gets the solids through the toilet trap (the bowl itself) better using less water but once in the drain pipe the solids rely on gravity flow. Sometimes a drain pipe worked okay with an older 3 or so gallon per flush toilet but today's 1.6 gallon toilets didn't give enough water to keep the waste moving down the drain pipe.

I did work before without this problem. Sounds like I'll need to see if its just clogged somewhere.
 
#7 ·
Thanks all for the help. As a conclusion for anyone else looking into this thread. I took the toilet off the wax ring and it was just clogged very badly. Once I cleared it out it started working fine. It looks like the drain was properly scaled and does not backup.
 
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