Build up in cast iron pipe bend -> new high pressure toilet to fix?

VTJeff99

Hello I am having repeated problems with build up in my cast iron pipe at the first bend in the pipes below the toilet.

I had a plumber out two weeks ago and he snaked the line and used a fiber optic camera to check the lines. There was some build up in the lines, so he used a motorized plumbing auger to clean out the inside of the pipe. He ran a camera down again and the pipe looked a lot better.

So about two weeks later I start having some flushing problems, so after plunging didn't fix it, I called the plumber back (through my home warranty company)

He was able to see a blockage of poop and toilet paper. He was able to use the snake and wash the rest of it down, the pipe looked ok inside afterwards from his camera.

So my plumber is recommending a pressure assisted toilet. To force everything down and help break it up so it won't stick to the pipe.

Anyone have any advice with build up in old cast / iron pipes or have experience with high pressure toilets?

The current toilet is a sterling 1.6 lpf bowl / with it appears a replacement 1.2 lpf tanks (with a styrofoam insert).

Not sure if I should try taking the styrofoam out or should get traditional Gravity flush toilet with a high MaP Flush Score, or if i should go with a high pressure flush toilet.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jeff

VIPlumber

If you're getting build up in the pipe, and it's cast iron, sounds like it's time to replace it. There's probably surface irregularities in there that are causing things to get hung up in the 90. I'd suggest replacing it with ABS, it'll be much smoother.

A pressure assisted toilet may work, but the problem is in the 90, not with the toilet.

Javiles

You have to be careful when you run a drain machine through old cast iron pipe using an aggressive head can create more problems than the one it solves. The scale is rust, pipe corrodes from the inside out running the wrong blade what you do is scrape that scale off the inside walls of the pipe, this rust sits at the bottom of the pipe obstructing the what we call the slime line the bottom center of the pipe which is the smoothest part where the waters forms this trail. Rust is heavy and will just sit at the bottom of the pipe, thus creating a snag for paper etc, this builds up and you end up with a clog. Power flush toilets will not help if this is your problem. Again this a hypothetical guess as to what you may have. There is a difference between unclogging a line and cleaning a line, different techniques. Good luck

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plummen

What they said,do you have access to the bottem side of the line?

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