[Greg9840]

Hi everyone,

I have a clogged toilet and I am really looking to avoid having anyone come into my house due to the fact I live in a pandemic hotspot. But I'm not very handy. My toilet was completely clogged and plunging only helped a little, allowing it to slowly drain. Any time paper is used, it gets completely clogged and has to be plunged over 100 times just to drain slowly again. I bought the $6 3 foot toilet augur they sell on Amazon and Walmart and snaked it, and everything seemed to be working great, but it clogged again almost immediately. I snaked it again and it worked fine again, and the toilet was flushing fine, and then clogged a short time later. I tried to snake it a third time and this time, the snake would not go all the way down. And when I rotated the handle, it would wind up super tight and then quickly spin backwards when I let go. If I pushed the snake really hard, it would fold over itself and the tip would come back out. So, I figured I need a stronger snake that won't fold and come back out, so I bought the $55 Rigid 6 foot auger. It will not go all the way down. I have been pushing and turning as hard as I can, and it only goes maybe 2 or 2 1/2 feet down. Like the cheap augur, when I reach the point it won't go down anymore and I turn the handle, it winds up tight and then spins the opposite way very fast when I let go. I really don't want to take the toilet off myself to try to find a toy or something in there (I have a 3 year old) and have to do a new wax ring, etc. and I'm afraid I'll mess it up and have a leak, etc. Is there anything else I can try before I have a plumber come inside my house?

Thanks!

 

[Mike Milam]

Wish I could give you a simple solution, but I can't. I can tell as one who raised three kids, they will always put things in the toilet. At this point I see no way around taking the toilet up. I'm going on my experience with mine that whatever was flush is stuck in the trap in the bowl itself. Once it's off and on it's side you will probably be able to see the obstruction from the bottom.

Check YouTube for a how to video.

 

[jmon]

Greg, It's not that hard to remove the toilet, any homeowner can do it. All it's going to cost you is a new 5 dollar wax ring. As mentioned, there are videos showing you how to do this step by step.

You can do it greg. Remove the toilet, and snake from there, much easier, otherwise you are going to scratch the heck out of the toilet and it's not going to look pretty anymore. While it's off, check the toilet itself for the obstruction. I found combs, toothbrushes, toy soldiers, matchbox cars, stuffed animals, you name it, that got jammed right in the trap. Just a suggestion.

 

[dj3]

How about placing a 99 cent waste basket for TP and stop throwing it in the bowl?
After you get the toilet going of course.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

How about placing a 99 cent waste basket for TP and stop throwing it in the bowl?
After you get the toilet going of course.

Shark Tank would tell us if that would fly. Inform us here on the forum when you'll be on that episode so we can watch.:biggrin2:

 

[rjniles]

How about placing a 99 cent waste basket for TP and stop throwing it in the bowl?
After you get the toilet going of course.

That is pretty disgusting:vs_frown:

 

[dj3]

rjniles, Are you disgusted by your own waste? changing your diet might help.
Senior, you are watching shark tank? The show with the opinionated Maverick owner?

 

[snic]

That is pretty disgusting:vs_frown:

Yet it's common in many parts of the world (e.g., Honduras and Greece and probably many other places I haven't yet been to). There are signs in all the tourist bathrooms telling you not to put toilet paper in the toilet, and instead use the garbage can next to it.

I'm not sure why. In my experience with modern American plumbing, I've never ever had any problems flushing toilet paper down the toilet. Unless there's some other blockage - in that case, toilet paper could conceivably contribute to it. In fact, I'm guessing the OP's problem is that some object is stuck in there. The toilet paper could build up on it, preventing water flow. When he augurs it, it jiggles the object and the toilet paper can get around it... until it builds up again. At this point, the augur won't even get in there, which means the object is good and stuck.

OP, you can get an idea of how far down the blockage is by noting how far the augur goes before it stops. That will tell you if the blockage is in the inverted U-shaped trapway inside the toilet, or in the drain pipe below it.

 

[Greg9840]

Yet it's common in many parts of the world (e.g., Honduras and Greece and probably many other places I haven't yet been to). There are signs in all the tourist bathrooms telling you not to put toilet paper in the toilet, and instead use the garbage can next to it.

I'm not sure why. In my experience with modern American plumbing, I've never ever had any problems flushing toilet paper down the toilet. Unless there's some other blockage - in that case, toilet paper could conceivably contribute to it. In fact, I'm guessing the OP's problem is that some object is stuck in there. The toilet paper could build up on it, preventing water flow. When he augurs it, it jiggles the object and the toilet paper can get around it... until it builds up again. At this point, the augur won't even get in there, which means the object is good and stuck.

OP, you can get an idea of how far down the blockage is by noting how far the augur goes before it stops. That will tell you if the blockage is in the inverted U-shaped trapway inside the toilet, or in the drain pipe below it.

Yes, right now, that toilet is designated as pee-pee only, and no paper allowed. For that, it works fine. Just flushes very slowly. I think the auger is currently going in a little over 2 feet. I need to take an exact measurement. How long is the trap? How much length of snake does it typically take to get past the trap and exit the bottom of the toilet?

Thanks!

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Yes, right now, that toilet is designated as pee-pee only, and no paper allowed. For that, it works fine. Just flushes very slowly. I think the auger is currently going in a little over 2 feet. I need to take an exact measurement. How long is the trap? How much length of snake does it typically take to get past the trap and exit the bottom of the toilet?

Thanks!

Being we can't measure yours you'll have to do the measuring. It's a dirty job but somebody's gotta do it.:biggrin2:


I can tell you how.


EDIT: EDIT:

 

[snic]

Look at the side of the toilet bowl. Sometimes you can see the trapway as a sort of bulge the shape of a pipe. That should give you an idea how long it is.

My guess is that the clog is not too far down the drain pipe. It will probably be easier to augur it out once you remove the toilet.

 

[HotRodx10]

How about placing a 99 cent waste basket for TP and stop throwing it in the bowl?

Yet it's common in many parts of the world (e.g., Honduras and Greece and probably many other places I haven't yet been to).

It's also common in many places in the US within 100 miles of the Mexican border, too. I've seen piles of used TP on the floor in a McDonald's restroom as far north as southern Colorado.


It took over a year to get the girls we adopted from Haiti to throw the TP in the toilet.

 

[snic]

Look at the side of the toilet bowl. Sometimes you can see the trapway as a sort of bulge the shape of a pipe. That should give you an idea how long it is.

My guess is that the clog is not too far down the drain pipe. It will probably be easier to augur it out once you remove the toilet.

Here's a picture to show you what I mean:

https://www.clipartkey.com/view/iiixbRw_side-profile-png-toilet-side-view-hd-png/

The trapway is very prominently visible in this toilet. Yours probably won't be so obvious, but you might see part of the contour. At any rate, the trapway will be similar to this one even if you can't see all of it. So that should allow you to estimate how long it is.