[spider10382]

Hi There,
I recently bought a new house....well one built in 01 but new to me. Anyways the bathroom on the second floor is already shaping up to be a nightmare. We went to clean the house over the weekend and found a few problems with the upstairs bathroom. 1st The toilet does not flush. When I opened it the water level was low, it was filled with something that I'd rather not guess as to what it was but have seen in a couple foreclosure toilets. basically looked like someone lit something on fire and threw it in the toilet. (I dont really think thats what it was but thats what it looked like!) The toilet doesn't flush, I plunged the heck out of it and the water will trickle down but I cant get a flush out of it.

Problem 2: Maybe its just me but the drain on the tub seems to be just as slow as the toilet. It will drain but even with help from the plunger I couldnt get a good outflow of water from the tub

Problem 3 The water pressure on just the sink in that bathroom is very poor. The shower, the toilet tank, and every other faucet and spiggot in the house are all perfect pressure. Just this one sink.


I should also note that there is a water leak somewhere in there as well. Now luckily my soon to be brother in law is a plumber and is going to help us out but I was hoping to be able to impress him by at least doing as much as I can before hand or at the very least having an idea of what the causes of the problems may be. So you have any suggestions or advice I would love to hear it!

**I dont know if it matters but as far as the toilet goes it stunk like sewer when we tried to flush it. We have well water and town sewer if that matters.

 

[Just Bill]

Low water pressure could be shutoff valves not fully open, cycle them full closed to full open. Could also be debris in the aerators.

I would consider replacing the toilet. Kohler Wellworth is a good one and fairly inexpensive.

If the drains work but are just slow, try a bio type drain opener/cleaner(NO CAUSTIC CHEMICALS, please). Follow directions for the shock treatment. Every nights for several nights.

 

[spider10382]

Thanks, any suggestions on a cleaner?

 

[majakdragon]

I like Drain Care. It is an enzyme cleaner and works on organic clogs (except tree roots). I know Ace hardware sells it and Lowes and Home Depot used to.

 

[spider10382]

Any thoughts on the faucet? I didnt think of it at the time but I didnt check the aerator to see if it was clogged. I'll have to check that, i know the water in the house had been shut off for some time since it was a foreclosure when we bought it.

Is the only way to check the vent pipe going up on the roof?

 

[JDC]

The toilet and the bathtub need to be augered. You dont know the history of the drains and the care that was taken by the previous
owner(s). I do like the enzyme cleaners, but lets tackle this as it would be tackled if you called me out to fix it. Auger those puppies out then ad a bio/enzyme cleaner and use that as a maintenance tool. I really doubt its a vent issue. Could be, but unlikely. What you probably have (and this is just a guess) is your tub drain connected at the toilet via a crows foot or a side inlet 90. If one clogs most likely the other will.

I'm going to agree with you on the aerator. It would be the very first thing I'd check since all the other faucets have good flow. If that doesnt work then I'd disconnect the supply tubes/hoses to the faucet and see if you had good flow out of those. Could be that your angle stops are clogged up with debris. However, check that aerator first. After all, when we hear hoofbeats we look for ponies.....not zebras.