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Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here.
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Posted by Mike on March 20, 2008, 9:29 am
I posted here yesterday about a toilet in my house that has recently
turned into a lazy flusher (upon flushing the water spins a bit, then
stops and then the water level drops, but it's not flushing like it
did even a week ago). Someone here suggested getting an auger and I
did that. I was hopeful that it would be the solution I needed, but
after auging and then plunging a bit more I am seeing no improvement.
(There was a little paper floating around the bowl after I pulled the
auger out.) I'm making a few calls now to rent a snake. I think I'd
rather try to snake it than pulling the toilet as that sounds like a
messy headache. One place I called said they had a 100 foot snake for
$45 a day. He said they might have a smaller one around the shop
somewhere. I hope they do as 100 feet is likely way too long.
Anyhow, any advice for a guy about to snake his toilet? I guess I can
plan on having some scratch marks in the bottom of the toilet bowl.
Thanks...
Mike
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Posted by Big_Jake on March 20, 2008, 9:43 am
> I posted here yesterday about a toilet in my house that has recently
> turned into a lazy flusher (upon flushing the water spins a bit, then
> stops and then the water level drops, but it's not flushing like it
> did even a week ago). Someone here suggested getting an auger and I
> did that. I was hopeful that it would be the solution I needed, but
> after auging and then plunging a bit more I am seeing no improvement.
> (There was a little paper floating around the bowl after I pulled the
> auger out.) I'm making a few calls now to rent a snake. I think I'd
> rather try to snake it than pulling the toilet as that sounds like a
> messy headache. One place I called said they had a 100 foot snake for
> $45 a day. He said they might have a smaller one around the shop
> somewhere. I hope they do as 100 feet is likely way too long.
>
> Anyhow, any advice for a guy about to snake his toilet? I guess I can
> plan on having some scratch marks in the bottom of the toilet bowl.
>
> Thanks...
>
> Mike
STOP!
The problem is probably still in your toilet. Renting 100' snake to
clear something in the first 3-4 feet is not a good idea. The head of
the snake will either be the same size as what you have on the auger,
or will be too big to get through the trapway.
I have cleared at least 100 clogged toilets as a landlord. I have
removed toys, spoons, the top of a water bottle, hair extensions, and
countless other items. Perhaps one of the most unexpected things was
a tampon applicator that got all the way to the bottom of the toilet
(where the toilet meets the floor flange), and got stuck sideways
across the bottom.
You can either continue with the auger or pull the toilet and see if
you can tell what the problem is from the other end. Pulling the
toilet is NOT a big deal. Get a #3 wax ring to use when you re-set
the bowl.
I have had items that I couldn't get out of the toilet, and found out
what they were after I replaced the toilet and busted the old one open
to see what the problem was.
I was going to post yesterday and suggest that you get a better auger,
from General or Rigid, that would have cost $40-50, but I thought the
cheaper one would probably work for you. If you really want to got
out and spend $45 towards fixing the problem, this would be my choice.
JK
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Posted by Mike on March 20, 2008, 10:02 am
> > Anyhow, any advice for a guy about to snake his toilet? I guess I can
> > plan on having some scratch marks in the bottom of the toilet bowl.
>
> > Thanks...
>
> > Mike
>
> STOP!
>
> The problem is probably still in your toilet. Renting 100' snake to
> clear something in the first 3-4 feet is not a good idea. The head of
> the snake will either be the same size as what you have on the auger,
> or will be too big to get through the trapway.
>
> I have cleared at least 100 clogged toilets as a landlord. I have
> removed toys, spoons, the top of a water bottle, hair extensions, and
> countless other items. Perhaps one of the most unexpected things was
> a tampon applicator that got all the way to the bottom of the toilet
> (where the toilet meets the floor flange), and got stuck sideways
> across the bottom.
>
> You can either continue with the auger or pull the toilet and see if
> you can tell what the problem is from the other end. Pulling the
> toilet is NOT a big deal. Get a #3 wax ring to use when you re-set
> the bowl.
>
> I have had items that I couldn't get out of the toilet, and found out
> what they were after I replaced the toilet and busted the old one open
> to see what the problem was.
>
> I was going to post yesterday and suggest that you get a better auger,
> from General or Rigid, that would have cost $40-50, but I thought the
> cheaper one would probably work for you. If you really want to got
> out and spend $45 towards fixing the problem, this would be my choice.
>
> JK
Ya see, that's why I love this newsgroup! Good advice from
knowledgeable folks, and the price is right! Thanks, JK, I will aug
some more after work today and then consider pulling the toilet. My
father-in-law is arriving for an Easter visit tomorrow, so I will seek
his assistance on this (he's not a plumber, but knows a good deal
about home repairs).
Thanks again, Big Jake!!
Mike
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Posted by Mortimer Schnerd, RN on March 20, 2008, 10:17 am
Mike wrote:
> Ya see, that's why I love this newsgroup! Good advice from
> knowledgeable folks, and the price is right! Thanks, JK, I will aug
> some more after work today and then consider pulling the toilet. My
> father-in-law is arriving for an Easter visit tomorrow, so I will seek
> his assistance on this (he's not a plumber, but knows a good deal
> about home repairs).
I'm hardly the world's authority on pulling toilets but I was able to do one by
myself after watching somebody else do one first. Not much to it... run the
kids off, turn off the water supply, flush, disconnect from the water supply,
loosen the two bolts that hold it to the floor, and then muscle it off the
drain. Be prepared to deal with some water left in the bowl.
Scrape off the old wax ring and replace it with a new one. Slide the toilet
back on the mounting bolts and sit down on the throne to seat it into the new
wax ring. On and off shouldn't take more than half an hour for a newbie.
Chances are the cause of your problem will present itself very shortly after you
free the beast from the floor.
It might be a scary job the first time you do it but it won't be the second.
It's just not that bad... it's the dreading that's bad.
--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com
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Posted by Jeff Wisnia on March 20, 2008, 11:35 am
Mike wrote:
>
>>
>>>Anyhow, any advice for a guy about to snake his toilet? I guess I can
>>>plan on having some scratch marks in the bottom of the toilet bowl.
>>
>>>Thanks...
>>
>>>Mike
>>
>>STOP!
>>
>>The problem is probably still in your toilet. Renting 100' snake to
>>clear something in the first 3-4 feet is not a good idea. The head of
>>the snake will either be the same size as what you have on the auger,
>>or will be too big to get through the trapway.
>>
>>I have cleared at least 100 clogged toilets as a landlord. I have
>>removed toys, spoons, the top of a water bottle, hair extensions, and
>>countless other items. Perhaps one of the most unexpected things was
>>a tampon applicator that got all the way to the bottom of the toilet
>>(where the toilet meets the floor flange), and got stuck sideways
>>across the bottom.
>>
>>You can either continue with the auger or pull the toilet and see if
>>you can tell what the problem is from the other end. Pulling the
>>toilet is NOT a big deal. Get a #3 wax ring to use when you re-set
>>the bowl.
>>
>>I have had items that I couldn't get out of the toilet, and found out
>>what they were after I replaced the toilet and busted the old one open
>>to see what the problem was.
>>
>>I was going to post yesterday and suggest that you get a better auger,
>>from General or Rigid, that would have cost $40-50, but I thought the
>>cheaper one would probably work for you. If you really want to got
>>out and spend $45 towards fixing the problem, this would be my choice.
>>
>>JK
>
>
> Ya see, that's why I love this newsgroup! Good advice from
> knowledgeable folks, and the price is right! Thanks, JK, I will aug
> some more after work today and then consider pulling the toilet. My
> father-in-law is arriving for an Easter visit tomorrow, so I will seek
> his assistance on this (he's not a plumber, but knows a good deal
> about home repairs).
>
> Thanks again, Big Jake!!
>
> Mike
Sorry the closet auger I suggested didn't do the job.
If you do pull the toilet, go easy when tightening the hold down bolts
when replacing it.
You don't want to crack the base or pull the hold down bolts through the
pipe flange.
With no small kids in our house we don't have problems with undisolvable
miscellany dropped into our toilets and jamming in the traps, and rarely
have use for even a toilet plunger, though I do keep one in each bathroom.
However, a couple of months ago a good friend and his wife came to our
home for coffee and desert after we'd all been out together. The guy is
a giant of a man, tall and stout and he asked to use our guest bathroom
prior to leaving for their 45 minute drive home. He came out with an
embarrassed look on his face and asked me if he could use a plunger. I
showed him where one of those plastic "accordian style" ones was hanging
behind the doors which hide a clothes washer/dryer in that bathroom and
he came out a while later, saying, "It's OK now."
After they left I took a leak in the same toilet and noticed it flushed
extremely slowly. I brought up my closet auger and went to work on it.
The head of the auger came out stuffed with shite, and after augering
for quite a while there was some improvement in the flushing, but it was
still subpar.
I finally had to bring up my trusty and rusty 20 foot hand snake and
spent another 10 minutes or so running it in and out until the toilet
flushed as well as I'd remembered it used to.
That's why I commented about a metal snake run through the toilet
scratching the bottom of the bowl. There are some grey scatches inside
that toilet now which won't scrub off, even with a Brillo pad. They now
remind me of my friend's giant turds every time I'm taking a leak and
looking down there.
If that same friend ever asks to use our guest toilet again I'm gonna
take him aside and ask if he'd please shite in stages, flushing after
each one. <G>
Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.
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