clogged toilet help please
 

Yeah... sucks huh?

Got 2 snakes - one 20' long, but the little 1/4" metal strip. Won't even bend enough/properly to go down the goose neck bend on the toilet. The other is short (5 foot?) but heavy duty auger w/ the hollow guide rod/handle. Goes in like a treat - but the blockage is beyond its reach.

The sinks next to the toilet drain fine. The shower next to the toilet drains fine. The other bathroom on the otherside of the wall drains fine. Just that one toilet.

Tried the baking soda and vinegar - no joy.

Tried the dish soap and hot water - no joy.

"industrial strength" liquid plummer - no joy.

The high-molarity H[sub]2[/sub]SO[sub]4[/sub] (sold as "Liquid Fire" - closest thing to a 1/4 stick of dynamite I could find) worked, slightly. So at least the toilet drains water now - no where near fast enough to call it a "flush" but it is better. Did a second treatment of the acid, not a lot of change.

What else works, aside from calling a plumber? I think I need a better plunger, the one I have doesn't get a seal...

Suggestions?

Remove the toilet - takes all of five minutes.

If all the other nearby fixtures are flushing/draining properly then the clog is either in the toilet itself or can likely easily removed once you have clear access to the four-inch.

_

Go up on the roof and run the snake down the vent stack (pipe). Get a longer snake too.

This. Pull the toilet.

Turn off the water, get as much out from the tank/bowl as you can. Pull the toilet, and deal with the clog (by your description, its likely very close). Get a new wax ring to seal interface of the toilet.

Don't like this plan?

Call 'the man', drop $80-120 bucks.

Oh, and stop eating so much cheese.

Remove the toilet, smash with hammer, replace with TOTO brand, they never clog. Seriously.

Two side mount nuts and the toilet comes off. Not a fun job in your circumstance but easy all the same.

Use a shop vac to suck up all the water in the tank and bowl then pull the toilet. Simple.

Pull the toilet.

Oh and get one of these plungers for future issues. Works like a charm, had a clog that I thought I was going to need to snake, but once I upgraded to this plunger I haven't had any trouble.


Korky Beehive Max Toilet Plunger 99-8A at The Home Depot - Mobile

I've got a little 100mm by 100mm hole cut in mine just above ground level for doing this. A bit of PVC pipe clips over this to keep it closed off for non disaster times. On other houses (the ones I've re-plumbed) I've got an inspection cover that screws off. This is much easier to use.

hahahaha. I know you are serious about the Totos. They are the best.

I suggest call in the big gun and pay your 100 bucks and be done with it. So you have to clean up after him, but its a lot less frustrated having to deal with it. I bet its in the tarp. Wads of TP.

Go on diet.

Seriously, what brand of toilet paper are you using?

I was told by a plumber in our department that Costco's Kirkland brand toilet paper contains recycled plastic and it can hang up and cause problems, particularly in older homes with cast iron waste lines.

Our upstairs toilet seems to have a problem digesting triple layer paper.
Our downstairs toilet is a Champion 4. No clogs yet! (kind of a noisy flush though)

Back when I had a house, I had one of these, 25'. We had a shower that would clog, and if you didn't have a long snake, you weren't going to fix the issue. On top of that, it was more sturdy than most of the other stuff.

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pro...3877d_1000.jpg

But yeah, removing the toilet only takes a few mins and you'll only need a wax ring which is maybe $5 for the deluxe model.

You have kids?

Had a similar problem with our downstairs terlet when my son was about 6. I found NEMO stuck in the s-channel. Had to finally pull the unit to figure it out.

You sure it's not in the toilet itself?

The 5' augur will double back on itself when you think it's actually passing thru the bend. Only way to know is pull the crapper and check. Be prepared...

T^his. Pull the toilet.
You already spent more time and effort than it would have taken.

I smashed a toilet with a sledge hammer once. It's dangerous. Porcelain tends to shatter violently into sharp shards that leave the scene at high velocity.
Still got the scar.
I don't recommend.

I had a champion 4 toilet, can't clog them but it back-washed and always had a little of that dive urinal smell.
I switched to a toto and will never buy any other brand, they got me sold.

There is a special toilet de-plugging auger that has a long metal tube that curves on the bottom to get past the worst of the bends. A crank on top allows you to pull the flex hose out, insert the solid tube as far as it will go then crank the handle and push down. Sometimes you have to do it twice but it never fails. Leave the coiled hose part out, put in shower and douse well with leach and boiling water and let dry. Do not let any metal lay on the shower floor or you'll get rust colored lines that are a ***** to remove. They are around $10 at Home Depot.