Blocked toilet etc

[John Smith]

My upstairs toilet still flushes, but the water doesn't leave fast, so that the bowl fills up and empties slowly, and ends up less full (of water) than usually. It also gurgles (outside where the vertical drain-pipe is) halfway through. I have a heavy vertical iron drain-pipe outside, which has the bit that sticks up in the air for venting. At the bottom, there is a horizontal underground run for about 3 meters, at the end of which is a manhole where everything seems ok. I worry that the underground bit has collapsed, and I will not be able to do that myself. I also generally worry about the heavy iron venting pipe (in case it falls), which is right over where we sit outside in the summer. Questions:

1. What is likely to be wrong ?
2. What can you do if the underground bit has collapsed ?
3. How heavy is the iron pipe likely to be (per foot), if I want to try to take it down myself ?
4. Do you know any drainage plumbers near Ruislip (west London) to AVOID, or perhaps recommend ?

Many thanks...

[Owain]

"John Smith" wrote ... | My upstairs toilet still flushes, but the water doesn't leave fast, | so that the bowl fills up and empties slowly, and ends up less | full (of water) than usually. It also gurgles (outside where | the vertical drain-pipe is) halfway through. | I have a heavy vertical iron drain-pipe outside, which has the | bit that sticks up in the air for venting. At the bottom, there | is a horizontal underground run for about 3 meters, at the end | of which is a manhole where everything seems ok. | I worry that the underground bit has collapsed, and I will not be | able to do that myself. I also generally worry about the heavy | iron venting pipe (in case it falls), which is right over where | we sit outside in the summer. | Questions: | 1. What is likely to be wrong ?

Most likely, toothbrush/etc and accumulated 'mess' round the bend of the WC slowing down the discharge. Get your arm round the bend and have a feel :-(

| 2. What can you do if the underground bit has collapsed ?

Dig it up and replace it.

| 3. How heavy is the iron pipe likely to be (per foot), if I want to | try to take it down myself ?

Does it look like it's coming away from the wall? If not, leave well alone.

If the top of the vent pipe is not beyond reach (scaffold tower?) then get a big bucket of water and chuck it down the pipe with someone else watching the manhole. If it comes out the manhole with a whoosh then there's nothing wrong with the main pipe and the problem is with the branch to the WC or the WC trap.

Owain

[John Rumm]

It may be blocked there, but that is perhaps less likely since the water etc will reach that bit at a fairly high speed and with some force. You could presumably check that section by rodding up it from the manhole. Assuming you can push a rod along the underground section (use a worm thread on the rod so you don't compact any blockage that might be there), then the blockage is more likely to be closer to the loo.

If you have ever tried to get a cast iron pipe off a wall you would be less worried about it falling all by itself! They are typically "nailed" with heavy four or five inch studs into wooden plugs that are built into the wall. Typically they are very secure.

Blockage nearer the loo is likely - round its trap or in the pipework immediately afterwards. Assuming a rodding operation from below has not helped, then it is perhaps time to don the rubber gloves and see if you can feel anything round the u bend....

Good dose of caustic soda would help shift anything organic that might be causing a blockage.

Does the loo connect directly to the vertical section of the soil stack, or is there a latteral run to reach it?

Dig it up and replace it.

Pretty heavy... 5kg / foot perhaps (pardon the mixed units)?

[Huge]

[15 lines snipped]

Only do this with rods that clip, rather than screw together. If the worm gets jammed in something, you cannot get it out without turning the rods anti-clockwise in which case the joints come undone.

[John Smith]

The toilet "exhaust" pipe is horizontal, into 90 deg plastic bend, into floor, into 90 deg bend (between floor upstairs and ceiling downstairs), through outside wall, into vertical pipe (T-bend), all this is max 1 meter long total. Perhaps I should take the toilet off (did this before, when laying vinyl floor), and stick hand down pipe :-(((((

[John Smith]

Is it advisable to use a garden hose with water ON ???

[John Rumm]

You can do, but consider that a blockage can be made worse by the addition of a spray nozzle off the end of a hose ;-)

[John Smith]

I was thinking of the hose with no implement at the end. Anyway, removed toilet, and blockage was in T-junction outside (upstairs). Cleared by pushing a piece of garden hose (no water) through the bends, and then rotating it to clear "substance" that had over the years narrowed the pipe to the extent that toiletpaper couldn't get through. Alternated this with pouring water in. Lovely smell, family fled. Works fine now.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Shiove a hosepipe up the manhole cover towrads the vertical stack, and see what washes out. If its compacted goo at teh base of te stack it should wash out. Pouring a load of caustic soda down the loo may help.

If teh horozontal has gone, its dig up time perid. No way to sort that remotely.

If its loo blocakge at teh U bend, again caustic may belf AND if its also scaled up beyond belief, a few loo fulls of brick acid will fizz the scale away too. Most blocakges are combinations of thngs - an obstruction starts, collects stuff, and a composite dam of paper and shit and nappies forms.

Often a good wash out with a hose breaks that up, and a caustic flush clens out most of whats left, but if tehre is e.g. a toothbrush jammed across an angle, that does need to be removed. Again sometimes pushing woith a hose or rod will dislodge it and allow it to get to the manhole.

Beare of rodding as a first step: Oi ofte compacts and makes thngs worse. Best first step is always cauistic, because its easy, then a hose, because it washes away most of the loose stiuff gently. Rods are a final resort, and excavation a final final resort..:-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yes.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Should have used hose with water on and caustic.

[Terry]

Obviously flushed with success! Well done John.