Toilet Trouble

[The Medway Handyman]

Hi All

Funny things happening with our toilet. Every now and then, when flushed the water level rises to the rim. In the time it takes for the cistern to fill, the level drops back to lower than normal, the last bit sounding like a siphon. No difference whether its number 1 or 2.

Then it's fine for a few days. Checked the usual culprits (swimbo, daughter) and its not them. Prodded around with my springy thing, used caustic soda.

One possibility is my three year old granddaughter - possibly she has flushed something like a toy down there?

Any ideas before I don the extra length marigolds?

[Ian Stirling]

have waterproof cameras. Some are quite small, and relatively cheap, and could be deployed to the final frontier.

[John Stumbles]

Sounds like a blockage. One of our anklebiters went through a brief phase of dropping loo rolls down the pan. They got around the bend then lodged inthe pipework and swelled up.

The best tool I've found for dealing with these things is a 'toilet augur' which you can sometimes get from big B&Qs but I haven't seen elsewhere, even proper plumbers' merchants (though maybe that's because I haven't looked properly or asked). They're a spring about 10mm dia inside a plastic tube which is bent at the end. You withdraw the spring within the tube, push the tube down and partway round the bend, push the spring through it and twist it with a handle at the clean end. This usually breaks up any blockage pronto.

[John]

Don't assume it is a blockage near the pan - does the water level rise more if it is flushed soon after a previous flush? Is so it may be close - what is the pipe run like? Is there a long almost horizontal section?

You could try pushing a hosepipe down and blasting water down. It might save you buying something that may not be long enough.

Good luck.

John

[The Medway Handyman]

I got one of they - refered to as "my springy thing" and it hasn't yet shifted it.

Dave

[Chris Bacon]

Just shove your hand down, and see whether you can feel anything!

[The Medway Handyman]

Hmmm! Got me thinking. It does seem to happen gradually.

The soil pipe leaves the trap turns 90 degrees and immediately goes down below the flooboards, then is horizontal under the floor for about 2' before exiting through the wall and into the soil pipe.

I've got some rods and have an access point fairly near the stack - I might try that.

[The Medway Handyman]

I've got a better idea Chris, why don't you .......................

:-)

[Chris Bacon]

I would, if you paid me for the job... it's not that bad, you could always shove some disinfectant down first if you're squeamish.

[Sponix]

That explains the dirt under your fingernails then..

[Frank Erskine]

But be sure to stand well clear as you blast the water.... :-)

[DaveWu]

You¢ve got a blockage Get a handyman in

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

He is, he's running a handyman service. lol ;-)

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[Steven Campbell]

Whooooosh

[Dave W]

No Shit Sherlock

Pay peanuts get monkeys

Or handypeople

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

No Shit Holmes!

Sometimes you can pay broosters and get apes.

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[John]

The soil pipe leaves the trap turns 90 degrees and immediately goes down below the flooboards, then is horizontal under the floor for about 2' before exiting through the wall and into the soil pipe

I don't suppose your arm will rech the horizontal section then. Surely this is the most likely place for a problem - or any 90degree bends.

John

[Andy Hall]

Yes, but what do you do to the toilet? :-)

[Andy Hall]

Pressure washer?

Make a suitably angled swan neck shaped thingy to go on the end of the lance.

Jet of water is directed towards the blockage.

[John]

The problem may not be close to the toilet at all. Our downstairs WC suffers this problem sometimes (twice in four years so hardly a panic situation). On each occasion the actual cause has been a blockage further down along a shared drain (bloody flush and wipe down cloths from neighbours) Whereas the other WCs in our house have stench pipes this particular one discharges into an unvented soil pipe running underground into a manhole. When the manhole fills up it creates a water seal to the discharge pipe and the bowl fills up then slowly goes down. Check the pipe configuration and if the drains are backed up before diving in