Toilet Clogs every few days

[David Morgenlender]

We've been in the same house with the same toilet for 25 years. In all those years we didn't have it overflow a single time until a few weeks ago. At that time it clogged & overflowed. Since then it's clogged 3 more times, overflowing

2 of those times. The first 3 times a different plumber from the same firm has used an auger until he says the line is cleared, and the toilet flushes ok many times until the next clog. Now we've got to get it fixed for a 4th time.

We don't have anybody throwing stuff into the toilet, which shouldn't be there. The toilet is off the master bedroom. The only other toilet is on the other side of a wall. We can see where the drain pipes hit the main drain pipes in the garage. Essentially it's a straight short drop from the top level of a split level into the garage. Nothing else has had any problems, so presumably the problem is in the short length of drain pipe or the toilet itself.

Somebody suggested Roto-Rooter; but this isn't a clog in the main line, and they would seem like overkill ... but I've never used them, so I can't be sure.

Any suggestions as to what could be causing the problem & a solution?

Thanks for your help!

======================================================= Dave Morgenlender e-mail: [e-mail] =======================================================

[Chuck]

At this point.. I'd pull the toilet up and take a look,,, and snake with toilet removed... not a big deal.. cost of a wax seal.. Chuck

[m Ransley]

Might a clogged vent stack be not allowing proper flow, causing a vacume to stop the sewage at a certain place.

[buffalobill]

first find the search box and type in incomplete flush at:

free repair site comment: you've got the power to fix this with your wet-vac, a new wax seal, some disposable rubber gloves, plus some inexpensive repair parts. if they suggest to snake the trap in the toilet after removing it be sure to snake thru it and then pull back thru an old towel. sometimes the snake can go thru but the plastic item blocking solids is discovered this way. you'll also be adding a powerful small flashlight and 2" inspection mirror to your bag of plumbing tricks.

[Colbyt]

The only time I have experienced the problem you describe is when something is stuck in the trap of the toilet. Possibles include small plastic toys, those block things that hang in the bowl, a dropped razor anything else a child be have placed in there and the damnest thing I ever found was a tablespoon.

That spoon allowed it to flush perfectly until you added solids or paper. Once removed it worked fine.

Colbyt

[chickenwing]

That's a really good theory, I wonder if its true.

[PaPaPeng]

The most likely problem is the floor wax seal is leaky. This allows air in during the flush cycle and thereby weakens or breaks the siphon action. Replace the wax seal.

[Toller]

I don't have any advice on why it keeps clogging. I have one that clogged 4 times in a week and is okay for a few months; then it clogs repeatedly again. Maybe I should replace the wax ring as one of your answers suggested.

But I am concerned about it overflowing. Toilets are designed so that the bowel is large enough to hold a tank if it is clogged. It should not overflow. I think maybe you have two problems.

[Oscar_Lives]

Add some fiber to your diet.

[dancwlumber]

[DanG]

Sounds like something in the internal toilet trap. Kids' toy, toothbrush, broken piece of plastic, shower ring are all possible candidates. The plumber can clear the paper and solids and water will flush fine. A generous turd and the requisite paper can hang up and cause the overflow. These things can be almost impossible to see and a toilet auger can go past them without removing them. Plan on taking the toilet off the floor and turning it upside down - remember there is water in the trap!!!! This will let you look and feel up into the trap from the bottom.

(top posted for your convenience) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) [e-mail]

[Michael Daly]

I wonder if the pipe isn't broken somewhere between your house and the main sewer. The auger could clear it temporarily by pushing a broken part aside; when retracted, the broken part resettles and the clog builds up again. This happened at a house I owned years ago - the first clog was roots that broke the pipe - subsequent clogs were caused by broken pipe pieces.

Check the toilet and pipes close to the toilet as others have suggested. If you find nothing, you might need a plumber to run a camera down the drain for a visual inspection.

Mike

[Nick Hull]

Toilets never overflow unless you flush twice. Learn to flush only once ;)

[Colbyt]

That is true for the modern water saver models. A 25 year old one can dump

3-3.5 gallons into the bowl with a single flush and then overflow.