Need help unclogging toilet

[yourbeliefs]

I know this is the last thing people want to see but I am beyond frustrated and need some help. One of toilets is clogged, and I tried the plunger and tried the auger and neither are working. I have company coming for the weekend so it would behoove me to get this fixed ASAP. Can anyone give any other advice? On various places they said soap worked, but it didn't work for me. I dont' know what I'm asking for here... ANYTHING.. I had to take a break because my wrist and hand were about to fall off from hypothermia.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

First off...

Stop wiping your butt with print outs from the other satellite site.

Secondly...

Well I don't have any more advice for you there. Good luck!

 

[Peter Parker]

The last time one of mine clogged I tried both plungers (the standard drain type and the one specifically for toilets.. I went to Home depot and looked for a drain opener that was safe for toilets none were.

another customer directed me to a plunger that was entirely made of plastic and looked quite flimsy. at the end the was sort of a bellows type head. It looked flimsy but i was desperate and it was less than $4.00.

When i got home to use it I realized that this whole thing bent as I exerted pressure. I wassure I would break it but instead after three plunges the water left the toilet. I have no ide aw hat this cheap piece of plastic is called but it works.

 

[RandallA]

I know this is the last thing people want to see but I am beyond frustrated and need some help. One of toilets is clogged, and I tried the plunger and tried the auger and neither are working. I have company coming for the weekend so it would behoove me to get this fixed ASAP. Can anyone give any other advice? On various places they said soap worked, but it didn't work for me. I dont' know what I'm asking for here... ANYTHING.. I had to take a break because my wrist and hand were about to fall off from hypothermia.

What about Drano? Did you try it already?

 

[yourbeliefs]

What about Drano? Did you try it already?

I don't think you're supposed to use that on Toilets.

 

[Peter Parker]

I don't think you're supposed to use that on Toilets.

As i mentioned above no youa re not it can damage/discolor the toilet.

 

[KyDave]

About 2 years ago I had a similar clog - searching around plumbers forums I found a tip. But it would require the commode water to be fairly low to start with. Take a bucket and fill it up with very hot water from the tub. Dump the bucket into the commode as forcefully as you can. Try to dump it as high as possible, also - letting gravity work for you. You may need to repeat once the water goes back down. It took me 3 tries but that finally worked for me.

 

[yourbeliefs]

About 2 years ago I had a similar clog - searching around plumbers forums I found a tip. But it would require the commode water to be fairly low to start with. Take a bucket and fill it up with very hot water from the tub. Dump the bucket into the commode as forcefully as you can. Try to dump it as high as possible, also - letting gravity work for you. You may need to repeat once the water goes back down. It took me 3 tries but that finally worked for me.

Stupid question.. what is the Commode? Also I think I heard of that too.. using really hot water.

 

[KyDave]

....sorry...same as toilet

 

[Peter Parker]

Another potential problem is that the rim flush holes are clogged. It si next to impossible to see them but you might try wiping the area where theya r elocated that might clear them. If you ahve hard water or use those tablets that make the water blue and clean the toilet those holes are susceptible to clogging. If they are clogged the water bucket method will get rid of today's clog but it will reappear.

 

[RandallA]

I don't think you're supposed to use that on Toilets.

There's one that can be used for toilets.

Plumbing Problems - Home Plumbing Problems By Drano ®

 

[yourbeliefs]

There's one that can be used for toilets.

Plumbing Problems - Home Plumbing Problems By Drano ®

I think that product is more for clog PREVENTION as opposed to immediate use, because it says on the directions to flush a bunch of times on consecutive days and to not flush for like 6 hours after each application... course I guess I could TRY to call that number they have..

 

[Peter Parker]

There's one that can be used for toilets.

Plumbing Problems - Home Plumbing Problems By Drano ®

That is build up remover not a drain opener. Two different things. That prevents some types of clogs from occuring. but it si too alte for that.

 

[JAG72]

Do you have young kids? If you do could it be possible that some toy or something else is stuck in there and you will have to take the toilet apart.

 

[yourbeliefs]

About 2 years ago I had a similar clog - searching around plumbers forums I found a tip. But it would require the commode water to be fairly low to start with. Take a bucket and fill it up with very hot water from the tub. Dump the bucket into the commode as forcefully as you can. Try to dump it as high as possible, also - letting gravity work for you. You may need to repeat once the water goes back down. It took me 3 tries but that finally worked for me.

I tried about 8 times and it didn't work..

I'm sure your method is sound, but apparently it doesn't help here..

I suppose this isn't a huge issue in that the toilet will still drain, but it drains very slowly.. so a dump may not be good but I suppose it woudl be fine with #1... hmmm... let me go and test that theory now:

Seemed to work.. unfortunately I couldn't tell because I tried some soap.. and that kinda made it hard to see if my "colored liquid" went out..

 

[yourbeliefs]

Do you have young kids? If you do could it be possible that some toy or something else is stuck in there and you will have to take the toilet apart.

Oh no... this is all me... this is from something I created.. and it wasn't a child.. ;p

 

[skottey]

Are you sure it is in the toilet and not the pipe below that goes to the main line?

When we had a problem the toilet snake and the plunger wouldn't fix, I had the wife unscrew the toilet from the floor and we ran the larger snake tool down the main line and pushed whatever it was out. That worked. It is a good idea if you have one of those rubber (I think it is rubber) seals handy to replace the old seal when you screw it back into the floor. So go to Home Depot or Lowes and get the larger crank auger tool thing with the arrow on the end and a seal. Then get your wife or the hired help to take off the toilet and run the tool down into the sewer pipe. That should do the trick.

Just be thankful it is only one toilet. You haven't hated life to it's fullest until you have replaced fifty feet of orangeburg pipe by means of digging and laying new PVC in the Florida summer heat. You've got it good my friend. haha.

 

[Peter Parker]

I tried about 8 times and it didn't work..

I'm sure your method is sound, but apparently it doesn't help here..

I suppose this isn't a huge issue in that the toilet will still drain, but it drains very slowly.. so a dump may not be good but I suppose it woudl be fine with #1... hmmm... let me go and test that theory now:

Seemed to work.. unfortunately I couldn't tell because I tried some soap.. and that kinda made it hard to see if my "colored liquid" went out..

Well if it drijns slowly even with that method it si not the flush holes. The plasti plunger i emntioned might work and if the clog is entirely organic it is possible that the buildup remover might help if you kept trying it.

but this may be a job for an actual plumber. you could have an object preventing a real flush.

 

[navychop]

The seal is a wax ring, and I think there are something like 3 different sizes. Be sure to get the right one.

 

[yourbeliefs]

Well I finished my "business" on another toilet.. but as the house owner said in not so many words, "Failure is not an option" for fixing this problem.

So back to work for me.. perfect way to spend a friday night...

*Takes a swig of vodka and heads back*

Damn.. I forgot how bad that Dubra stuff is...