Plumbing Mystery 2

Bill

Several years ago I was called to a house because the toilet would not flush. I get there and flush it. The water came into the bowl and filled the bowl to the brim, then slowly went down. I tried to plunge, same result. I removed the toilet, took it out doors and set it up on blocks. Filled the bowl then the tank. Flushed and it worked good, just like normal. Take it back in, no flush. Take it back out and turn it upside down, ran hose through it, nothing came out. Stood it up, fill bowl and tank, flush good. Tried it about 6 times, nothing wrong. Every time I installed it inside it would not flush. I figured maybe air lock, so I cut the pipe just under the flange in the basement, installed a 4 x 2 y, then ran vent up side of house. Same thing. No flush inside, but flushed good outside. Owner stated this never happened before the remodel. I called a friend with a camera. I figured maybe the test cap had been knocked into the line acting like a damper. Nothing but clear pipe all the way to the septic tank. 4 other companies were called in by the home owner and no one has figured out what is causing it.

Strange, very strange indeed!

__________________
Is it beer thirty yet
Virginia Department of Licensing
Virginia Plumbing Codes

Ron The Plumber

So as of today is it still a mystery?

trav007

Anybody try a new toilet yet?

__________________
Travis
www.customkreations.ca
"The most perfect technique is that which is not noticed at all"
-Pablo Casals

Bill

Yes, I replaced it with a new one, even took a hammer to the old one, thought maybe GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, or pens or pencils, but nothing in it, not even Spongebob Squarepants. I have not been back, but from what I heard the others had not figured it out either.

__________________
Is it beer thirty yet
Virginia Department of Licensing
Virginia Plumbing Codes

user15686

Sounds like a toilet ghost to me.

A good old fashioned exorcism ought to do the trick. Or, you could consult the Ouija board, for answers, whilst on the throne in question.

3Kings Plumbing

Did it have back fall when it first leaves the flange?

I thought of another reason maybe? Where I live they sloped my back yard towards my house which is where my septic is when the ydeveloped this area back in 1925. When it rains for a few good days my drains all through my house drain really slow and my toilet won't flush right. 2012 city sewers are coming!!! I can't wait

So my question is, was it raining that day or the day before you went?

__________________
Have A Blessed Day!

Ishmael

I had a similar problem with a brand new American Standard toilet once. Trap was clear, waste pipe was clear, but it just wouldn't flush. I figured maybe the trap was defective (malformed, or something). I returned it and got a new bowl - same thing. I finally replaced it with a Toto - works perfectly.

neolitic

Can we call you Ismael ?
You ever used a coffin
for a surf board?

__________________
Put your location in your profile!
(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

donfta

Had this happen and it was a manufacture defect inside ,small pin hole

skippythetownie

I had a similar problem and it turned out to be a belly in the pipe.

Tom Smith

is the vent located with in 6 ft from the toilet? it also could be to close to your main stack and causing a back flow blockage. does any other drains with in the house drain slow?

Herk

There's a good chance it's a piece of broken china inside the bowl. When you broke it, there's a chance you couldn't find anything because it was just broken in the first place. Dragging a closet auger through a toilet can easily break it, which is why some plumbers refuse to auger at all.

__________________
There are no dumb questions - just a lot of inquisitive idiots.

anvil1029

Use a ridgid micro see snake. willgo thru toilet from one side to other.

Plumb Crazy

Possible causes that I have encountered.

Loose piece of debris from broken fill valve, lime/scale build up, in tank water treatment/scent blocks get clogged in syphon jets. If your a plumber I would assume you know what those are.

If its in a basement ran overhead there would be too much volume to fill for a belly to be the issue unless you have a long horizontal branch overhead. It takes several 1.5 GPM flushes to fill the pipe to that level. What good would a flat vent do anyway? Waste of time!

Why would you spend so much time trying to put a band aid when cost effectiveness dictates new toilet after easy troubleshooting and camera revealed no blockage.

Grumpyplumber

Nope, it won't.
I own one, went home all excited, put it in the bowl, got as far as about 8" in and that was it.
They recently made a smaller head, but it still won't fit.