Toilet Problem

Ken@K&R

This is a new one on me and a little strange in my opinion. We just signed to do a new bath remodel. The owner had a contractor in before us that ripped out the old bath but in the process they did not cover the closet flange up. Of course the guy ended up dropping a screwdriver into the pipe. He has told the homeowner that it has been removed which we all doubt. The closet flange is mounted on a cast iron 45 that dumps directly into the main line (straight down). I called the local rentals to see if they rented a pipe camara and of course they do not. The local plumbers also do not have this type of equipment. Any ideas on how to get this out or check to see if it's still there? I really would hate to rip out all the old cast if it's not needed. Like I said this is my first experiance of this type. I have always stuffed rags into the sewer line to prevent this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Ken

reveivl

Can you get at where the vertical goes horizontal? Hang onto the pipe, cut a chunk out and replace with fernco. All I can think of.

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From where does knowledge come? If you need to know what is in a box, you could ask someone (not reliable), you could pray, (not useful), you can consult with the scripture (not helpful) or you could open the box (science)

747

Roto rooter guy has those cameras where i live in yellow pages. Actually i had my plumber drop a screw driver down my pipe underground in front yard when he was routing it out. He said nothing to worry about it will flush out to the street. But it was the clean out value in the yard not like your stituation. But seriously check to see if you have a roto rooter guy in your area.

Ken@K&R

In this situation there is no horizontal. The main comes in right under the toilet which has a 45 off of it. Basically it went down the pipe through the 45 and is sitting in the undergound 90 that goes to the street. There really is no other place it could be right now.

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Ken

reveivl

How far below ground is the horizontal? Like if you cut at ground level would you be able to reach the horiz.? Sure hope it's in there if you're gonna go to all this trouble.

"He said nothing to worry about it will flush out to the street." I have a hard time believing that, any plumbers want to comment? Will a toilet flush wash a steel tool (steel stool?) through the pipes?

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From where does knowledge come? If you need to know what is in a box, you could ask someone (not reliable), you could pray, (not useful), you can consult with the scripture (not helpful) or you could open the box (science)

Gordo

Have your plumber run his snake down the flange. If he hits something hard then he will know approx. how far down the line it is, then go and cut the pipe at that location.This is assuming you want to try the easiest most cost effective thing first.

If you use a camera, the screw driver will have to be removed anyway.

BTW, if the screw driver was in the main sewer line at this point it would already be causing a problem more than likely. Assuming the house is occupied.

My guess is it is b/w the elbow and stack or it was removed as said.

Hope this helps.

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Looks like some pros were here.

mdshunk

I dropped a pair of needle nose pliers down a closet flange in a commercial bathroom once. I didn't tell a soul. I called my plumber myself, who is big into drain cleaning. I simply told him, "there's a pair of pliers in there. I'd like to have them back". Most of the day had expired by the time he was done, but I had my pliers back.

To extrapolate on that, why wouldn't you just sub this little portion out to a drain cleaning company. Simply report that a screwdriver whent in "here" and you don't know where it is now. Now the problem is theirs to solve. They're the experts on getting stuff out of drain lines, and can surely do it quicker and more economically than you ever could.

Double-A

Try these folks.

Spartan Tool (Tom Web 800-435-3866 ext 343 (voice mail)
General Drain Products 800-245-6200 (ask for rep in your area)

You're looking for the rep for your area, explain your problem and ask if he's sold any cameras or replacement parts for them to anyone close to you. If nothing else, you might can pay him something to come out and 'demo' the camera for you and your plumber.

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"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

Double-A

as far as the screwdriver being flushed out, its possible, but not probable.

It would take a lot of fast moving water (most systems are designed for 2 feet per second flow, that just isn't fast enough) to move that screwdriver into the main where it won't cause much trouble..

There are all kinds of retrievers, but the best way is to cut the pipe close to the known location or just down stream, and retrieve it.

Because sewer gas is harmful, this dink should have plugged that riser with an expansion plug or "dynamited" it with plaster as soon as the water closet was pulled.

__________________
"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006