Blocked Loo

[Buffyrose]

Anyone any amazing ideas?

Loo in spare room. Only used occasionally at night. Only liquids ever go down and a piece or two of paper.

Decided to clean it - put quite a bit of loo paper around bowl rim soaked in vinegar to get rid of limescale. After say 12 hours, flushed it away and cleaned loo. Now it’s blocked. Completely inexplicable. It drains away after a few moments. Have been trying for 3 days with plunger ( I know they can bust the drains or cause it to compact). Also a very thin serrated metal strip that’s probably for sink drains. Nothing changes at all.

First flush after leaving it all day or overnight is OK and I think, Wow, it’s cleared. Then flush it again and it back fills say half, 3rd flush, fills up completely. Does this suggest blockage is quite a way down? No paper or anything comes back, water is clean.

Loo is on first floor, in eaves, all other loos are downstairs and working fine.

What sort of help do I need? I’ve heard some people use very hot water but I think that’s with ‘normal’ human blockages isn’t it? This is nothing like that and is either a bad co-incidence or it’s that paper - but it wasn’t that much, only probably 20 sheets of thin paper at most - seems unbelievable that it’s blocked.

Thanks as always.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Fill a bucket or 2 of hot water from the bath and fill the toilet up to the rim and see what happens.

Andy

 

[Mottie]

A bucket of water poured in quickly from a great height works wonders for me when I’ve dropped a particularly big torpedo and/or chucked too much paper down the loo.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Any idea of the drainage setup for this Loo, i.e. is it on it's own stack, or does it couple in with another appliance elsewhere? Sounds very much to me like the pipework is blocked downstream, it's got an Air Admittance Valve on the top, and so when you flush, it is struggling to displace the air trapped in the pipework, hence the pan is filling up. Check manholes outside.

 

[Buffyrose]

2 kettles of very hot water from great height went in beautifully, no backup. Flushed away perfectly too. 2nd flush backs up. Outfall in inspection hatch is a trickle.

Outfall joins another loo somewhere back up the line. That loo is perfect.

Don’t know anything about Air Admittance valves . Is that like a vent? That probably is in the attic / sloping roof void is it - never been in there, not very accessible at all.

Would you suggest a hosepipe in the top end, towels all around to pack it out and stop water coming back up and then give it a blast. I’ve done that in the past with other drains. Never had a prob here before in 6 years. Property was renovated 16 years ago, so all new stufff.

thanks.

 

[Buffyrose]

Shower also uses same outfall but shower is never used - occasionally I have to put water in trap as dried out and pongs.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Air Admittance Valves do what they say on the tin, they let air in but wont let positive pressure out. If you're only getting a trickle through at the manhole (Inspection Hatch?), then the pipework is blocked further up. I wouldn't advise a hose from the top, unless you've someone in the bathroom to ensure it doesn't backflow out the shower and flood the place.

Ideally, stick some drain rods up from the manhole, and see if they find anything.

 

[Buffyrose]

Thanks for reminding me re shower.

only trouble with sticking something up from below is that there are 2 loos outfalling into that, so chances are my rod will go up the one that’s not blocked. But I’ll give it a go - got to potentially reach first storey.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Very unlikely it'll be blocked in the vertical section, in 30 years I've only ever known that happen a couple of times. Cant say more without knowing the layout, but no drain should be connected blind, if you've a section you're unable to access for cleaning then you have got big problems, (especially if it takes the WC in question!)

 

[Buffyrose]

Hosepipe trick downwards hasn’t worked. Will give it one more go. Obviously haven’t got enough pressure.

Have stuck another hosepipe up as far as I can go, probably 6ft which takes me to the bend I would say.

A plumber would be able to get to the pipe work I imagine, there is a hatch in a wall, and then a few feet drop I think into the void. Need to be about 20 years old ‘tho, not 60+ !!

pic 1 drains, 2nd from left is the offending one which is also ano loo. 1st on left is ano loo. Right is kitchen. Others are blanks. Outfall is left obviously. All nice and clean.

pic 2. Loo is on first floor to left of open window, in eaves.

pic 3. Scene of the crime

pic 4. Hatch which goes into the attic void - don’t really know what’s in there but if memory serves me correctly, there’s a 4 or so foot drop.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

No apparent vent through the roof, which indicates likelihood of an AAV on the top of the stack. Have to wonder now how much horizontal run there may be under the eaves, which could be where your issue lies. If no joy with rodding the drains, I'm afraid it may be time to bite the bullet and get someone in.

Agree, crawling round in loft spaces is a job for the younger folk, unfortunately I'm nowhere near as agile as I used to be, really would struggle doing in too often now.

 

[Buffyrose]

Do you know Hugh, I’ve just done that. I’ve never been beaten before but there we go. And I’ve a theory. The first flush is always OK. And it’s only used occasionally in the night so nothing much goes down there. How many times do you go to the loo, flush, and that’s it - walk away. So, you never know any different. It’s only when I came to clean it that I flushed it multiple times and it backed up. So it probably wasn’t the few bits of paper I put down with my vinegar on, I reckon there’s been a blockage there for ages, I’ve just never known. What do you reckon? So, when they come to unblock, it will probably be from months / years ago.
I wonder how they unblock it when it’s 2 pipes going into one, just curious. So there’s this upstairs one and then a downstairs one comes into it. How do they get a ‘rod’ or whatever up without it going the wrong way. Or do they do it from the top I wonder. Anyway, I’ll know on Saturday.

Thanks for all your input. And no, def no external vent.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

It could be a any manner of different reasons, even a poor fall (slope) on the pipework can be enough, solid matter isn't carried away by the flush and so builds up over time, eventually blocking the pipe. Unfortunately, without being on site it's difficult to do anything more than guesswork, as you can never assume anything in this game!

There are ways, not much beats a good drain expert! Please tell me you've not booked one of the franchised companies? (They are renowned for upselling work that often isn't needed.) If you've not already got someone in mind, a local Independent would probably be cheaper and glad of the custom. If you give your location, (County will usually be enough), we may be able to point you in the direction of someone who can help.

 

[Buffyrose]

Hugh - I have booked.a Franchise, for Saturday, so time to cancel. I asked on our area FB page and no-one suggested anyone. I’m in North Norfolk. Obviously, they did have good reviews!

 

[SpecialK]

Try giving it some more welly with the plunger with the bowl full of water? Do some fast back and forth actions and see if that works?
If you flush the other loo does it flow OK to the manhole or trickle?