Lavatory waste wants to stay in pan

[Lucky Luke]

Hello:
The lavatory in our house has been installed for over 30 years, with no problems. The cistern is close-coupled underneath a window, so cannot be raised. The other day, I flushed the loo but the waste remained, and I needed to flush 3 times to shift it. It seemed to be OK the following day (it worked). This lingering of waste happened again today, and required about five flushes to clear it. At the first flushing, even the loo paper remained in the pan. The fact that it does eventually clear tells me that a blockage is unlikely. The cistern contains the largest amount of water possible (how much is optional). I think it's eight or nine litres.

Can anyone suggest what may be wrong?

Thanks in advance, for any helpful remarks.
L.L.

 

[footprints]

Check the man hole outside first. Or ask neighbours if in a block of flats if they have problems.

 

[Lucky Luke]

Check the man hole outside first.

Thanks, footprints. I should not have thought of that. However, it's physically impossible for me to do that, as a concrete fence panel (1 of 3) traps the cover down, and I'm too old to struggle with that. I shall need to watch the problem and see if it alters, before paying much cash to even check the manhole.

Itt's interesting that you should say this, though, because the residents in our neighbouring house have had very small children for the last four days, as guests, and it could be that they may have flushed nappies or something down their loo (the drain is shared from one point, prior to the outlet at the manhole). I shall ask them as diplomatically as I can, whether they too are having problems.
L.L.

 

[footprints]

Had exactly the same problem at our old house, shared drain along 5 houses we were last before a bend and it was nappies. We were lucky because it was shared between 5 houses the local water board cleared it for free.

 

[conny]

Aren't all shared drains maintained by the water boards? Out in the country we have cess pits and for over 4 years we paid to have it emptied each year. Last year, the guy who came to empty it noticed we had 'liquid' flowing in as hw was about to start. I casually mentioned the old lady next door is connected to the same pit. Thats when he told me the pit should therefore be maintained, including emptying, by Anglian Water. So last year the LL arranged for them to empty it. Saves me just over £100 a year.

 

[Nige F]

Hello:
The lavatory in our house has been installed for over 30 years, with no problems. The cistern is close-coupled underneath a window, so cannot be raised. The other day, I flushed the loo but the waste remained, and I needed to flush 3 times to shift it. It seemed to be OK the following day (it worked). This lingering of waste happened again today, and required about five flushes to clear it. At the first flushing, even the loo paper remained in the pan. The fact that it does eventually clear tells me that a blockage is unlikely. The cistern contains the largest amount of water possible (how much is optional). I think it's eight or nine litres.

Can anyone suggest what may be wrong?

Thanks in advance, for any helpful remarks.
L.L.

worth asking your waste water provider

 

[Lucky Luke]

worth asking your waste water provider

Thanks for the suggestion, Nige F. With regard to the responsibility of the utilities provider being responsible for drains etc., they are responsible for any pipes downstream of a join from neighbours' pipes. So, if it does turn out to be a malfunctioning manhole, the service provider would be responsible for lifting our fence to gain access, and clearing it. However, I should need to be very sure before I called them out. I need to monitor it first for a day or two, and see whether it goes away. It has not been after every use, which is puzzling.
L.L.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Aren't all shared drains maintained by the water boards? Out in the country we have cess pits and for over 4 years we paid to have it emptied each year. Last year, the guy who came to empty it noticed we had 'liquid' flowing in as hw was about to start. I casually mentioned the old lady next door is connected to the same pit. Thats when he told me the pit should therefore be maintained, including emptying, by Anglian Water. So last year the LL arranged for them to empty it. Saves me just over £100 a year.

You are very lucky if AW are emptying a shared cesspit/septic tank, its normally the responsibility of all who use it, with the cost being split among the responsible parties.

@Lucky Luke does the water level rise right up int he pan when you flush, before slowly subsiding? This would indicate a blockage in the drains.

Otherwise, if the pan isn't clearing on the first flush, then I would be investigating that first, is it flushing as strongly as normal, is the water spreading out around the rim as required to wash the contents of the pan down and out?

 

[conny]

We have had a problem toilet in college since it opened nearly 2 years ago. Would work ok for a few weeks then suddenly fill up almost to the rim when flushed. Plunging would drag back bits of paper and, on rare occasions, flush away and start working again but most times we had to call the plumbers back out to sort it. They said it was students simply flushing too much paper at once and we had to suffer with it as it would eventually sort itself out eventually. Last Thursday it blocked up again and, despite repeated attempts through Friday we couldn't get it to budge. Went in this morning and it had drained down to normal level but filled again after flushing. Thats when we called in an independent plumber who brought a camera. Inspection/rodding cover off the SVP and down goes to camera to reveal a massive wad of paper mache' jammed at an unexpected bend. After rodding it away he put the camera back down to reveal a 45º bend to the right, a short section of straight then another 45º bend downwards. After a drop of 400mm, (measurements were coming up on the video camera), the vertical pipe suddenly terminated at a T junction pipe at a 90º angle instead of a sweep bend. So now we have to fight to get the original plumbers back to change all 3 joints to sweep joints instead of sharp angled ones. Says a lot that we recently discovered another leaking SVP where the rodding joint piece had never been welded, simply pushed together and then boxed in with chipboard.

 

[Lucky Luke]

@Lucky Luke does the water level rise right up int he pan when you flush, before slowly subsiding? This would indicate a blockage in the drains.

Otherwise, if the pan isn't clearing on the first flush, then I would be investigating that first, is it flushing as strongly as normal, is the water spreading out around the rim as required to wash the contents of the pan down and out?

Hugh, the water does not build up. It's just that, on the two occasions that I mentioned (also once or twice before that), the waste has not flushed away, despite the water going down the outlet. This morning, it seemed to be OK, and flushed away totally. What caused my concern was that the other day, it took four or five flushes to get rid of the waste. It's not consistent.
L.L.

 

[nitro23456]

It's called a pan slammer.

 

[Lucky Luke]

It's called a pan slammer.

Exactly what is called a pan slammer?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Hugh, the water does not build up. It's just that, on the two occasions that I mentioned (also once or twice before that), the waste has not flushed away, despite the water going down the outlet. This morning, it seemed to be OK, and flushed away totally. What caused my concern was that the other day, it took four or five flushes to get rid of the waste. It's not consistent.
L.L.

Thanks for clarifying. From that it is unlikely you have a blockage, more the flush isn't powerful enough to clear the pan. The WC is circa 30 years old, do you know if it is still using the original siphon?

 

[nitro23456]

Exactly what is called a pan slammer?

A massive dump that won't shift. My mother in law does them everytime she's visiting.

What's your diet like?

 

[Bod ...]

Have you been eating rice crispy's ?