Strange toilet blockage issue

[blueagle78]

I've got a really strange blockage issue with my en-suite toilet so I'm hoping someone can advise what to do about it. When I bought this house, the toilet was being flushed by a "saniflow" so when it packed up, I decided to get the proper piping in place. Got all that sorted last month. Couple of days ago after flushing we could hear bubbling sounds from the toilet seat but since yesterday when we flush the toilet, its taking at least 5 minutes to take the water down to the normal level. What could possibly be the issue? Thanks

 

[transam]

Drain/ outlet to the drain has a blockage / restriction some where ?


Not one of them older type syphonic WC's is it ( unlikely ?)

 

[blueagle78]

Drain/ outlet to the drain has a blockage / restriction some where ?


Not one of them older type syphonic WC's is it ( unlikely ?)

Thanks for your response. No its a modern toilet and I can't understand where the blockage could be. Because from the toilet outlet to the main guttering pipe, its all new piping and we've never thrown anything in the toilet apart from the toilet tissues.

 

[mikeyd]

...guttering pipe...

This pipe is a 110mm pipe to your sewer yes? (And not connected to any gutters)

 

[longdogs]

Are you missing one of those toilet fresneners that that sit on the toilet rim?

 

[dal5band]

If it is not flowing it is blocked - don't ignore the obvious. Maybe a bit of debris from the installer - plastic bag or piece plastic starts the blockage then everything else piles up behind. Try plunging with a rubber plunger - just create waves and it will shift the blockage. Otherwise there maybe problem with the installation - does it all run downhill etc.

 

[Space cat]

Couple of days ago after flushing we could hear bubbling sounds from the toilet seat

Did you watch the water flush away on that occasion? If the bowl fills up to the rim, you'll get bubbling noises as the cistern tries to empty. The other source of a bubbling noise would be air coming back through the trap - in which case whatever you've got for a vent isn't working.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Check manhole and work backwards to find blockage.

You could pour some red food dye into the cistern and flush the toilet to work out which pipe it comes from.

Andy

 

[blueagle78]

Thanks for all your replies. There's no air vent and my father-in-law told me air was trapped in the pipes so I made a tiny hole at the top of the bend which then leads pipes down to the underground sewage and it seems to have done the trick. Water is flushing nicely now. So my question now is shall I get the plumber to install some sort of air vent?

 

[dal5band]

Tape over the hole you made - it may work ok now. Otherwie you need to install a one way valve (non return valve) that lets the air in but stops any nasty gases coming back up. Best get the plumber back. This toilet must be a long way from your stand pipe which the vent most houses have.

 

[blueagle78]

dal5band thanks for your very informative response. All the piping is external and its a detached house. The other house is good 5 meters or so away from ours and there are no windows of my house anywhere near the hole. I'm thinking of removing the bend which is coming out of the external wall and installing equal junction so we can have a proper vent pipe outside. Of course the plumber would do all this. Would that resolve the issue permanently?
Also just realised, he's used the underground (brown) pipe as a soil pipe. I hope that won't cause any issues in the future?
Sorry I know as little about plumbing stuffs as my granny knows about cars.

 

[Space cat]

he's used the underground (brown) pipe as a soil pipe. I hope that won't cause any issues in the future?

That depends on two things:

1) Do you have separate drains for sewage and rainwater?

2) If the answer to (1) is yes, which one has the plumber used?

To answer the first question, look at your manholes. If you have separate drainage there will be two final ones somewhere near your property boundary. If there's only one, test it by pouring a bucket of water into a rainwater gully then flushing a toilet - but not the problem one.

Just for good measure, here's a third question: What exactly is your new toilet draining into? Is it by any chance an old rainwater gulley - complete with its own trap? Given the absence of a stack, the airlock problem and the obvious incompetence of the plumber, I'd say it's a distinct possibility.

 

[blueagle78]

Here's your answers:

1 and 2 - Yes I've got two separate drains, one for sewage and the other is for rainwater. I know plumber has used the correct one because while he had cut into the pipe to install the chamber, another toilet was flushed (not on purpose) and all the water came out from that cut pipe so I know he's connected it into the correct one.
Plumber installed a new chambers/manhole etc.. for the new toilet and it has been flushing fine for over 3 weeks. Problem only started about 4 days ago and as I've stated above me drilling a really tiny hole in the bend pipe which is leaving the external wall of the house has fixed the problem for now. But I would like to know what should I do to ensure it doesn't happen again?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Your 'Plumber' should know the brown underground drain is not suitable for above ground use! He doesnt seem to have much idea of how to fit a stack either so we can only assume he has connected it to the foul sewer (not the surface water, in the correct manner.... Did Building Control inspect the work

I'd seriously suggest you get someone who does know what they're doing to check the whole job and put right whatever needs putting right. Otherwise I suspect you will have quite a few issues with this toilet.... If you can put up some photo's of what you can see we may be able to advise further. (It seems like you may have been better off with the Saniflo..... )

 

[dal5band]

As spacecat says, make sure you are connected to the right drains, without any gully traps (u bends) in line.
Just wander why the original toilet used a Saaniflow macirator.
We have a ground floor toilet which runs perfectly well without a near vent pipe - original installation when house was built in 1955. Maybe different if yours is upstairs.