# Plumbing Help



## stimmie78 (Dec 8, 2007)

So I have a toilet on one end of the house that has clogged off and on through the years. It has been clogging more and more lately so I got under the house to see what things look like. The tub drains fine, and the sink drains fine also. I drew up the system on paint and put in the pitch for each section. It's all on my flickr set here : http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCcAMUb

Seems like there are some sections that are too flat. Would that be the cause? Any plumbers out there?

Thanks


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Where's the clean out? Is the toilet a good flusher?


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## stimmie78 (Dec 8, 2007)

The toilet is the same as the one on the other end of the house. After the hvac drain the pipe continues on to pick up the other bathroom and the laundry before leaving the house.. The problem toilet is the only problem we've really had.. The house was built in 2006.. In fact this month in 06 is when we moved in.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

I would pull the toilet from the floor and inspect/snake to the where the next drain joins. The other drains are flowing fine, so it's possible the problem is between those two points. I don't think the slight drop is the issue, but I've been wrong many times. If I only had a penny for every time. 

If you do that, you'll want to have a new wax ring/seal replacement ready and be careful to not overtighten the floor toilet nuts…

P.S. - I'm not a plumber, but maybe one will chime in.


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## huntingbuddy (Sep 10, 2007)

I haven't done plumbing for about 4 years but when we would lay sewer, the general rule was to have at least a quarter bubble of grade on your level. If the drop from the floor to your elbow isn't giving it enough force to get past any low spots you might have that could be your problem. Also with the tub and sink it is just water so there really isn't much for it to clog, plus it is more of a constant flow for more extended periods of time than a toilet. Your toilet obviously is flushing solids with just a short burst of liquid so that could be your problem is not enough grade on your pipes. You could almost go as far to say from the elbow to the 60 but at the very least I would say from the elbow to the Y where your sink and toilet come together.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I looked at your drawing and didn't see any air vents, I'm assuming there is at least one going through the roof? Make sure no birds or debris got in the vent tube and clogged it off. Or like what has already been suggested you may have to pull the toilet and snake the drain to find the clog.


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## stimmie78 (Dec 8, 2007)

If I pull the toilet, how do I know what wax ring to get? I was at Ace Hardware yesterday and they have 4 or 5 different ones. I'm pretty sure there is a vent... yes the city building inspector is a tard, and so was the person that built my house, but I would hope there was a vent there.. I'll double check tomorrow.


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

A fluidmaster No. 1 wax ring with polyethylene flange that fits 3" and 4" waste lines should be just fine. If your floor anchor flange where the wax ring sits it below the floor very much, go with a No. 10 (it just has more/heavier wax so you don't have to use two) to be safe. Make sure to replace the anchor bolts, even if the old ones look ok, just saves future headaches.

When you pull the toilet, be sure to carefully check the bottom opening (really look close as far as you can see inside) for any objects. I've seen many bottle caps, q-tips, tooth brushes, etc. that lodge down there and kind of act like a butterfly valve, occasionally blocking waste, them moving out of the way for a while so all appears well. Good luck!


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## trouthunter1 (Sep 12, 2007)

What brand of toilet is it? That could be half your problem.


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## stimmie78 (Dec 8, 2007)

Toilet brand is Mansfield.. Sorry.. been busy, haven't been on here much lately..


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

You guys are making this way to difficult. 10-1 odd one of his kids flushed something down it, and it's stuck in the toilet somewhere. Most likely a toothbrush, g.i joe, or a hair comb.


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## stimmie78 (Dec 8, 2007)

Fixed that may be the case... but it's been clogging off and on ever since the child was potty trained.. it's just been getting worse and worse lately..


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

We had a similar issue in our house where is used to flush fine then got clogged regularly. Changed it out for a dual flush Sam's Club $90 deal and I don't know that it has ever clogged and I have even tried to by always using the #1 button for my biggest #2 effort....


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## trouthunter1 (Sep 12, 2007)

Go get you a Kohler toilet. Pay more than $150 for it. They make one with a large throat. You won't be sorry. I have more problems with the dual flushers. Toto makes a good toilet. Just remember you get what you pay for.


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

Q tips and stuff like that will clog them too. On day it will flush fine, the next day poop will get stuck on the q tip. Have you ran a snake down it yet?


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