Speedy Jim wrote in
. com:

TeGGeR® wrote:



snip


The roof is 30 feet in the air. The roof pitch is steep enough, and
wet enough, that wife does not want me up there just now. What does
the inside of the stack look like, and can I just use my 25' auger
inside it? If there's ice or other debris, will it be readliy visible
with a light?

Thanks for any help.



Tough call. You've done all the right tests.

The toilet doesn't depend on the stack vent to
allow the water to go down the soil stack.
The vent only prevents siphoning of the bowl
(and other fixtures).



I didn't know that.



Blockage at the discharge
end (to septic/sewer) will cause backpressure
which could affect it.



Basement toilet flushes fine. I'd also expect problems with that one if the
connection to the minucipal sewer were blocked.




If the stack vent were blocked I would expect to hear
(sink) trap gurgling during flushing.



It does not gurgle. No sounds at all fron sink drain.


And this would
affect all floors. If you dare go on the roof, you
can drop a string down or pour water or even listen
during flushing.



We've decided to use the basement toilet until the roof is dry, at which
point I'll see what I can do up there with the auger. If running the auger
down the vent doesn't help, we're just going to bite the bullet and get a
new toilet. Don't know what else to do.




Don't have a pat answer. Is it worth sticking another
toilet on there?


I'd be willing, if I knew that was it. I suppose I could lug the basement
toilet upstairs and install it there to see if that makes a difference, but
that seems like an awful lot of work at this point.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/