View Single Post
  #19   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
Roger Shoaf Roger Shoaf is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 879
Default I plunged, I auged, now I'll reckon I'll rent a snake

The water in the bowl is not clean, there is all sorts of nasties in there.
This however is probably not going to be a problem unless you have open
sores. Be sure to wash your hands afterwards.

Pull the toilet, carry it out to the lawn, turn it upside down and stuff the
garden hose in from the bottom.

After you have cleared the blockage, use a mirror and check the little holes
under the rim. Often these get gunked up and having the hose handy makes
cleaning and flushing these hole out easy at this point. A chunk of coat
hanger wire is handy also

While you have the toilet pulled, if you have any touch up paint left over
you can now paint behind the toilet.

Also while you have the toilet out, it is a good time to change the gasket
between the tank and the bowl, and clean really good in all the nooks and
crannies. If you do not already have one, invest in a 1/4 turn ball valve
for the supply and replace the supply line with the good stainless braided
line. The price of these parts is a whole lot cheaper than fixing water
damage in the future.

If the toilet has ever ran or the internals have ever given you grief, now
is a good time to replace them. The FluidMaster fill valve is a reliable
brand and a whole lot better than the ball on the rod floats. A good
quality flush valve and you are done.

When reinstalling, once you have seated the bowl, and are sure their is no
leaks, a small bead of caulk around the base may be a good idea, especially
around the front and sides.

Start early in case you need to make multiple trips to the hardware store,
or something goes wrong.


--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.


"Mike" wrote in message
...
On Mar 20, 12:02 pm, wrote:
On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:29:05 -0700 (PDT), Mike
wrote:



I posted here yesterday about a toilet in my house that has recently
turned into a lazy flusher (upon flushing the water spins a bit, then
stops and then the water level drops, but it's not flushing like it
did even a week ago). Someone here suggested getting an auger and I
did that. I was hopeful that it would be the solution I needed, but
after auging and then plunging a bit more I am seeing no improvement.
(There was a little paper floating around the bowl after I pulled the
auger out.) I'm making a few calls now to rent a snake. I think I'd
rather try to snake it than pulling the toilet as that sounds like a
messy headache. One place I called said they had a 100 foot snake for
$45 a day. He said they might have a smaller one around the shop
somewhere. I hope they do as 100 feet is likely way too long.


Anyhow, any advice for a guy about to snake his toilet? I guess I can
plan on having some scratch marks in the bottom of the toilet bowl.


Thanks...


Mike


Your mindset about snaking is leading you astray and wasting time. I
would pull the toilet even just to snake the lines. In fact, I'd pull
and re-install the toilet several times, before I'd bother with even
going to the workshiop and looking for my snake. It's just not a big
deal to pull the toilet, reach your hand in to find the matchbox car
and be done with the whole stupid episode. I'll bet you still haven't
even tried to reach in from above with your hand. Stop prcrastinating
and tryiong to avoid the inevitable. With small kids, you are going to
be doing this again at some point.


Oh Salty, you somehow know me well. No, I haven't reached into the
toilet with my hand yet. I admit to being reluctant to doing this.
Yes, I know the water in the toilet bowl is clean (after a fresh flush
anyway). I will try to work up the nerve to try it this even IF I
don't have any luck with another auging session. Oh, by the way, when
I was home for lunch my neighbor was out in his yard and I asked him
if he had a snake I could borrow and he said he'd try to dig one up
for me out of his basement/garage. I'd bet the ranch he has one, he's
got at least one of EVERYTHING.

Thanks again everyone!

Mike

P.S. Cheri - if this doesn't work, I just might try your suggestion!
Where did you buy Muriatic Acid anyway?