I have a 23 year old Eljer toilet that has recently started clogging up
badly. I plunge it, it flushes normally with water, then clogs up
immediately. It is getting tiresome.

Any idea why I am suddenly having this problem and what I can do about it?
I have a toilet auger, but if it flushes normally with water, then I don't
see that it would be useful; and it is such a job to dry (My sons swear
that nothing improper has gone it it...)

Toller wrote:

I have a 23 year old Eljer toilet that has recently started clogging up
badly. I plunge it, it flushes normally with water, then clogs up
immediately. It is getting tiresome.

Any idea why I am suddenly having this problem and what I can do about it?
I have a toilet auger, but if it flushes normally with water, then I don't
see that it would be useful; and it is such a job to dry (My sons swear
that nothing improper has gone it it...)



Chances are quite good that something like a plastic prescription pill
bottle got flushed down it and is stuck crosswise in the trap, and the
closet auger is sliding right past it.

Short of running a small endoscope down it to see if there *is* a
foreign object stuck there, your next option is to pull the toilet, tip
it over and see what you find.

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...
Toller wrote:

I have a 23 year old Eljer toilet that has recently started clogging up
badly. I plunge it, it flushes normally with water, then clogs up
immediately. It is getting tiresome.

Any idea why I am suddenly having this problem and what I can do about
it? I have a toilet auger, but if it flushes normally with water, then I
don't see that it would be useful; and it is such a job to dry (My sons
swear that nothing improper has gone it it...)

Chances are quite good that something like a plastic prescription pill
bottle got flushed down it and is stuck crosswise in the trap, and the
closet auger is sliding right past it.

Short of running a small endoscope down it to see if there *is* a foreign
object stuck there, your next option is to pull the toilet, tip it over
and see what you find.

I just did that to another toilet last month, yes, to get a pill vial out.
Really didn't want to go through it again so soon, but you are probably
right.

"Toller" wrote in message
...

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...
Toller wrote:

I have a 23 year old Eljer toilet that has recently started clogging up
badly. I plunge it, it flushes normally with water, then clogs up
immediately. It is getting tiresome.

Any idea why I am suddenly having this problem and what I can do about
it? I have a toilet auger, but if it flushes normally with water, then I
don't see that it would be useful; and it is such a job to dry (My sons
swear that nothing improper has gone it it...)

Chances are quite good that something like a plastic prescription pill
bottle got flushed down it and is stuck crosswise in the trap, and the
closet auger is sliding right past it.

Short of running a small endoscope down it to see if there *is* a foreign
object stuck there, your next option is to pull the toilet, tip it over
and see what you find.

I just did that to another toilet last month, yes, to get a pill vial out.
Really didn't want to go through it again so soon, but you are probably
right.


Get bigger pill bottles.

If its not that, you may have a partial clog further down the drain. easy
to determine once the toilet is up.

"PipeDown" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Toller" wrote in message
...

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...
Toller wrote:

I have a 23 year old Eljer toilet that has recently started clogging up
badly. I plunge it, it flushes normally with water, then clogs up
immediately. It is getting tiresome.

Similar problem over the years involving a comb, hair clip/s etc. Worst was
a piece of turkey bone that we had unknowingly dumped into the toilet when
getting rid of a partial (large) boiler of soup post Christmas soup!
Eventually had to take toilet completely apart, and turn to shake and turn
the bowl part over and over while poking and prodding to dislodge it. The
bone was quite short, about 2.5 inches IIRC, but it would not go round the
bend! It was also very reluctant to come back the way it went in!

you will be using a service mirror before and after pulling the toilet.
you will be taking the closet auger up thru the bowl, grabbing a towel,
and pulling it thru the toilet's own trap.
using a 2 gallon or larger shop vac, drain tank and bowl water.
inspect bowl with your favorite service mirror on a telescoping handle
for unauthorized flushed items.
with a spare variety of wax seals and some plumbers putty and your
plumbing tools, remove
water supply and toilet from floor. use mirror to inspect toward sewer
and inlet and outlet of bowl.
happy hunting!

happy hunting!

Make the son help. And tell them to shut the damn lid on it to keep from
dropping things in it.

Seriously, use the closet auger. Amazing all the corrosion and stuff that
you can ream out, and flush down the line.

The $23 Ridgid closet auger is well worth the extra money, compared to the
cheapie $8 one.

After you run the reamer in and out, leave the reamer as far down as you
can, and then flush the toilet. This rinses off the snake.
--

Christopher A. Young
Do good work.
It's longer in the short run
but shorter in the long run.
..
..


"Toller" wrote in message
...
I have a 23 year old Eljer toilet that has recently started clogging up
badly. I plunge it, it flushes normally with water, then clogs up
immediately. It is getting tiresome.

Any idea why I am suddenly having this problem and what I can do about it?
I have a toilet auger, but if it flushes normally with water, then I don't
see that it would be useful; and it is such a job to dry (My sons swear
that nothing improper has gone it it...)

He said he didn't use the closet auger. If he had, he woulda reported that
the auger blocked, got caught, etc.

Sounds like the usual corrosion.

--

Christopher A. Young
Do good work.
It's longer in the short run
but shorter in the long run.
..
..


"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...
Toller wrote:

I have a 23 year old Eljer toilet that has recently started clogging up
badly. I plunge it, it flushes normally with water, then clogs up
immediately. It is getting tiresome.

Any idea why I am suddenly having this problem and what I can do about it?
I have a toilet auger, but if it flushes normally with water, then I don't
see that it would be useful; and it is such a job to dry (My sons swear
that nothing improper has gone it it...)



Chances are quite good that something like a plastic prescription pill
bottle got flushed down it and is stuck crosswise in the trap, and the
closet auger is sliding right past it.

Short of running a small endoscope down it to see if there *is* a
foreign object stuck there, your next option is to pull the toilet, tip
it over and see what you find.

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

don't get discouraged. it took me then plumber #1 then plumber #2 to
find a plastic disposable picnic spoon hiding in the bowl's own trap
after 5 years of complaints. on a different job a tenant's stool
sample wooden stick caused the same described problem. never give up!

"buffalobill" wrote in
oups.com:

don't get discouraged. it took me then plumber #1 then plumber #2 to
find a plastic disposable picnic spoon hiding in the bowl's own trap
after 5 years of complaints. on a different job a tenant's stool
sample wooden stick caused the same described problem. never give up!


Or......

"6-Foot Snake Found In N.J. Toilet"
http://www.nbc10.com/news/5131274/detail.html