This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

--
"You see me now a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars.
I've been living on the edge so long where the winds of limbo roar"

Ron Hubbard wrote:
This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone
know what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a
plumber?

Ron

A closet snake should clear any toilet related clog. A standard snake
should also do and a plunger works often.

In the long run finding a good toilet is much better. Look for a large
fully glazed trap and you should have a good performer. The contractor
specials that are cheap and come with most homes are just not up to the
task. Don't buy based on price. Some of the most expensive look pretty but
don't perform well. A good one that will not clog can be had for less than
$200.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 04:12:22 -0800, "Ron Hubbard"
wrote:

This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

Ron,
Thats kind of a silly question. If it is severly clogged (as in, you
cant unclog it yourself) then its pretty simple. Call someone that
can. Maybe dynamite would be an option too since its severe
Bubba

It might help if you described the nature of the clog. I'm not tryingt
o eb crude either, people have found that their kids flushing plastic
things that aren't easily retrievable via normal means. If you have
been only flushing what you are supposed to then a plunger or snake
should do the job.

"Ron Hubbard" wrote in message
...
This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

--
"You see me now a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars.
I've been living on the edge so long where the winds of limbo roar"



I would go with the closet snake as Joseph recommended otherwise your next
option is to join the bears in the woods!

Ross Mac wrote:
I would go with the closet snake as Joseph recommended otherwise your next
option is to join the bears in the woods!


Do bears **** in the woods?




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

"Ron Hubbard" wrote in message
...
This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

--
"You see me now a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars.
I've been living on the edge so long where the winds of limbo roar"


This is Turtle.

First just call a plumber and get it over with. Now here is something that
Plumber don't like you doing is it lets him put his snake in some stuff that
eats up his snake when he does come to unclog it and that is use some stuff
called Ram Out or another brand called Liquid Fire sold at most hardware stores
.. you will have to go to a real hardware store locally for Home-Depot and Low's
Stores don't sell it for customers can get it on them or in their eyes and your
blind. then you can sue Home Depot for a Million dollar settlement. It makes the
water temperature go above boiling and will melt grease and scale in the drain
line. then when the plumber does come over there he puts his snake in this stuff
and eats his snake up and then he don't like to get his snake eat up. it comes
in Quart, and Gallon sizes.

Now the only thing it will not clear out is any new type plastic toys that have
a very high melting point above the Ram out temperature when it gets hot. Also
if you use too much on PVC drains it will melt the PVC pipe but not the new type
toys.

Be careful with this stuff for it will burn your hands or blind you if you get
it in your eyes. It is the best stuff ever made for drain clogs but it is just
dangerous to use. Be Careful with it.

TURTLE

Solution #1 - keep a carving knife and a spatula in the bathroom. Any
fearsomely large looking objects can be cut up and for an extra measure of
security, trap half of the load up the side of the bowl for the first flush,
release & flush again.

Solution #2 - Depending on your "schedule", make it a point to go out to the
local mall, 24hr supermarket, etc, buy a newspaper & use their facilities.
I have seen some mall toilets that flush so hard that you tend to make sure
there is a sufficient gap between your legs or butt and seat to ensure that
your guts do not get sucked out.


"Ron Hubbard" wrote in message
...
This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

--
"You see me now a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars.
I've been living on the edge so long where the winds of limbo roar"

I am remembering hearing of a construction company who had a clogged toilet.
Someone suggested using the 3,000 PSI pressure washer to blast the clog
loose.

The clog remained, but the contents of the bowl got scattered around the
room in aerosol form.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Bubba" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 04:12:22 -0800, "Ron Hubbard"
wrote:

This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

Ron,
Thats kind of a silly question. If it is severly clogged (as in, you
cant unclog it yourself) then its pretty simple. Call someone that
can. Maybe dynamite would be an option too since its severe
Bubba

Go to the hardware store and ask for a "closet auger". Use those words --
the clerk should know what you mean. Ask for quick instructions how to make
it work, they aren't instantly obvious.

The $25 Ridgid works much better than the $8 disposable one. well worth the
extra money.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Ron Hubbard" wrote in message
...
This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

--
"You see me now a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars.
I've been living on the edge so long where the winds of limbo roar"

Here's what has worked for me several times. I've had serious plumbing
problems in the last year, and just couldn't afford the plumber.

If you have a wet/dry vac, drain the bowl contents into it. Then stuff the
flexible hose, minus attachments, down the drain as far as you can. If the
hose is too big, spend a few bucks for a narrow hose & adapter.

Stuff rags around the hose in the bowl so you get a good vacuum. Flip the
switch, and voila!

It may take a few tries, but is well worth the savings.

As for the contents of the wet/dry vac: once the toilet is cleared, then
gradually dump the contents back into the toilet in small doses and flush
lots of extra times.

Good luck. And please let me know if it works.

P.S. I learned this trick from a VERY expensive plumber who I'll never call
back--and never need to!!!!!

"Ron Hubbard" wrote in message
...
This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

--
"You see me now a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars.
I've been living on the edge so long where the winds of limbo roar"

On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 12:53:22 -0500, "Betsy" -0 wrote:

Here's what has worked for me several times. I've had serious plumbing
problems in the last year, and just couldn't afford the plumber.

If you have a wet/dry vac, drain the bowl contents into it. Then stuff the
flexible hose, minus attachments, down the drain as far as you can. If the
hose is too big, spend a few bucks for a narrow hose & adapter.

Stuff rags around the hose in the bowl so you get a good vacuum. Flip the
switch, and voila!

It may take a few tries, but is well worth the savings.

As for the contents of the wet/dry vac: once the toilet is cleared, then
gradually dump the contents back into the toilet in small doses and flush
lots of extra times.

Good luck. And please let me know if it works.

P.S. I learned this trick from a VERY expensive plumber who I'll never call
back--and never need to!!!!!

It seems you should be praising him and worshiping the ground he walks
on. He told you how to do it yourself and now you are saving hundreds
or maybe even thousands of dollars. Nice gratitude.
Then of course maybe he told you how to fix it yourself because your
house is a **** hole and he cant stand to go there anymore. :-P
Bubba


"Ron Hubbard" wrote in message
...
This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

--
"You see me now a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars.
I've been living on the edge so long where the winds of limbo roar"

Plus, it's always a good idea to keep a shop vac full of **** around
the house..... you just never can tell when an extra 5 or 10 gallons of
human feces will come in handy! Indeed, a VERY CLEVER PLUMBER!

You people terrify me. What, exactly, are you flushing? What are you
eating?

Now, don't get me wrong. Like most people, I too, have stood up and
found things that amazed me.

But really, this is the second 'mammoth turd problem' post in less than
4 days.

Remember: Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

"Ron Hubbard" wrote:

This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Wack toilet with sledge to loosen clog, as many times as needed. Now
call plumber for a more expensive, toilet replacement job.

"Ross Mac" wrote:


"Ron Hubbard" wrote in message
...
This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

--
"You see me now a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars.
I've been living on the edge so long where the winds of limbo roar"



I would go with the closet snake as Joseph recommended otherwise your next
option is to join the bears in the woods!

Latrines don't clog.

"Matt" wrote in message
oups.com...
You people terrify me. What, exactly, are you flushing? What are you
eating?

My toilet clogs all the time. What can I say? I have an unrestricted
intestine. I use the plunger at least 1/3 of the time. They simply don't
make drains big enough on most toilets. I've never had a problem with those
higher pressure institutional toilets though.

Ron Hubbard wrote:
This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

--
"You see me now a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars.
I've been living on the edge so long where the winds of limbo roar"





Dig a two holer out back.......

Ron Hubbard wrote:

This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Around here plumbers don't want to unclog drains. Look in the Yellow
Pages under Drain Cleaning or some such. It's money well spent -- 2
hrs and $75 and you're home free with no mess.

In article ,
Banty wrote:

No it's not. What data, exactly, do you think should go into desining a
residential toilet? You may get queasy, but I'm a afriad a most important
parameter would be the sizes and distributions of sizes of human turds.

Frankly, my family has the same complaint. We're not from Mars. Why aren't
residential toilets designed for humans?

Because they are designed by politicians. Buy an old (or Canadian)
toilet that uses more water, especially one with a syphon, and your
problems are over. My wife clogs toilets all over the place, but never
at home since mine use more water. Politicians think it saves water to
flush 3 times and call a plumber.

--
Free men own guns, slaves don't
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5357/

Am I the only person who is in awe of the misplaced ingenuity and
dogged dedication to reinventing the wheel that we see in these
threads? And to extend the metaphor, you have apparently decided that
"round" is out of fashion, TRIANGLES are what everyone is using for
wheels now.

I think the shopvac idea is my favorite, although the chemical you have
to order special that boils your plumbing and makes you blind is a
close second. I like that "Betsy" says "Good luck. And please let me
know if it works". Call me a cynic but I'm betting that if the OP does
so "Betsy" will rupture an organ from laughing too hard. "Hey honey! I
got some rube to vacuum the CRAP out of his toilet" ...

Even if this idea appealed to me, I'm certain it wouldn't save any
money. My wife's rule is that only excrement-free appliances are
allowed back into our house. I doubt that a plumber is more expensive
than a new shop vac.

I grew up in a house with Flushometer toilets, which probably used 47
GPF but would flush an antelope down with no trouble. In my adult life
I've been around more "modern" designs, and I'm sure I've had to unclog
a toilet a hundred or two times. A plunger takes care of 90+% of the
clogs quickly and easily. The rest can be handled with a closet auger.

Greg Guarino

One of these days, we've got to design a high power, low flow model. Wiht a
screw auger waste movement system, and compressed air delivery system. The
Blamoflush 2000. Take a dump, and flush this baby, and you'll see manhole
covers down the street lift up about six inches. 1.6 galons per flush, but
the 10 SCFM compressor needed to operate it gets kinda noisy.

NASA installed one, and that's why the space shuttle was so far off course
that one time... someone pointed it out the side of the shuttle and pulled
the flush handle.

Got to be careful, if your neighbor gets a Blamoflush 2000, you need to
install a check valve on your soilpipe. Otherwise, if you're sitting on the
pot when your neighbor flushes, you'll need a towel to dry yourself off.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


wrote in message
oups.com...
Am I the only person who is in awe of the misplaced ingenuity and
dogged dedication to reinventing the wheel that we see in these
threads? And to extend the metaphor, you have apparently decided that
"round" is out of fashion, TRIANGLES are what everyone is using for
wheels now.

I think the shopvac idea is my favorite, although the chemical you have
to order special that boils your plumbing and makes you blind is a
close second. I like that "Betsy" says "Good luck. And please let me
know if it works". Call me a cynic but I'm betting that if the OP does
so "Betsy" will rupture an organ from laughing too hard. "Hey honey! I
got some rube to vacuum the CRAP out of his toilet" ...

Even if this idea appealed to me, I'm certain it wouldn't save any
money. My wife's rule is that only excrement-free appliances are
allowed back into our house. I doubt that a plumber is more expensive
than a new shop vac.

I grew up in a house with Flushometer toilets, which probably used 47
GPF but would flush an antelope down with no trouble. In my adult life
I've been around more "modern" designs, and I'm sure I've had to unclog
a toilet a hundred or two times. A plunger takes care of 90+% of the
clogs quickly and easily. The rest can be handled with a closet auger.

Greg Guarino

I'm not laughing, it was no joke. It works, it is cheap, and I'm disgusted
by the vulgar responses a guy got to his honest question.

Plumbers are expensive. The guy who cost me $600 to videotape my main line
used a shop vac to clean it out. I could have done that myself. And what
he "discovered" with his expensive camera was nothing I couldn't have
predicted myself.

The shop vac works. It also works for clogged kitchen and bathtub drains.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Am I the only person who is in awe of the misplaced ingenuity and
dogged dedication to reinventing the wheel that we see in these
threads? And to extend the metaphor, you have apparently decided that
"round" is out of fashion, TRIANGLES are what everyone is using for
wheels now.

I think the shopvac idea is my favorite, although the chemical you have
to order special that boils your plumbing and makes you blind is a
close second. I like that "Betsy" says "Good luck. And please let me
know if it works". Call me a cynic but I'm betting that if the OP does
so "Betsy" will rupture an organ from laughing too hard. "Hey honey! I
got some rube to vacuum the CRAP out of his toilet" ...

Even if this idea appealed to me, I'm certain it wouldn't save any
money. My wife's rule is that only excrement-free appliances are
allowed back into our house. I doubt that a plumber is more expensive
than a new shop vac.

I grew up in a house with Flushometer toilets, which probably used 47
GPF but would flush an antelope down with no trouble. In my adult life
I've been around more "modern" designs, and I'm sure I've had to unclog
a toilet a hundred or two times. A plunger takes care of 90+% of the
clogs quickly and easily. The rest can be handled with a closet auger.

Greg Guarino

If you paid $600 for a main line video..... I hate to think what you
got charged for a shop vac **** recovery.

In the first place, no decent plumber would ever VI a ML unless they
thought it was collapsed. The only reason they might think it was
collapsed would be because of what they found when they tried to clear
it using standard methods.

So what you are saying is that you paid somebody $600 to tell you your
ML was clogged with ****, and then this so called plumber charged you
EVEN MORE to vacuum the **** out.

Too ****ing funny.

If I was you, I wouldn't ever call a plumber again either.

Just out of curiousity - does your mechanic tell you that you need a
new flux capacitor ($1500) everytime you go to get your oil changed?

Betsy,

Just ignore those jerks. They are just full of themselves. That's what
they deserve, too.

"Betsy" -0 wrote in message
...
I'm not laughing, it was no joke. It works, it is cheap, and I'm
disgusted by the vulgar responses a guy got to his honest question.

Plumbers are expensive. The guy who cost me $600 to videotape my main
line used a shop vac to clean it out. I could have done that myself. And
what he "discovered" with his expensive camera was nothing I couldn't have
predicted myself.

The shop vac works. It also works for clogged kitchen and bathtub drains.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Am I the only person who is in awe of the misplaced ingenuity and
dogged dedication to reinventing the wheel that we see in these
threads? And to extend the metaphor, you have apparently decided that
"round" is out of fashion, TRIANGLES are what everyone is using for
wheels now.

I think the shopvac idea is my favorite, although the chemical you have
to order special that boils your plumbing and makes you blind is a
close second. I like that "Betsy" says "Good luck. And please let me
know if it works". Call me a cynic but I'm betting that if the OP does
so "Betsy" will rupture an organ from laughing too hard. "Hey honey! I
got some rube to vacuum the CRAP out of his toilet" ...

Even if this idea appealed to me, I'm certain it wouldn't save any
money. My wife's rule is that only excrement-free appliances are
allowed back into our house. I doubt that a plumber is more expensive
than a new shop vac.

I grew up in a house with Flushometer toilets, which probably used 47
GPF but would flush an antelope down with no trouble. In my adult life
I've been around more "modern" designs, and I'm sure I've had to unclog
a toilet a hundred or two times. A plunger takes care of 90+% of the
clogs quickly and easily. The rest can be handled with a closet auger.

Greg Guarino



The vacuum is a great suggestion since the best way to fix a clog is to
remove it in the direction it entered. I know removing a broken drill bit is
done the same way. But, $600 bucks for a plumbing video when the toilet is
clogged seems obsessive. It's too bad you got stuck for such a bill I would
have expected them to at least comp you the repair after charging that
amount of money.....Ross

They video taped the main line. This was after I took the toilet off 3
separate times, burned my face with acid trying to fix it, and ultimately
the sinks in the basement started backing up. That's when I took the plunge
(no pun intended) and called the videographers. Never again.

"Ross Mac" wrote in message
...

"Betsy" -0 wrote in message
...
I'm not laughing, it was no joke. It works, it is cheap, and I'm
disgusted by the vulgar responses a guy got to his honest question.

Plumbers are expensive. The guy who cost me $600 to videotape my main
line used a shop vac to clean it out. I could have done that myself.
And what he "discovered" with his expensive camera was nothing I couldn't
have predicted myself.

The shop vac works. It also works for clogged kitchen and bathtub
drains.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Am I the only person who is in awe of the misplaced ingenuity and
dogged dedication to reinventing the wheel that we see in these
threads? And to extend the metaphor, you have apparently decided that
"round" is out of fashion, TRIANGLES are what everyone is using for
wheels now.

I think the shopvac idea is my favorite, although the chemical you have
to order special that boils your plumbing and makes you blind is a
close second. I like that "Betsy" says "Good luck. And please let me
know if it works". Call me a cynic but I'm betting that if the OP does
so "Betsy" will rupture an organ from laughing too hard. "Hey honey! I
got some rube to vacuum the CRAP out of his toilet" ...

Even if this idea appealed to me, I'm certain it wouldn't save any
money. My wife's rule is that only excrement-free appliances are
allowed back into our house. I doubt that a plumber is more expensive
than a new shop vac.

I grew up in a house with Flushometer toilets, which probably used 47
GPF but would flush an antelope down with no trouble. In my adult life
I've been around more "modern" designs, and I'm sure I've had to unclog
a toilet a hundred or two times. A plunger takes care of 90+% of the
clogs quickly and easily. The rest can be handled with a closet auger.

Greg Guarino



The vacuum is a great suggestion since the best way to fix a clog is to
remove it in the direction it entered. I know removing a broken drill bit
is done the same way. But, $600 bucks for a plumbing video when the toilet
is clogged seems obsessive. It's too bad you got stuck for such a bill I
would have expected them to at least comp you the repair after charging
that amount of money.....Ross

And there is your problem.

If you call a plumber, and ask him to video a line, he will oblige.

You should have asked him to CLEAR the line.

But, first you tried to save some money doing something you know
absolutely nothing about (but hey - how hard could it be? It's just
plumbing right? Anybody with an asscrack can do plumbing!)

And in the course of all this, you burned yourself with nasty
chemicals, wasted hours if not days pulling fixtures that did not need
to be pulled (A plumber uses this strange device built into your system
- it's called a CLEAN OUT), and then spent who knows how much to pay
somebody to do something that wasn't needed.

And so now, because you didn't know what the hell you were doing, or
what needed to be done, and so got burned again - you have resolved to
NEVER call a plumber again.

That's clever.

"Betsy" -0 wrote in message
...
They video taped the main line. This was after I took the toilet off 3
separate times, burned my face with acid trying to fix it, and ultimately
the sinks in the basement started backing up. That's when I took the
plunge (no pun intended) and called the videographers. Never again.

"Ross Mac" wrote in message
...

"Betsy" -0 wrote in message
...
I'm not laughing, it was no joke. It works, it is cheap, and I'm
disgusted by the vulgar responses a guy got to his honest question.

Plumbers are expensive. The guy who cost me $600 to videotape my main
line used a shop vac to clean it out. I could have done that myself.
And what he "discovered" with his expensive camera was nothing I
couldn't have predicted myself.

The shop vac works. It also works for clogged kitchen and bathtub
drains.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Am I the only person who is in awe of the misplaced ingenuity and
dogged dedication to reinventing the wheel that we see in these
threads? And to extend the metaphor, you have apparently decided that
"round" is out of fashion, TRIANGLES are what everyone is using for
wheels now.

I think the shopvac idea is my favorite, although the chemical you have
to order special that boils your plumbing and makes you blind is a
close second. I like that "Betsy" says "Good luck. And please let me
know if it works". Call me a cynic but I'm betting that if the OP does
so "Betsy" will rupture an organ from laughing too hard. "Hey honey! I
got some rube to vacuum the CRAP out of his toilet" ...

Even if this idea appealed to me, I'm certain it wouldn't save any
money. My wife's rule is that only excrement-free appliances are
allowed back into our house. I doubt that a plumber is more expensive
than a new shop vac.

I grew up in a house with Flushometer toilets, which probably used 47
GPF but would flush an antelope down with no trouble. In my adult life
I've been around more "modern" designs, and I'm sure I've had to unclog
a toilet a hundred or two times. A plunger takes care of 90+% of the
clogs quickly and easily. The rest can be handled with a closet auger.

Greg Guarino



The vacuum is a great suggestion since the best way to fix a clog is to
remove it in the direction it entered. I know removing a broken drill bit
is done the same way. But, $600 bucks for a plumbing video when the
toilet is clogged seems obsessive. It's too bad you got stuck for such a
bill I would have expected them to at least comp you the repair after
charging that amount of money.....Ross



That's called the school of hard knocks.....you bought your education on
that one but heck...haven't we all....take care, Ross

On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 00:25:39 -0500, "Betsy" -0 wrote:

I'm not laughing, it was no joke. It works, it is cheap, and I'm disgusted
by the vulgar responses a guy got to his honest question.

I hardly think my response was vulgar. Humorously worded, perhaps. I
am truly amazed at the odd things people will try for a problem that
has two well-known, inexpensive and effective solutions. So much so
that I really thought a couple of you were kidding.

Plumbers are expensive. The guy who cost me $600 to videotape my main line
used a shop vac to clean it out. I could have done that myself. And what
he "discovered" with his expensive camera was nothing I couldn't have
predicted myself.

Plumbers ARE expensive, but plungers and closet augers are very
inexpensive. I've never considered calling a plumber for a clogged
toilet.

The shop vac works. It also works for clogged kitchen and bathtub drains.

It doesn't particularly surprise me that a shop vac might be able to
pull out a toilet clog. But I am quite sure that I can plunge almost
any clog in less time than it would take you to to just get your shop
vac into the bathroom. The few clogs serious enough to require a
toilet auger take another minute or two.

Neither one of these methods requires cleaning out a hose, bucket, and
attachments or replacing a filter. I don't think my sensibilities are
overly delicate, but I can't imagine how to clean out a corrugated
hose that's had the contents of a toilet run through it. I'm betting
it's done outdoors and is less than completely effective. Could the
whole process take any less than a half hour?

My answer to the original poster's "honest question" was simple and
obvious and I stick by it: Use a plunger first; it almost always
works. Use a closet auger in the rare occasions when that fails.

Greg Guarino

When a toilet and its drainpipe are seriously clogged, you can plunge until
exhaustion and all you will do is break the seal at the bottom of the
toilet. Been there, done that, replaced the ceiling and the light below.
Talk about gross cleanup.

Then there are the "closet augers". I own several attachments to the drill,
and have rented a few. Sorry, there's nothing easy or fun or clean trying
to wrestle a springy wire thing, or to clean it.

Give me the shop vac any day.

"Greg G" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 00:25:39 -0500, "Betsy" -0 wrote:

I'm not laughing, it was no joke. It works, it is cheap, and I'm
disgusted
by the vulgar responses a guy got to his honest question.

I hardly think my response was vulgar. Humorously worded, perhaps. I
am truly amazed at the odd things people will try for a problem that
has two well-known, inexpensive and effective solutions. So much so
that I really thought a couple of you were kidding.

Plumbers are expensive. The guy who cost me $600 to videotape my main
line
used a shop vac to clean it out. I could have done that myself. And what
he "discovered" with his expensive camera was nothing I couldn't have
predicted myself.

Plumbers ARE expensive, but plungers and closet augers are very
inexpensive. I've never considered calling a plumber for a clogged
toilet.

The shop vac works. It also works for clogged kitchen and bathtub drains.

It doesn't particularly surprise me that a shop vac might be able to
pull out a toilet clog. But I am quite sure that I can plunge almost
any clog in less time than it would take you to to just get your shop
vac into the bathroom. The few clogs serious enough to require a
toilet auger take another minute or two.

Neither one of these methods requires cleaning out a hose, bucket, and
attachments or replacing a filter. I don't think my sensibilities are
overly delicate, but I can't imagine how to clean out a corrugated
hose that's had the contents of a toilet run through it. I'm betting
it's done outdoors and is less than completely effective. Could the
whole process take any less than a half hour?

My answer to the original poster's "honest question" was simple and
obvious and I stick by it: Use a plunger first; it almost always
works. Use a closet auger in the rare occasions when that fails.

Greg Guarino

Interesting use for a shopvac.


As for the contents of the wet/dry vac: once the toilet is cleared, then
gradually dump the contents back into the toilet in small doses and flush
lots of extra times.


Remind me never to buy a used vacuum from you on ebay. Or did you
just return the vac to HD when you were finished with it?

On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 22:41:03 -0500, "Betsy" -0 wrote:

When a toilet and its drainpipe are seriously clogged, you can plunge until
exhaustion and all you will do is break the seal at the bottom of the
toilet. Been there, done that, replaced the ceiling and the light below.
Talk about gross cleanup.

Then there are the "closet augers". I own several attachments to the drill,
and have rented a few. Sorry, there's nothing easy or fun or clean trying
to wrestle a springy wire thing, or to clean it.

Hmmm. It sounds like you haven't actually seen a closet auger. Here's
a pictu

http://ace.imageg.net/graphics/produ...2-953623dt.jpg

It doesn't attach to a drill. The rigid piece of pipe prevents you
from having to wrestle with the snake. Its curved end allows you to
insert the snake directly into the toilet drain opening. The 3' length
of the unit keeps your hands at a safe distance from any muck. The
rubber sleeve prevents the pipe from scratching the bowl. In short, it
is a single-function device designed for exactly this task.

The picture may be misleading because it shows the snake fully
extended. You start off by witdrawing the "crank" end from the pipe.
This leaves just the "head" of the snake protruding from the pipe, so
you can easily insert it into the toilet. There is actually a rigid
rod inside the pipe, rather than more snake. When you retract it it
still allows you to crank the snake.

You crank it a bit and try to feed more snake into the toilet. Then
you crank a little more, insert a little more, etc. I can usually tell
when I've gotten through the actual obstruction. It has never taken me
more than a couple of minutes.

As for cleanup, I usually just hit it with a hose and then hang it up
somewhere. It is not at this point clean enough to eat off (although
probably cleaner than your vac hose), but it has no other function and
I don't keep it in the kitchen.

To each his own and all, but given that I have never run across a clog
that can't be fixed quickly with a plunger or closet auger, I see no
reason to try something that seems slower and messier.

Greg Guarino

The shop vac idea is a new one to me too. Now I know why some go so
cheap at garage sales. I'd never!

First step is to have a good plunger. Heavy duty with the second
smaller tube that fits inside the toilet drain opening.
Have bowl approx. 3/4 full of water.
Now take that plunger and smash it down along the side of the bowl until
as many air bubbles as possible are seen.
While holding the plunger compressed under water wiggle/slide it over
the drain opening.
Make sure it seats properly over the drain opening, and then pull up.
This sucks the debris back the way it came from, and loosens it much
more quickly.

If that doesn't work the next step is to use the aforementioned toilet
auger.

If that doesn't work the next step is to rent a roto rooter type device.

If that doesn't work the next step is to pull the toilet and look around
inside the curvy cavern with a little mirror on a stick. One time I
found a snuff can lid wedged in there sideways that the auger and roto
passed right on by. The lid kept catching toilet paper on every flush.

Plunger works 90% of the time
Auger for that next 8%
Roto rooter for the next 1%
Pull toilet for the last 1%

Shop vac, ROFL!

Acid? Well, I ain't never done no acid man...

Closet auger cleanup: Flush toilet while auger is fully inserted into
bowl/drain. Seriously, it works reasonably well.

I cleared a slow running toilet this Saturday for a friend. Cranked on the
closet auger for a couple minutes, and pull the flush handle. When I
withdrew the snake, some rust and hair came back. And then the bowl flushed
completely. Much better.
--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Greg G" wrote in message
...

Hmmm. It sounds like you haven't actually seen a closet auger. Here's
a pictu

http://ace.imageg.net/graphics/produ...2-953623dt.jpg

It doesn't attach to a drill. The rigid piece of pipe prevents you
from having to wrestle with the snake. Its curved end allows you to
insert the snake directly into the toilet drain opening. The 3' length
of the unit keeps your hands at a safe distance from any muck. The
rubber sleeve prevents the pipe from scratching the bowl. In short, it
is a single-function device designed for exactly this task.

The picture may be misleading because it shows the snake fully
extended. You start off by witdrawing the "crank" end from the pipe.
This leaves just the "head" of the snake protruding from the pipe, so
you can easily insert it into the toilet. There is actually a rigid
rod inside the pipe, rather than more snake. When you retract it it
still allows you to crank the snake.

You crank it a bit and try to feed more snake into the toilet. Then
you crank a little more, insert a little more, etc. I can usually tell
when I've gotten through the actual obstruction. It has never taken me
more than a couple of minutes.

As for cleanup, I usually just hit it with a hose and then hang it up
somewhere. It is not at this point clean enough to eat off (although
probably cleaner than your vac hose), but it has no other function and
I don't keep it in the kitchen.

To each his own and all, but given that I have never run across a clog
that can't be fixed quickly with a plunger or closet auger, I see no
reason to try something that seems slower and messier.

Greg Guarino

When I was a kid, we had malfunctioning toilet. My sister h ad dropped a
little aluminum dish that was part of her tea set -- it was clogging the
drain line.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Floating Mind" wrote in message
...
The shop vac idea is a new one to me too. Now I know why some go so
cheap at garage sales. I'd never!

First step is to have a good plunger. Heavy duty with the second
smaller tube that fits inside the toilet drain opening.
Have bowl approx. 3/4 full of water.
Now take that plunger and smash it down along the side of the bowl until
as many air bubbles as possible are seen.
While holding the plunger compressed under water wiggle/slide it over
the drain opening.
Make sure it seats properly over the drain opening, and then pull up.
This sucks the debris back the way it came from, and loosens it much
more quickly.

If that doesn't work the next step is to use the aforementioned toilet
auger.

If that doesn't work the next step is to rent a roto rooter type device.

If that doesn't work the next step is to pull the toilet and look around
inside the curvy cavern with a little mirror on a stick. One time I
found a snuff can lid wedged in there sideways that the auger and roto
passed right on by. The lid kept catching toilet paper on every flush.

Plunger works 90% of the time
Auger for that next 8%
Roto rooter for the next 1%
Pull toilet for the last 1%

Shop vac, ROFL!

Acid? Well, I ain't never done no acid man...

Nick Hull wrote:

In article ,
Banty wrote:


No it's not. What data, exactly, do you think should go into desining a
residential toilet? You may get queasy, but I'm a afriad a most important
parameter would be the sizes and distributions of sizes of human turds.

Frankly, my family has the same complaint. We're not from Mars. Why aren't
residential toilets designed for humans?


Because they are designed by politicians. Buy an old (or Canadian)
toilet that uses more water, especially one with a syphon, and your
problems are over. My wife clogs toilets all over the place, but never
at home since mine use more water. Politicians think it saves water to
flush 3 times and call a plumber.

Politicians dont pass waste. They pass laws.

Ron Hubbard wrote:

This question must come up quite often around here, but does anyone know
what to do about a severely clogged toilet, short of calling a plumber?

Ron

--
"You see me now a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars.
I've been living on the edge so long where the winds of limbo roar"


Noone even asked if you have sewers or septic system.. Lotsa good
wisecracks though..