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...use air pressure to unblock without breaking anything?
Don't have a plunger
Do have an empty 2litre plastic bottle, an old inner tube and a tubeless tyre seater (modified fire extinguisher).
Thinking I can bodge the valve from the inner tube into the lid of the bottle, cut the end of the bottle off, ram bottle into toilet, charge fire extinguisher to a modest pressure and then give it the beans?
Poo everywhere, soil pipe in bits, or great success?
Worth a go.
I think your problem is that you’ve got a 4 inch soil pipe but a 5 inch arse.
then give it the beans
There's probably been enough of that already.
You could but you risk a shit blowback💩
Do you have a mop?
If you do take the mop, put it in a bin bag.
Use it as a plunger.
As you remove the lot from the bog turn the bin bag inside out to catch any nasties.
Double post.
Try pouring in some very hot water
I've had success just pouring a bucket full of warm water in from as high up as you're confident of not missing.
Obviously this will only work if it's not 100% blocked but really slow draining. Otherwise drain unblocker or caustic soda poured in and left overnight.
Sure lets us know how you get on with your method (what could possibly go wrong 🙂 )
Do you have a mop?
Forget the mop.
stick with plan A.
The more pertinent question is do you have a GoPro?
I remember fondly as a teenager doing a massive dump at home which properly clogged the shitter. Many flushes later without success I went in to my dads office and my eyes settled on one of his prize architect metal rulers. Much sawing later the offender was gone and a wipe and rinse down the instrument was back in place. Never had the heart to tell him.
If you do try air pressure can you please live stream it?
😉
Double post.
That might have been what caused it
I like the mop idea, but I feel it lacks bravery
I've already tried using a cut 2litre bottle as a plunger, with limited success, mostly because I can't get a great seal with it. Which obviously bodes well for adding 100psi to the equation
May result in a slightly messy redefinition of "psi"
Oh, and we chucked the traditional floppy mop in favour of a pump action steam mop, so that's a non starter
sharkbait
Free MemberIf you do try air pressure can you please live stream it?
There’s something horrendous about the word “stream” in this context
I should add that the missus has just left for the weekend and I'm now the sole carer for two sleeping toddlers. Leaving the house for extra equipment is not an option.
There’s something horrendous about the word “stream” in this context
And given that the problem was probably caused by a large download - the digital age clearly has a lot to answer for!
Wire coat hanger - use the hook end.
Or just stick your hand down it! It's only poo!
Cling film over the top of the toilet, a few layers, then push up and down on the cling film.
The cling film trick works.
They had the plumbers in at work earlier in the week, that's what they did to clear the blockage on the 3rd floor.
Fairy liquid down the pan and leave for a bit then as mentioned buckets of water from an elevated position.
Empty one bottle of M&S toilet bleach down it and leave overnight. Then flush.
Failing that use an old unwanted wire clothes hanger to unblock.
Gear/brake cable outer. Work it around the ubend until it clears.
IAAE (ex plumber)
Loads of good suggestions for me to try and remember 👍
pandhandj Free Member
Or just stick your hand down it! It’s only poo!
Okay poohandj.
Right, cling film trick got rid of the brown stuff (for bonus points, flush while the cling film is applied, it builds a nice pressure head to push down against), but the flush still takes quite a while to settle. I think one of said toddlers has deposited something decidedly solid down there that has somehow got round the trap (yes, conceded defeat and stuck hand down - it's one of those loos where the trap doubles back itself so you can't get more than a hands length into it). Shoved 2m of brake cable outer down there and gave it a good wiggle, didn't hear or feel anything which isn't surprising as I struggled to get the stuff round the bend and can't discount that it might've coiled up uselessly just out of sight.
So, er, slightly successful but needs to stand the test of a hearty entry into the captain's log, which won't be till tomorrow now as that's what got us in this mess in the first place. Only time will tell
Glad to hear you’ve resolved the problem, but feeling slightly bittersweet that this was shaping up to be one of the all-time great STW threads, especially if it had included GoPro footage 🙂
I sometimes have to unblock toilets at work.
Quickest, easiest and most reliable is hand/arm in a black sack and just use your hand. Have another black sack available to put the wet bag in along with any wadded up toilet paper you have to remove.
It'll take 30 seconds and is completely clean.
Cling film trick is going in the book for later reference.
I actually own a plumber's snake which lives in the shed and is the "big guns" when it comes to unblocking stuff, worth having one in the tool kit as a means of last resort.
Do you own a jetwasher? That would be my recommendation.
Washing up liquid in warm water, leave for a bit, then flush.
Repeat until no blockage, if you have no washing up liquid. Just use hot water from the tap.
Tried and tested too many times 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
A bit late now, but a bog brush in a carrier bag makes a very effective plunger.
Pour some petrol down the toilet bowl, ignite and retire to a safe distance.
Siphon it out.
4 inch pipe. Heavy suck.
A regular toilet blocker writes…. Hand, flush and wash. As said already, it’s only poo. It washes off. If you have a bag on hand, even better.
You need a poo knife.
Film it on your GoPoo
Ring the Merde Insurance Bureau.
Came here for the morning update. Perhaps the stress of it all has thrown the OP out of synch.
For those of you following others’ advice re black sacks etc, don’t do as a colleague did and use a plastic shopping bag as a substitute. He forgot they have holes in them!
Pour some petrol down the toilet bowl, ignite and retire to a safe distance.
I'm not sure you've got those three steps entirely in the correct order
Also use the Mr Herriot method works a treat, never occured to me to put a bag on my hand though🤦🏼♂️
Cling film, never heard of that one!
Caustic sosa in warm water and leave for a while is what I've done before.
Soils well that ends well....
You surely mean - Soils well that sends well...no?
It's stood the test of several stools today albeit begrudgingly, including a mighty effort from one of the kids that, scaled up to my size, would've been like me laying a leg of ham
There's a part of me that still wants to unleash the air cannon... for science
There’s a part of me that still wants to unleash the air cannon… for science
Those scientists. Best jokers ever.
https://giphy.com/gifs/prank-ouch-arzRvDxLY2I7e
Some time ago one of the lab sinks at work was blocked as well as the sink in the technicians office.
The technician tried to clear the blockage with an industrial hover using the blow out let.
There was much gurgling and bubbling but seemingly nothing happened.
When the technician gave up and returned to the office they found brown sink gunge over the walls ceiling and floor.
Beware of blowing air into plumbing.
Cling film over the top of the toilet, a few layers, then push up and down on the cling film.
Meh that’s a good way, I always used to grab a bin bag insert arm and er fisty the crapper.
A regular toilet blocker writes…. Hand, flush and wash. As said already, it’s only poo. It washes off. If you have a bag on hand, even better.
Choccy bran for brekky may be your friend and reduce reliance on a nail brush 🙂
Cling film left on a toilet can also be a maker of much merriment and mirth,allegedly.
Working in a student union my top 3 causes of a blocked toilet that required going "hands on" are:
3. A can of beans wedged in the bowl
2. A smashed pint glass wedged in U-bend
1. An IPhone that had got round the bend and wedged in the next bend in the drain.
When I have done this in the past I've always been surprised that its the pull but of plunging, rather than the push that seems to get the job done!
I block the works toilet on a fairly regular basis. Its an ongoing joke that i walk out recounting how many buckets it took to release the beast. Usually 1 or 2 buckets of hot/cold water is enough to disslodge anything.
We had it recently at home but i was a little more worried about my wifes response to any splashback. All went ok though, reasonable bucket of water from good height resulted in some good movement.
Cut out the middleman and just take a dump from a height, with some velocity it should just shoot round the pipes.
any excuse to share my methodology: I literally have a pooh stick I keep in the bathroom for big dumps. Im not an animal so I'll sheath the business end of it with a doggy pooh bag for easy disposable. couple of pokes with my pooh stick and its job done.
I live alone
Cut out the middleman and just take a dump from a height, with some velocity it should just shoot round the pipes.
Big risk of straightening the u-bend there.
Yeah but if it goes right round it’ll be a perfect “ghost shit’
You should google that. But not at work.
pooh stick I keep in the bathroom
I live alone
No Shit Sherlock!
Cut out the middleman and just take a dump from a height, with some velocity it should just shoot round the pipes.
I call Magnus effect.
I've always just done a James Herriot - normally unblocks it in seconds...
...or maybe change your diet a wee bit and not have such solid objects dropping out of you!
On a complete tangent, the French for plunger is 'ventouse'. Ask me why I know…
When I worked for a water company years ago, one work time prank was legendary. Apparently one guy went in for a number 2 and his colleagues fitted a bung to the soil pipe outside the bog. The bung had a fitting for a compressor so they connected one up. A big diesel one like they use for jackhammers.
Apparently he was sitting there when he heard a gurgling noise which was followed by a jet of water, air and his own turds shooting up from below like a geyser.
They say he took a little while to see the funny side…
Whether you've been unblocking a u bend or stripping down a 12 year old car gearbox an infallible way of getting the grime out of your fingernails is kneading a home made loaf with your bare hands. Hmm, andouilette flavour.
This thread reminded me of the greatest number plate ever:
Local plumber has a van with “A royal flush beats a full house” written on the back.
a hearty entry into the captain’s log
A heart entry of the captains log cause the intial problem no?
Apparently he was sitting there when he heard a gurgling noise which was followed by a jet of water, air and his own turds shooting up from below like a geyser.
They say he took a little while to see the funny side…
Yeah, have seen the effects of a badly plumbed office block having a large blockage on an upper floor cleared. Basement toilets were ruined, took a month to clean up and rebuild. Toilets on the bottom two or three floors had blown their contents (mostly water thankfully) all over the insides of the cubicles.
Three or four hundred litres of well matured effluent, bleach and toilet paper running with no interruption through several floors of plumbing builds a fair head of pressure. I suspect there may have been some significant changes made to the plumbing after that...
The Heriot Glove guarantees touching Stools Gold...