unblocking pipe from toilet

[cheeryble]

hi

 

I have a near neighbour down the river near Ban Tawai called me today.

His toilet soil pipe has been getting more and more blocked.

He says he has put NaOH down it several times.

I said have you used a plunger with a full bowl and very vigorously.?

He said he got a local chung in who did that.

I said the only thing I could think was a spring type root rooter type thing.

But I havent seen one of these for 4 inch soil pipe, only the title skinny ones for small diameters/

 

Anyone seen or have brainwave?

A factor is this chap is very broke at the moment, even the 300 baht for the unsuccessful chung hurt.

[BEVUP]

4 " , sure about that

A mth or so ago, the women across the rd had some extensions done 

 

The ensuite was designed to walk in with basin first then toilet then shower

But I told her can't happen, " you have a 4 " pipe at the end near the wall & a 2" pipe before that ( meaning you would walk through the shower ) 

 

Her reply " oh no the 2" for toilet & 4" for shower 

[cheeryble]

3 minutes ago, BEVUP said:

4 " , sure about that

A mth or so ago, the women across the rd had some extensions done 

 

The ensuite was designed to walk in with basin first then toilet then shower

But I told her can't happen, " you have a 4 " pipe at the end near the wall & a 2" pipe before that ( meaning you would walk through the shower ) 

 

Her reply " oh no the 2" for toilet & 4" for shower 

Maybe she had a macerator for the WC and was worried the poopitrator was going to have a shower?

[Bill97]

4" is standard for toilets.

 

The small diameter spring will work, it will open enough to start things moving.

 

A hose sometimes provides enough pressure. Put it in the toilet as far as possible. Wrap a towel around the hose where the hose where it enters the toilet drain and hold the towel firmly down to seal the drain hole when you turn the water on.

 

Put no paper down the toilet.

 

Is it backing up from the septic tank or can the septic tank accept more input?

 

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[VocalNeal]

Maybe his septic system is full? Needs to call local government to come with a truck and suck it clean? 

Maybe a 9ft python is sleeping there.

[cheeryble]

8 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

4" is standard for toilets.

 

The small diameter spring will work, it will open enough to start things moving.

 

A hose sometimes provides enough pressure. Put it in the toilet as far as possible. Wrap a towel around the hose where the hose where it enters the toilet drain and hold the towel firmly down to seal the drain hole when you turn the water on.

 

Put no paper down the toilet.

 

Is it backing up from the septic tank or can the septic tank accept more input?

 

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Thanks

I must ask more detail......i think he said water could be seen flowing into the tank but in that case it wouldn't be blocked.....maybe it was just a bitMust aso ask if he's got a round mop to wrap a carrier bag round and pump the WC outlet. 

I seem to remember in the distant past "fisting" the WC with a thick bin liner up my arm.

Would i do it to someone else's?

Hmmm

 

Edited May 5, 2018 by cheeryble

[thaibeachlovers]

If using a plunger, has to be done very vigorously. Useless just putting it in and pushing the handle a bit.

Usually caused by putting too much paper down. If not paper, probably a full tank.

 

I'd try the hose pipe if the plunger doesn't work.

 

I think a plunger can be bought for about 50 baht from a local hardware store.

[cheeryble]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If using a plunger, has to be done very vigorously. Useless just putting it in and pushing the handle a bit.

Usually caused by putting too much paper down. If not paper, probably a full tank.

 

I'd try the hose pipe if the plunger doesn't work.

 

I think a plunger can be bought for about 50 baht from a local hardware store.

I did tell him the plunger needs to be very vigorous but forgot to mention it's the backstroke that counts most.

[cmsally]

The other one to check is the air ventilation pipe. If the air ventilation pipe is not clear, it will not flush.

[worgeordie]

If this has just occured recently,It could be all the rain we

have been having,the soil gets waterlogged,so the septic

tank cannot drain the water.

One thing I do is stand on a chair and pour a bucket of

water in the bowl from a height,that might shift any blockage.

 

regards worgeodie

[cheeryble]

I took a visit yesterday but it could only be a couple of minutes.

I said did u pump the WC vigorously?

Yes they Chung did he was a big guy.

He took the lid off the cement ring septic tank.

It was not high.

I said looks like it’s draining ok.

He said oh the guy pumped it out.......there's a leak in a supply pipe outside.

The leak was slow but he said the tank was full before.

So Worgeordie's water problem maybe.

With the lid off the pipe from WC was exposed I said how does it dflow. He said it doesn’t....or barely...".so deffo this needs clearing.

I noted that the cap on the lid was jammed on. This means air only getting outround the lid Rim Sally. But he said it’s been working fine for 8years.

However very narrow air gap could mean he had a slow flush of the WC for those years which slowly caused a clog to build up.

 

I will warn him about this.

 

Just called and he had someone else arriving to have a go at it.

 

Worgeordie could u send a photo of u on a chair pumping the WC?

 

 

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[eyecatcher]

a common problem are the old concrete ring soakway types. Very often the invert level of the incoming poo pipe is too low and soon the chambers fill causing a vacuum that makes you think the wc is blocked.

first job is to check that.

Also look at other small drains feeding into the same pipe like shower or basin, they could be clogged again creati g a vacuum.

 

NaOh...big no no for me. A tiny amount is ok in a basin or shower but the danger her is the heat generated by NaOh is enough to melt the pipes or at least any solvent weld which heat up and become loose again.

 

For a wc,  a snake is still very difficult to use, the ones you buy at generally only 3m or 5m long and ramming what you think is a blockage maybe a pipe bend..be carefull.

Lots of water and a plunger can move easier blockages but any thing serious you need the drain pros out and thats 2k a time. They also carry a proper 100mm snake, heavy duty powered by a genny but they wouldnt use that in a wc...more likely a vacuum plunger, pumped to pressure and released.

Scare me to death to be honest becausd i dont trust joints bei g sealed properly.

You can buy chemical cleaners at makro. The solution is heavier than water so it slowly sits behind the blockage eating it away. Very effective and safer

Thats my two penneth anyway

Edited May 6, 2018 by eyecatcher

[cmsally]

You didn't mention if it flushed OK after the guy pumped it out ?!

[poanoi]

caustic soda (soda fai) with large quantities of boiling hot water

flushed down at high tempo is the best bet IMO,

and, like a relative of mine used to say, a poo knife is good to have.

for some reason, plumbing is often not done right in this country

[cheeryble]

You didn't mention if it flushed OK after the guy pumped it out ?!

It didn’t Sally
He’s got someone coming tomorrow 10am


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[BEVUP]

Send the C4 down or be handy with a lighter when they fart

[eyecatcher]

21 minutes ago, poanoi said:

caustic soda (soda fai) with large quantities of boiling hot water

flushed down at high tempo is the best bet IMO,

and, like a relative of mine used to say, a poo knife is good to have.

for some reason, plumbing is often not done right in this country

Good luck with that.

A large amount of NaOh and boiling water is going to create a volcano and give of a lot of poisonous gas.

 

On the other hand if you dont have a lot of boiling water then all that Naoh will not dissolve and just sit at the bottom Creating another blockage

 

Well upto you, when it doesnt work  come back and I will advise on how to fit a new toilet and soilpipe

Edited May 6, 2018 by eyecatcher

[cmsally]

I guess it really must be pretty blocked. Maybe just try getting a big bucket of water and pouring in all at once, that clears the majority of blockages.

[Dumbastheycome]

Somehow I  get the  impression  that  many   have   jumped  into  a  cesspit  with  great  care  but  no   consideration.

Say  what   Cheeryble? :)

 

[tifino]

Geez... not been done for 8 years! Septic flushes should be no more than 3 years apart... 

Do the workers have the luxury of a snake that incorporates a video link unit?  There's probably some tree roots by now 

And a camera unit is good insurance in case of unknown bends. 

 

[kickstart]

If you can take the lid off the septic tank, can you push a hose pipe up the pipe and back flush it , if your water pressure is good it should work.

Or if you have good  access  to the pipe from the septic tank get your local guy who empties tanks to use his pipe to suck the blockage out, the vacuum he has that should work, his pipe should be 3inch would fit your 4 inch pipe ,then he could empty the  septic tank ,our local guy charges 300 baht. 

Re, NaOH I always mix it in a bucket first, then you do not any lumps.