# Toilet not obstructed but won't flush



## moundtown (Mar 15, 2011)

This has me stumped. This is a new toilet that was installed two months ago. It has been working fine until a few days ago. Suddenly it stopped flushing which is to say that the water goes down the drain very slowly. Actually it just trickles out. The tank and valve are working properly and I have tried dumping a bucket of water directly into the bowl. I ran a toilet snake though it and there was no obstruction at all. So I pulled the toilet and examined the bottom and ran the snake from the bottom and still no obstruction. So now I figure that it must be the sewer pipe so I dump five gallons of water through it and it just wisps it away as fast as I can pour it. So I try a couple of more buckets with the same results. I reinstall the toilet and it's right back to the same problem. When flushed it actually acts like something is trying to push the water back up into the bowl. None of this is making any sense to me and I hope someone here might have a clue to what is going on with this thing. Thanks for reading this.


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## JeepNick (Oct 27, 2011)

What happens when you dump additional water into the bowl? Still slow?


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I suspect the toilet---did you turn it upside down and rod from the bottom?

Take it outside and do a test while it sits up on blocks---


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## moundtown (Mar 15, 2011)

JeepNick said:


> What happens when you dump additional water into the bowl? Still slow?


Yes, when I dump water into the bowl it just fills to the top and drains off very slowly.


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## moundtown (Mar 15, 2011)

oh'mike said:


> I suspect the toilet---did you turn it upside down and rod from the bottom?
> 
> Take it outside and do a test while it sits up on blocks---


I pulled the toilet and ran the snake through it from top and bottom. It went all the way through and came out perfectly clean both times. I'm convinced that there is no obstruction in the toilet.


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## moundtown (Mar 15, 2011)

I'm beginning to think that it might be a vapor lock or some vent issue. Is this a possibility?


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## builttolast (Feb 9, 2012)

Remove toilet take it outside sit it up on blocks and stick a garden hose in the bowl. make sure it runs out the other side nice and easy. Tilt forward and do the same from the base OR double check that the toilet is TRULY clear. I went to a service call the other day, slow toilet etc. Snaked it the whole 9 yards... Turns out there was a HAIR CLIP (big plastic one) lodged in it that the snake was going right through because it was in the open position... I had to remove it with curved needle nose after I pulled it and tilted it forward and saw a piece of it sticking out...

Also remember to replace the wax ring after pulling the toilet off the flange (mount)

Tilt it forward and look inside, tilt it back and look inside etc SOMETHING is there, just gotta figure out what it is.


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## Lightfoot (Jan 16, 2011)

had one that clogged occasionally. snaked it out twice. bout a week it stopped up again. pulled it, looked both ways, no obstructions. installed again. few days later it slowed flushing again. At this point i'm about ready to buy a new toilet. Pulled it again, flipped it upside down and ran a small mirror down to about where the turn is, and there was an ink pen lodged in the turn. sometimes ya think ya got it and ya don;t.:thumbsup:


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I had one some years back---round plastic disk from a box of diaper wipes--acted just like a damper in a heating duct---darnedest thing--opened and closed as it wished--


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## Javiles (Dec 12, 2011)

oh'mike said:


> I had one some years back---round plastic disk from a box of diaper wipes--acted just like a damper in a heating duct---darnedest thing--opened and closed as it wished--


 ad 
Have had a few of these over the years had to rig a special spring head on a toilet auger to be able to pull them back. :wink:


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## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

really seems like something is in commode....did you flush water down open drain..


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## moundtown (Mar 15, 2011)

This evening I pulled the toilet again, took it outside, and dumped water through it from the top and the bottom. The water pours straight through it quickly. In fact it flushed normally when I filled the tank with water. I snaked it again for good measure and used a small mirror to inspect the openings and saw nothing. I am thoroughly convinced that there is no obstruction. Since nobody commented on my vapor lock or vent issue theory should I assume that these things could not be causing the problem?


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## moundtown (Mar 15, 2011)

ben's plumbing said:


> really seems like something is in commode....did you flush water down open drain..


Yes, I dumped five gallon buckets of water down the open drain with no problem.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Vent problems will cause this exact symptom---


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## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

yes a vent problem can cause this symptom but I really never seen one totaly clog like yours..it blows trap seal in another fixture so I am kinda stumped..


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## moundtown (Mar 15, 2011)

ben's plumbing said:


> yes a vent problem can cause this symptom but I really never seen one totaly clog like yours..it blows trap seal in another fixture so I am kinda stumped..


I probably should mention that this toilet is the only thing going into this sewer line that runs directly to the main sewer and is not vented. I've always wondered how a toilet could work without a sewer line vent but the old toilet before this one worked for many years and this new one worked for two months.


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## psilva8 (Jan 12, 2012)

moundtown said:


> I probably should mention that this toilet is the only thing going into this sewer line that runs directly to the main sewer and is not vented. I've always wondered how a toilet could work without a sewer line vent but the old toilet before this one worked for many years and this new one worked for two months.


How long is the branch before it ties into the main?


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## moundtown (Mar 15, 2011)

psilva8 said:


> How long is the branch before it ties into the main?


About 65 feet.


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## psilva8 (Jan 12, 2012)

moundtown said:


> About 65 feet.


So you have just a toilet and that's it? 65' away without a vent? I suspect this is the problem?


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## moundtown (Mar 15, 2011)

psilva8 said:


> So you have just a toilet and that's it? 65' away without a vent? I suspect this is the problem?


It's the last thing I have to check out. I'll be adding a vent to it this afternoon. Even if this fixes the problem it won't explain why the old toilet worked there for many years and the new one worked for two months.


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## psilva8 (Jan 12, 2012)

moundtown said:


> It's the last thing I have to check out. I'll be adding a vent to it this afternoon. Even if this fixes the problem it won't explain why the old toilet worked there for many years and the new one worked for two months.


Why do you have just the toilet? No sink or anything? What is the purpose of this toilet and where is it located?


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## jaydevries (Jan 29, 2012)

venting is not the problem i can almost guarantee that
read the exception for venting in link
http://publicecodes.citation.com/icod/ipc/2012/icod_ipc_2012_9_sec009.htm


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## moundtown (Mar 15, 2011)

Venting the line fixed the problem. I guess I'll never know why it worked for all that time without the vent. Thanks everyone.


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## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

ok glad to hear that it is fixed....still why did commode work for 2 months as you said with no problems.....does not make normal sense at all..


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## peculiarwheel (Mar 14, 2015)

Hello everyone. I have a very similar problem to the original poster in this thread...so I though:t I'd share my problem here. I have a toilet that exhibit the following:

Doesn't want to flush...though plunging will force the water through.

ran a snake first while the toilet was in place...no luck. removed the toilet ran the snake from both ends...vigorously...holding both ends see sawing back and forth. Ran a garden hose...water runs fine. Reinstalled..new ring.

drain was clear. Connected to the run for the tub and two sinks. No clogs anywhere...all runs to a septic system showing no signs of blockage....toilet is the furthest from the septic tank.

Toilet worked 80% better when reinstalled...for about 5 flushes...then slow draining again...to where it is now....acting clogged unless I plunge the water out.

Saw the post about venting....went up to the roof to check the vent for that toilet. It wasn't clogged for at four feet of stick I had to check with.

So my question is ...how do I properly check for a vent problem? Could there be something else?

The house is an Arizona Santa Fe style..flat roof home..poured on a slab with all the plumbing pipes buried in cement.

Thanks


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## peculiarwheel (Mar 14, 2015)

Forgot to add: After plunging last night...in the middle of the night...I kept hearing a gurgle sound coming from the toilet. A loud enough "gulp" sound that it woke us several times last night...hours apart. I think it happened 3 times in 8 hours. It sounded like a big bubble found it way into the bowl and burped, loudly.


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## Ghostmaker (Mar 2, 2013)

put toilet paper in it then redo your test.


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## peculiarwheel (Mar 14, 2015)

What test?

Also...as I was thinking...I should add that though the drain lines are buried under concrete...they are accessible from underneigth. I live in the mostly untamed natural desert near Phoenix. We have every kind of critter there is all around the house. There are numerous holes near the foundation..feet away from where this toilet line would run. Could a critter have bored in..causing a deep leak and creating some time of effect on the toilet?

Thanks


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## Ghostmaker (Mar 2, 2013)

You really should make a new post. I was replying to the original one.


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## Ghostmaker (Mar 2, 2013)

If your getting burps through a toilet it could be a blocked vent, or blocked sewer. 
Since your in a warm area the blocked vent is less likely unless some critter is nesting in the pipe that gos, through the roof. 

So my best guess would be a main drain blockage that is still draining off slowly but is becoming worse as you use it. This may be caused by pipe settling and losing it's pitch downhill or roots or a pipe break. Critters usually will not chew through a heavy plastic drain pipe it's not tasty to them.


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## peculiarwheel (Mar 14, 2015)

Thanks...I was thinking along those lines as well. I'll take the toilet off and try snaking the sewer line. It can't be too far down the line if that's the problem, I think, because the two sinks, separate shower and tub all drain fine and may join the main line further down (I don't have the plumbing blueprints to know how the runs are laid under the concrete. But they all are within ten feet of each other in the bathroom.


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