Pre-Christmas Plumbing Emergency

[shabbychick]

So I got home from my sister's this afternoon and found a note from my housecleaner telling me she had accidentally flushed a paper towel down the toilet and got it clogged up. She tried to use the plunger for twenty minutes with no luck. So off I went to Home Depot and bought a new plunger (since mine turns itself inside out at will) and an augur. The plunger didn't work, so I used the augur. The good news is, I think I cleared the obstruction because the water drained out. The bad news is, the augur is stuck in the toilet, and I can't get it out. It seems to be hung up. If stuck my hand as far into the hole as I can get it to try and ease it out, but no luck, and my hand is swelling. Any ideas? Should I go ahead and pull with all my might and hope the augur comes out, or is that likely to wreck the toilet? This is really not what I needed right now. :(

Shabby

[Rory Bremner]

Give it a good yank (pull) Shabby, I don't think you'll damage anything. Or, a plumber.

[shabbychick]

I'm fortifying myself with a glass of wine and some cornbread, and then I'll go back upstairs and do battle with the great Snake once again. I'd like to pull the whole toilet out and replace it with this one:

[shabbychick]

I managed to get the augur out without breaking any bones or the toilet, and it came out with a small hunk of paper towel still lodged in it. I tried flushing, but the toilet is still clogged. I've poured in some drain cleaner and am hoping that might sort of do the trick. In the meantime, the plastic sleeve for the coiled wire in the auger has broken to bits. I'm not sure I could get the darn thing down the toilet again if I wanted to. If the drain cleaner doesn't eat through the paper towel, I guess I'll be calling a plumber, but not until the 26th as I don't want to pay holiday rates.

This is kind of irritating. I'm glad I at least have two other functioning toilets.

[Rory Bremner]

That's a right royal throne! You and your toilet humor!:D

[shabbychick]

Okay, a generous helping of drain cleaner, re-application of the augur (as far as I could push it in by hand since the handle crank thing doesn't work when the plastic sleeve is shredded), vigorous plunging, and some colorful language have finally resulted in an unclogged toilet! Yay! The inside of the toilet is a bit unsightly with black scratches, but at least it works. I do believe I need to replace the corroded innards, and when you turn the water on and off, water spurts out around the handle as you turn it, so I'm thinking there's something wrong there, too. I'd hate like heck to find out it was leaking into the wall. Might be time to call in the b-i-l for a little assistance. He's really good with toilets.

I'm going to take the mangled augur back to Home Depot tomorrow and see if they can tell me why a weak little thing like me can break this tool to bits in twenty minutes. :)

[ChapterTwo]

Okay, a generous helping of drain cleaner, re-application of the augur (as far as I could push it in by hand since the handle crank thing doesn't work when the plastic sleeve is shredded), vigorous plunging, and some colorful language have finally resulted in an unclogged toilet! Yay!

I am Woman, hear me roar! ;)
We do what we have to do, don't we, Shabby? :o
I hope there's nothing else wrong but a call to the b-i-l might be a good idea, for peace of mind...

[mac78]

Oh so sorry you are having toilet troubles....it happens here on occassion too.I really didn't realize that a paper towel would clog a toilet up so much. As I have put them down our toilet with dog poo on them before, guess I better stop that.;) I hope you can't continue with toilet free troubles. And I do like you new throne. :D

[ChapterTwo]

...even facial tissue, I am told, is not meant to go down the commode. Toilet tissue is made to break down more easily.

[shabbychick]

The toilet seems to be working properly now, but who knows for how long. I now have a bruise on top of my wrist from trying to shove my hand down the hole in the toilet to free the augur.

I wonder if a person could build a cabinet around their toilet to make it look like a throne. Might be fun if you had the room between your toilet and the sink, which I do not. It's time for toilets to have a makeover. They're essentially the same design they were when they were invented. You'd think we could do something a little more creative with their design or their color or something. I'll have to give it some thought. Maybe that's how I'll make my fortune at last!

[ChapterTwo]

It's time for toilets to have a makeover. They're essentially the same design they were when they were invented. You'd think we could do something a little more creative with their design or their color or something. I'll have to give it some thought. Maybe that's how I'll make my fortune at last!

How right you are, shabby! Go for it...;) You can become the Queen of Commodes!

I have a toilet that's wedged between the tub and the wall...it keeps "walking"...making itself turn more and more slightly towards the wall! One time I foolishly pulled on it (forgetting there's that wax seal at the floor) and water leaked on the floor every time flushing took place! That stopped, shortly thereafter, but I'm curious if there's anything (simple) I can do, without calling a plumber (who will charge me $60 for walking through the door...)

[shabbychick]

My b-i-l was able to pull up a toilet and replace the wax ring for me fairly easily. You have to turn off the water, bail out the tank, take off the little bolt covers that cover those two large screws that stick up through the base of the toilet, then lift the toilet right off the ring. I wouldn't have the upper body strength to do that, but it is not that hard of a process. Then you scrape up the old ring, put a new one down (you can get those at Home Depot) and smoosh it around some, then put the toilet back. I think it only took about an hour, all told, to get the toilet off, the ring down, and the toilet back on. I had had a leak, too, which is why we had to take up the toilet. If you have a reasonably strong male in your house (or a reasonably strong young woman without back problems and with good upper body strength) you could do it yourself.

[ChapterTwo]

If you have a reasonably strong male in your house (or a reasonably strong young woman without back problems and with good upper body strength) you could do it yourself.

No males here except for two of my kitty cats! ;)

I do remember the plumber doing that job in my other house. I'm guessing I could do it, at some point. Tnx for the pointers!