Results for "drain blockage"

Three times in the last month I've had to grab the plunger because my main bathroom toilet keeps clogging up. It's not a new toilet — been in this house for years — but this recurring problem is getting old fast. Planning to tackle this Saturday and figure out what's actually going on before I call anyone in.

The toilet seems to flush okay most of the time, but every now and then it just doesn't clear properly. I'm wondering if it's the toilet itself, something further down the line, or if I've been flushing things I shouldn't. I want to have the right tools and know what I'm looking for before I start poking around.

What should I have ready to diagnose and fix this myself? Is there a logical order to check things so I'm not just guessing?…more

Found myself standing in the hardware store aisle today staring at a wall of toilet augers — manual, drill-powered, 3-foot, 25-foot, coiled cable, four-claw grabber — and I genuinely have no idea which one is right for a basic rental unit toilet clog. I manage a few residential properties and one of my tenants reported a toilet that won't drain at all, not just slow, completely blocked. I want to keep a proper auger on hand for situations like this rather than calling a plumber every time, but the sheer number of options is overwhelming. Is there a standard go-to length and style for a typical toilet clog, and once I've got the right one in hand, what's the actual process for using it without wrecking the porcelain?…more

Looked under the sink and found an old bottle of Drano sitting there, and I'm wondering if I can just pour it into the toilet bowl to clear the slow drain. My toilet is probably 20+ years old and starting to drain sluggishly after flushing — not completely blocked, but definitely not moving like it should. Would using a chemical drain cleaner like Drano do the trick, or is that going to cause problems with an older toilet?…more

Looked everywhere online but can't figure out why my main bathroom has started smelling like rotten eggs or sewer gas — it's been happening on and off for about a week now. The toilet is a Kohler two-piece and seems to flush fine, no leaks that I can see around the base. The smell is worst in the morning when we first use the bathroom, but it sometimes lingers all day.

I checked under the sink and everything looks dry, but I honestly don't know if the odor is coming from the toilet, the drain, or somewhere else entirely. My husband thinks it might be the wax ring but I'm not sure. Is there a way to track down where sewer gas is coming from without calling a plumber for every possible cause?…more

My apartment has a second bathroom that basically never gets used, and lately there's been a really strong sewer smell coming from it. I looked up a video on how to fix a dry trap and followed the steps — poured water down the toilet, added a little mineral oil on top to slow evaporation, the whole thing. But the smell is still there, maybe even stronger now, and I'm not sure if I did something wrong or if a dry trap isn't even the issue.

The bathroom has been sitting unused for probably a couple of months since my roommate moved out. I mentioned it to my landlord but haven't heard back, so I'm trying to figure out whether this is something I can actually solve myself before I push the issue further. Could the dry trap really be causing this, or did I miss something?…more

My neighbor's bathroom never seems to have any drama — she's got kids the same age as mine and somehow her toilet just always works. Meanwhile I'm standing here on a Saturday morning with a backed-up toilet, a sink full of dishes, and zero plungers in the house. I have no idea how we don't own one, but here we are.

The bowl is sitting about three-quarters full and I'm nervous about trying to flush again. I've heard you can use dish soap or baking soda and vinegar, but I'm not sure if those actually work or if I'll just make things worse. Is there a method that's actually reliable without a plunger, or am I going to end up calling someone out on a weekend?…more

Nobody wants to walk into their bathroom and get hit with that rotten-egg, sewer-gas smell coming from the toilet — and yet here I am. It started a few days ago and it's definitely strongest right around the toilet itself, not the drain or anywhere else. I opened a window and lit a candle, but the smell keeps coming back.

I'm guessing something is off with the toilet's seal or maybe something inside the tank? I really can't afford a plumber visit right now, so I'm hoping this is something I can troubleshoot and fix on my own over a weekend without spending a fortune. Has anyone dealt with this and tracked down the cause without calling in a pro?…more