There are some good handymans and plumbers on here so I have a basic question.
Got a text from the wife that our toddler flushed a washcloth down the toilet on the 2nd floor. I wont be able to get to it until I get home from work. Wife was told not to use that toilet until I get home Will this have an effect on other toilets? Whats the best next step? Get a plunger and see if I can bring up the washcloth before it gets to deep? Keep flushing hope it goes down? Just face it and call a plumber?
Did the toilet back up, or did the cloth make it through into you main plumbing stack? If it is the former, you should be able to retrieve it yourself with a drain snake (or a coat hanger in a pinch). If it is the latter, you probably don’t have an issue.
The first step is to duct tape the lid of the toilet down so said kid does not take a dukey in the clogged toilet before you get home to fix it.
No backup so far but Im not sure it made it completely to the main plumbing stack. I would assume so?
The first step is to duct tape the lid of the toilet down so said kid does not take a dukey in the clogged toilet before you get home to fix it.
Guffaw! That made me laugh. It just seems like something one of my kids would do.
And no, I can’t think of any reason that this toilet being off limits would create an issue with other bathrooms in the house.
Are you on municipal sewer or septic?
You can always start running water into the sink and see what happens. Make sure someone is watching the plumbing unit (toilet / sink / tub) at the lowest point in the house (just in case) the blockage happens near the end of the outlet and you start to back up.
Once the cloth gets through the toilet’s ‘P’ trap, it is either 3" or 4" (depends on code & number of total toilets in your home) the rest of the way out of your house. If it is still flushing normally I wouldn’t be too concerned about it.
Still in diapers so we are good. Potty training wont start for another 6 months or so. Also learned it was the wife flushing the washcloth down not the kid.
Heh, I suspect someone might not know what a P trap is!
Basically what I’m saying is that the narrowest part of your plumbing is inside the toilet drain itself. If it didn’t plug up there, I wouldn’t expect you to have an issue further downstream.
Also learned it was the wife flushing the washcloth down not the kid.
Does your dog fart a lot too?
Flush the toilets several times. If they flush fine then go retrieve your washcloth at the treatment facility. If it backs up then reach down and turn off the toilet to snake it out.
Which reminds me, why doesn’t everyone know how to stop a toilet from overflowing? It’s something that should be mandatory knowledge.
Which reminds me, why doesn’t everyone know how to stop a toilet from overflowing? It’s something that should be mandatory knowledge.
My whole family knows. They yell “Dad, the toilet is flooding the bathroom”. And then I go stop it.
I would think you need to fish it out one way or another. if you are lucky it did not go far and a toilet auger could grab it and pull it out. But if further in the pipes you need longer snakes. I would personally try to get it myself as I worked for a plumber and can easily pull a toilet and reset it. I’m not sure I would bother if I had no experience with it as you have to buy several tools depending on how luck you get finding it with the auger, or other longer snakes.
Still in diapers so we are good. Potty training wont start for another 6 months or so. Also learned it was the wife flushing the washcloth down not the kid.
Hah, wait until one of the kids flushes their diaper down the toilet. I’ve had one of those get stuck and it’s quite amazing just how much water those things can absorb and how much they expand. My kids still remember the day that had to help daddy take apart the toilet.
I would think you need to fish it out one way or another. if you are lucky it did not go far and a toilet auger could grab it and pull it out. But if further in the pipes you need longer snakes. I would personally try to get it myself as I worked for a plumber and can easily pull a toilet and reset it. I’m not sure I would bother if I had no experience with it as you have to buy several tools depending on how luck you get finding it with the auger, or other longer snakes.
Listen to this person and call a pro if you are hesitant to work on it yourself!!!
My brother’s kid flushed a hand towel down the toilet (without telling anybody obviously) as he was trying to cover up a boo boo (toddler as they do have accidents as all you parents out there know). Well, it backed everything up and flooded the house…$13-14k in total damage to the home. The plumbers that removed the towel that clogged the sewer line had to use the really long snake as it was stuck in there over 20+ feet from the original point of entry (as I recall).
Luckly we use cloth diapers so there is no possible way they can even make it in the toilet they are too big and bulky.
As far as the washcloth, it was a very thin cheap cloth we use in place of the disposable baby wipes. So low risk and I wouldn’t expect it completely clog the toilet, but we shall see. I think the toliet is fairly close to the main pipe so within 5 feet it gets to a 4-5 inch wide pipe. I hope Im safe.