Plummers? Need a crappy laugh -our latest ongoing household dilemma

Browncoat · 05-07-2012, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTdad

I have a problem with one of my toilets getting clogged with tree roots. I have to pull the toilet about once a year and pull the roots out, and I haven't yet figured out how to keep the roots from coming back.

Have you pulled the toilet to inspect the line?

You probably have a crack in your sewer line. Trees often times do this because there is water and nutrients to be had.

This happens more commonly with clay septic pipes. If you do have clay pipes, and you have some money to throw at the problem, consider getting them replaced with PVC.

GTdad · 05-07-2012, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southern wife

Y'all still using outhouses?

Until we installed a new septic system, we weren't all that far removed from outhouses. But no, just some nearby trees desperate for a source of water...

Dollystanford · 05-07-2012, 01:50 PM

crumbs, do you not have sewers and things?

SA's husband · 05-07-2012, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Browncoat

I only mention the pump, because in our house all the waste goes down to the basement and from there gets pumped up into a tank... and again pumped out to the leach field. I'm not sure if that's typical or not (seeing that my current home is the only house with septic I've ever lived in).

Still I thought it might be something worth considering, since an irregularly operating pump would seem a likely candidate for irregular issues when flushing.

No pump, free fall, old house.

SimplyAmorous · 05-07-2012, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTdad

I have a problem with one of my toilets getting clogged with tree roots. I have to pull the toilet about once a year and pull the roots out, and I haven't yet figured out how to keep the roots from coming back.

Have you pulled the toilet to inspect the line?

Wow, what is that ---really !??? I guess there are some crazy issues out there, darn.... that would suck!

We don't think there is any trees close enough to be doing that . All we got nearby is 2 large rhododendronroademdun bushes where those lines might be coming out. This house is very old though, so I guess many strange things could happen after many years.

Browncoat · 05-07-2012, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dollystanford

crumbs, do you not have sewers and things?

Most urban settings in the states have sewer. I live in the countryside just outside of the city. The way things go in this neck of the woods is if you don't live in the city proper... you don't get a sewer line.

From what I've heard if where you live does get incorporated into the city they lay those sewer lines right away. What's more, and this is the part I doubt, they will actually disable your septic system once the sewer is up and working... and furthermore force a charge on you for the "privilege" to be on the sewer (apparently it's a hefty fee of a few thousand dollars).

Browncoat · 05-07-2012, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SA's husband

No pump, free fall, old house.

Is the septic directly next to you house?

Do both upstairs toilets feed into a common sewer pipe?

If so perhaps your problem lies where those pipes connect? Can you get a snake down to that part of the sewer line?

I seriously doubt though that the problem would be on the drop down portion of the line, and since you aren't getting backups downstairs... well it has to be up above all that.

SimplyAmorous · 05-07-2012, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dollystanford

crumbs, do you not have sewers and things?

No sewers, no monthy bills either, we live way out in the boonies, we would never be able to get natural gas either, too far off the road..near 800 ft. City water will also never happen... we are not complaining, we love love love the country!

Once we even considered buying a old house that didn't have a bathroom at all, but an old outhouse... of course we would have had to put it in if we bought it, that is not even legal to do anymore. For us....anything to stay out of the city.

The top of our hill separating our Farmer neighbors looks like this:

Halien · 05-07-2012, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimplyAmorous

I am happy to hear we aren't alone... my husband is making us look pretty bad here.....see even some 18 yr old's get carried away with the paper ...DAD.

I suspect our 5 yr old is causing this.... he happily uses both toilets. Hmmmm, might have to lock both doors and monitor him.. Husband said today... he was gonna tell us all to go outside.

I've heard the newer ones might be good for those in the city but those in the country, like us, there isn't enough flushing capacity /water output - enough force somehow.

My Father warned us awhile back to hold on to our old toilets cause they greatly reduced the water output- in these new ones...and those type would never work right with our setup in these old country homes, I don't know.

The flusher appears to be working like it should...just seems to swirl in there, sometimes half flushing..yep...like there is a blockage half of the time.

I guess monitoring the 5 yr old....is our answer.... & go back to Scott's brand ...for starters.

Some older ones already had a marginal flush, and if you add generic paper it can make a difference. They work largely because of a large amount of tank water to make it flush. If the flapper shuts too soon, or you use rigid paper, it can give you problems. Also, the arm that lifts the flapper has a chain that is often poorly adjusted to lift the flapper high enough.

As you said, with the newer ones, you do have to be really careful about the styles you choose, given new standards on water usage. There are just a few that I would say are actually better than the older ones before the efficiency standards changed.

Even though we have municipal water and sewage, our area is notorius for having problems because the water table is so high.

SimplyAmorous · 05-07-2012, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Browncoat

Most urban settings in the states have sewer. I live in the countryside just outside of the city. The way things go in this neck of the woods is if you don't live in the city proper... you don't get a sewer line.

From what I've heard if where you live does get incorporated into the city they lay those sewer lines right away. What's more, and this is the part I doubt, they will actually disable your septic system once the sewer is up and working... and furthermore force a charge on you for the "privilege" to be on the sewer (apparently it's a hefty fee of a few thousand dollars).

Yep, they force you ....knew a handful of people who were furious they had to tap into this...when their septic was fine...just cause it came their way....cost them thousands they didn't have.

SimplyAmorous · 05-07-2012, 02:22 PM

Isn't this ever a Crappy thread... thanks you all for engaging in our very silly dillema , cheers to all my helpful friends!

In_The_Wind · 05-07-2012, 02:27 PM

SA just have your toilets roto rooted and you have to make sure the handle goes all the way down flushable wipes help as well

I think that woman use a lot of tp for some reason just guessing based on experience

SimplyAmorous · 05-07-2012, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halien

As you said, with the newer ones, you do have to be really careful about the styles you choose, given new standards on water usage. There are just a few that I would say are actually better than the older ones before the efficiency standards changed.

See you know about these things! You know what is going on Halien... how those might be trouble for these old houses.

We got 2 extra "dinasour" toilets in our basement ....waiting, a lady in the city was replacing hers. Great shape so I grabbed them up. I listened to my dad when he warned us if we ever have trouble with ours, we'd be searching for an old toilet..so long as we lived here.

SimplyAmorous · 05-07-2012, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by In_The_Wind

SA just have your toilets roto rooted and you have to make sure the handle goes all the way down flushable wipes help as well

I think that woman use a lot of tp for some reason just guessing based on experience

I am much too conservatively cheap to ever buy "flushable wipes", I think I even had a coupon once for them, and I still couldn't bare to spend that much.

I am pretty conservative on the TP too... yeah...it's the baby who is trying to get his butt cleaned -without asking MOM for help, he wants to be a big boy. Then he hears dad ranting to us all about flushing, he is probably the only one doing it -- with a big wad that gets stuck. Ha ha

The woes of parenting!

F-102 · 05-07-2012, 05:23 PM

Reminds me of the Frank Zappa song "Flakes":

Well the toilet went crazy
Yesterday afternoon,
The plumber, he said:
"Never flush a tampoon",
This great information
Cost me half a weeks pay
And the toilet blew up,
Later that day."