In attempting to clear a vent stack pipe to solve gurgling toilet, my snake got away from me and now is at the bottom of the stack pipe. What is the easiest way to retrieve this?

Help,

Slippery fingers - Cliff

Hi Cliff...

You are not the first person to do this.. so don't feel too bad.. ok?

I am sure you checked, but I got to ask anyway. Have you checked in the basement for a cleanout at the base of the waste stack.. There should be a cleanout at the base of all waste stacks.

If no cleanout then you may need to cut one in...

You could also rent another snake with a retrieving head (see picture)... here, you put snake down drain with retriever head in forward motion and when you feel it grab onto the snake you stop and PULL the snake back... reversing it would release the snake.

Let me know what you think... MARK

You might consider whether you could remove a toilet and snag the snake with a coat hanger through the closet bend.

Harold's right... if toilet close by and snake was long enough you may be able to try the retriever tool from there... ;)

Let us know how you make out.

Mark

I recovered the snake I dropped into my vent stack laying at the bottom of my clean out for my septic. Clearly no cloggage in the vent stack and I still have the gurgling problem so I probably need to pull the toilet and snake the waste line?

Good that you recovered the snacke, I don't think you would need to remove the toilet, The solution would be to snake from the roof vent. Put out enough cable to reach the base and 20 feet more, wait until all the plumbing experts get online they may have other solutions, good luck.

John

Quote:

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I still have the gurgling problem so I probably need to pull the toilet and snake the waste line?

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Now I got to ask. Is this a "gurgle" or a "bubble" that comes outts your toilet?
If the snake dropped down the vent before you ran it out 20 feet into the main then you haven't snaked the vent. I don't think you put out enough snake. I woud go back with a power snake and do it again. Good luck, Tom

FF:

Be sure that the septic tank doesn't need to be pumped.

Try to resnake vent as Tom suggested above...

If that doesn't resolve it then snake the main drain line from the cleanout you retrieved your snake from to the septic tank... ;)



Let us know how it goes...

MARK