[Dave Schlapkohl]

I have a 40 year old 1 story rental house built on slab where there are two toilets and one seems to be clogging up very often. I had rescue rooter come out to use a camera. He took the toilet off and stuck his camera down all the way to the sewage manhole. Nothing was broke and there wasn't anything stuck in the pipe. He did say that the "build up" on the walls of the cast iron pipe was actually rust chips from the pipe itself and the paper and feminine products are probably catching on them and causing the backup. He said I could get some acetone or other chemical to help clear it up. He also said to get another toilet that would put more pressure on the flush. (The American Standard toilet is 1-1/2 years old.)
I asked my brother who is a plumber and he said he never tells customers to use chemicals because of the damage it can cause. He also said he has never heard of this before and thought Rescue Rooter just told me that because they didn't have any other answer. I found a toilet at a supply store that says they have one that is rated #1 in Consumers Digest that uses a "vacuum"(?).
The toilet with the problem is used by two girls and it empties into the underground pipe from the toilet without the problem that is used by the mother then goes to the main.
The backup happened again last week when I was out of town and the renter had a friend who came over and stuck a 9' or 10' sewer auger down through the toilet to clear it up. Most of the time it backs up the renter has to plunge the toilet for a long time to clear it.
What are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Dave Schlapkohl

[speedball1]

Dave, You posted the same question 4 times. You only have to post it once to receive a answer.

I asked my brother who is a plumber and he said he never tells customers to use chemicals because of the damage it can cause. He also said he has never heard of this before and thought Rescue Rooter just told me that because they didn't have any other answer.

Like your brother I am no fan of putting harsh chemicals in your drainage system.

. I had rescue rooter come out to use a camera. He took the toilet off and stuck his camera down all the way to the sewage manhole. Nothing was broke and there wasn't anything stuck in the pipe. He did say that the "build up" on the walls of the cast iron pipe was actually rust chips from the pipe itself and the paper and feminine products are probably catching on them and causing the backup.

If the cast iron pipes were the cause o0f the problem it would affect both toilets and not just one. Besides the only time the sewer pipe will fill up is when a back up occurs. The rest of the time the discharge from the toilet only takes up liess then a inch of pipe space as it flows. I think your plumber's blowing smoke because he can't figure out what the trouble is.
Has any body taken the time to check if the problem toilet's properly vented? When the toilet's augered what comes back on the tip of the auger?
Back to you, Tom

[MOWERMAN2468]

Just a thought, but if the feminine products weren't flushed down the toilet, that would prevent that part of the problem. And this "plumber" has a camera and can't seem to figure out a cure. Sounds like a fly by night plumber who went to the bank and borrowed the money to buy himself a new camera. And pouring the chemicals down the drain idea is not very good at all. Get a new plumber. And as far as a new toilet to flush with more power? If the pipes are rusted and the tissue and feminine products are hanging up, they are being hung up by the sharp edges of the rust. More water is not going to cure this problem.