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hollums02 · Feb 17, 2009, 08:52 AM

Bones252100 and massplumber2008 offered sound advise on using a toilet auger to try and clear a slow draining toilet in the hallway bathroom. The tool was useful in that I retrieved a dryer sheet from the line. Ah, I love my kids! Anyway the water does drain somewhat faster but is still not at 100%. Now the drain for the tub in the master bathroom is draining slow. I am not experiencing any other drain problems and the sewer line in the back yard seems okay as well. Now what? If I cannot get this situation resolved during the next day or two I will have to call in a local plumber.

ballengerb1 · Feb 17, 2009, 08:54 AM

Sounds like the clog is not right at the toilet and might involve the main drain line. Its time to rod that drain with something larger than a toilet auger, a dryer sheet isn't likely to clog a well draining toilet. Do you have a clean out in the home?

hollums02 · Feb 17, 2009, 10:09 AM

ballengerb1,
Thanks for the response. I have a cleanout line that goes to the main sewer line and I am right now using a garden hose attachment that has a rubber ball that expands to close the line and increase the water pressure to try and blow out the line. As soon as the line in clear the ball in supposed to collapse. It has not done that yet. I am trying to keep DIY expenses to a minimum to correct this problem. I am looking to step up to a clearing rod if my current solution is ineffective.

ballengerb1 · Feb 17, 2009, 10:14 AM

That ball might work but they really don't build as much pressure as I'd like. Rodding is always the next try as you mention.

hollums02 · Feb 17, 2009, 11:31 AM

When I first set up the ball it wasn't far enough down the line, I then attached a second garden hose and tried it again. The hose seemed to work easily enough down into the line for about twenty feet then it felt like it was binding up so I reckon to have hit a clog. Unfortunately I am having troubles with this second hose now so I will have to wait till the neighbor that lives behind me gets home to inquire about using his hose. We'll see what happens.

ballengerb1 · Feb 17, 2009, 12:12 PM

Where are you inserting the hose and ball? If you are at the clean out you only have to go in a foot or two and the ball will build the same pressure even if its not close to the clog.

hollums02 · Feb 17, 2009, 01:55 PM

Thanks for the response. I started the ball about a foot below the opening of the cleanout, then I began pushing the hose and ball farther down into the line. When the hose felt like it was binding I would stop and turn the water on. I have done this four separate times and each time I am able to push the hose farther down the line. I have approximately three feet left of a fifty foot hose and maybe another three feet of the first hose coming from the house. I do not believe it is more than forty feet from the opening of the clean out line to the junction that runs into the city sewer line. I am about a width of a gnats eyelash of stepping up to the cleaning rod before I need to spend $120 dollars to have a local plumber come out and do what I have been attempting to do. Thanks again for your help and keep the suggestions coming.