Home maintenance advice?

[nolly]

Sunday, my upstairs toilet suddenly decided not to flush, and plunging was no help.

Monday, I called my home warranty company, who sent out a plumber, who took a look, said "There's a clog, and the augur won't go through it. You'll probably need a new toilet. We don't do that. We've spoken to the warrantyy company, and they want to send someone else out."

Today, the other plumber came. "Yep, there's a clog, and the augur won't go through it. You need a new toilet." After a call, it was determined that yes, the home warranty will cover the replacement -- yay, that's why I have it.

Unfortunately, they have to order the new toilet for some reason, or so I've been told, and it may take a while. Meanwhile, I have a toilet that a) doesn't flush and b) has been sitting, unflushed, for nearly 48 hours so far. It's, er, rather unspeakably nasty, really. I'd like, if possible, to do something to minimize the nastiness, but I'm not sure what I can do. Any sugggestions? Would a wetvac be of any help, and if so a) where do I get one and b) How do I dispose of the grossness once it's extracted from my toilet?

Comments

[bovil.livejournal.com]

A cup or two of chlorine bleach will discourage any bacterial growth in there, and wouldn't be a bad idea regardless of what follow-up method you take.

[penguinicity.livejournal.com]

Be VERY careful if you do this. Bleach plus the other chemicals that would probably be in the toilet will likely release chlorine gas and/or chloramines. These are toxic and irritating. Keep the fan going, windows open, and don't lurk after mixing.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, there are no chemicals besides what's er, natually produced by the human body in there.

[redbird]

What is produced naturally by the human body includes urea, which (according to this Materials Safety Data Sheet can decompose and release ammonia in the presence of heat. Unfortunately, it doesn't say how much heat. OSHA
says that it decomposes at heat above melting point, which is about 132°C, so you're probably okay--but it can't hurt to open a window, whatever else you do or don't do here.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I though of that after. There's no window in that bathroom, or nearby[1], just a fan. I may try it, I may not...I'll have to consider.

[1] Well, there is, but it doesn't open.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

(oh, right, that does include ammonia, doesn't it? Fun.)

[bovil.livejournal.com]

The ammonia levels should be very low (unless you're smelling it, and ammonia is one of those smells that cuts through everything). Still, turn on the fan, dump the bleach (or do it in several small doses) and close the door behind you after you leave.

I'm trying to think of other disinfectant options besides bleach. Sulfite powder might be an option, but it's not a common household item.

[king-tirian.livejournal.com]

That was my first thought too, but a quick Wiki search informed me that chloramines are already in our drinking water, so you'd probably need a "Hey Bubba, hold mah beer and watch this!" amount of bleach to really get memorable effects from you. Definitely run your fan.

I really don't think much of your plumbers. I can't quite imagine what kind of clog would fubar a toilet, but getting beyond that to that two plumbers came by your ... ahem ... full toilet, neither knowing how long it would be before it could be repaired, and neither sucking the ick out themselves seems like a public health hazard.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

Current leading theory is foreign object (such as a cat toy). My understanding is that none of the plumbers had the equipment to clear it. The first guys were from a roto-rooter type company; the second guy...well, I'm not sure he's going to last in the plumbing business. He seemed more grossed out then the first guys who were told me "We've seen way worse than this", and I don't think it got that much worse in the 24 hours between visits.

[usqueba.livejournal.com]

What kind of bone-headed plumbers don't have the "right equipment"?! My bro is a plumber and he carries most stuff in his truck.

::shrug::

[nolly.livejournal.com]

The first ones weren't full-service plumbers, I believe, and the home warranty folks sent them away anyhow. I'm not sure what the second guy's problem was; possibly just attitude. Anyway, I took my mom's advice (the anonymous comment), and things are much improved.

[king-tirian.livejournal.com]

Yabbut... if you've got a cat toy stuck in your toilet then one would lift the toilet off the floor, push the toy out from the back end, and then screw the toilet back onto the floor. You need a new wax ring like someone upstream said, but that's a tiny fraction of a new toilet cost. It's not like your current toilet is broken or that it would become broken in the process of getting a solid blockage removed from it.

Is this a low-flow toilet? I wonder if the problem is that licensed plumbers aren't even allowed to "install" a vintage toilet under circumstances like this.

[quaryn-dk.livejournal.com]

Do not, under any circumstances, do this. Chlorine bleach will react with urea, as well as ammonia, to produce chloramines, which are deadly.

Trust the former chemist. I know what I'm talking about.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

Well, I followed my mom's advice (in the anonymous comment below), and seem to have suffered no ill effects. [tmi](As I recall, there was little or no urine in there anyway.)[/tmi]

Re: Toilet

[bovil.livejournal.com]

tmdmesmer's suggestion of vinegar is one I spaced... acid (and a bunch of salt making an acidic brine) isn't disinfectant, but it will really discourage bacterial growth.

[krow.livejournal.com]

Get some gloves and clean it out. Once you do this, drop in some boiling water. Boiling water works on most clogs.

I've never seen a toilet that is broken do to a clog... that sounds a bit like BS. Worst case clean out the toilet and take it off the floor. You will need a new wax ring to put it back. Go to home depot and rent a small auger and run the line yourself.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

I was here when the plumbers were, both times. Whatever the blockage is -- current best guess is the cats dropped something down -- their augurs would not go through. Boiling water and whatever I could rent at Home Despot isn't going to do the trick. Because I have a current home warranty, this will cost me $45, and someone else does the labor. In my book, that beats trying to replace it myself.

Toilet

[(Anonymous)]

Do you have a second toilet that works? If so, put on some gloves, get some kind of disposable plastic bowl, and scoop the contents into a pail. Flush it down the other toilet. Throw away the bowl you scooped with and sanitize the pail. Then you can use paper towels to wipe out the empty bowl with a mixture of bleach and water or some other bathroom cleaner. If you don't have a working toilet, do you have a place you could bury the stuff? That's what people had to do here after the hurricane when the sewer system was down.
JGM

Re: Toilet

[nolly.livejournal.com]

Yes, I do have a working toilet still, and this has much improved matters, thanks -- probably should've thought of this myself, but I didn't. One trip to the late night grocery for gloves and a disposable container, and matters are much improved.

Re: Toilet

[quaryn-dk.livejournal.com]

Well, if ever you plan on having children, count it as good prep for diaper duty.

[tmdmesmer.livejournal.com]

If you should need yet another option, pour in some white vinegar (another kind of vinegar might leave a bit of stain) and find a large piece of sturdy plastic bag, place it over the toilet bowl and duck tape it around the bowl so that no air or stink escapes. Lemon juice could be used instead of white vinegar but is more expensive.
Good luck!

[bovil.livejournal.com]

...should have remembered salt and acid as being a good choice to discourage bacterial growth.