Toilet Stuck Help What Should I Do

fungyou100 on 01/08/2024 - 05:10
Last edited 01/08/2024 - 10:26 by 1 other user

Hi everyone, I'm having an issue with my toilet in my first floor unit investment property it is clogged.

When the water level in the tank rises, it causes backflow into the middle drainage pit, flooding the floor.

I’ve recorded two videos to show the problem:

In the first video, when I use a plunger on the toilet, you can see that the water from the middle drainage pit backs up and floods the floor.

The second video shows that flushing the bathtub and sink doesn’t affect the backflow issue in the middle drainage pit.

I tried snake the middle drain and toilet doesn't work…

Does anyone have any advice or solutions for fixing this problem?

Don't want to get an overpriced plumber, if I get a plumber what they would do?

Home & Garden Investment Plumbing

Comments

  • Dollar General on 01/08/2024 - 05:29
    +59

    Get a plumber

  • EightImmortals on 01/08/2024 - 06:18
    +3

    By sewerage tank I assume you mean the septic tank?
    There are people who come over and pump the tank out and clear and blockages from the tank drain itself. Plumbers might do it or will tell you who will do it .

    • Euphemistic on 01/08/2024 - 14:30
      +2

      Its a unit, if it has a septic tank the body corporate would have to deal wirh it and everyone else will have an issue too. Unita are usually on sewer.

  • Wiadro on 01/08/2024 - 06:28

    Stop the water level from rising

    • Minimum chips on 01/08/2024 - 13:46
      +6

      I'll call Ms Thunberg.

      • Munki on 02/08/2024 - 23:52
        +1

        HOW DARE YOU

  • follow on 01/08/2024 - 06:35

    it looks like the first video you plunged the toilet and the second video you flushed the toilet?

    not seeing you flushing the bathtub or sink in the second video

  • joka on 01/08/2024 - 06:51
    +3

    Don’t poo in the toilet till it’s fixed

  • mapax on 01/08/2024 - 07:18

    Sounds like a crappy problem…

    You could try hot water, gradually increasing temp and added slowly so as not to crack the bowl, and dish liquid to dissolve the blockage. However, sounds like you need a plumber.

    • lgacb08 on 01/08/2024 - 15:34

      It's a lot of effort to crack the bowl, more so your sewer pipe will give way before that. Steaming hot water won't even cut it, maybe a blow torch and ice block can.

      • mapax on 01/08/2024 - 16:29

        I’ve seen it happen in real life so it doesn’t take that much effort. It didn’t shatter or anything, just a hairline crack maybe 8-12cm long on the side of the bowl.

        • lgacb08 on 01/08/2024 - 21:23

          Nah mate, your imagination. The typical toilet bow is just glazed ceramic and will take a lot of beating. Hairline crack can be of anything superficial, doesn't mean the bowl will crack eventually.

  • AngoraFish on 01/08/2024 - 08:00
    +6

    You may have a clogged or broken pipe somewhere. If you're desperate not to use a plumber buy a drain snake from Bunnings and see if that helps. https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-pxc-18v-drain-cleaner-pxdc…

    Most likely a pipe is cracked and clogged with tree roots.

    Either that, or if it's a genuine septic tank and you're not just calling the cistern a septic tank, they need to be pumped out every few years because of all the stuff that ends up in there that the microbes can't break down. You'll likely need to call a septic tank cleaning company and they'll pump it out for you.

  • kobeduck on 01/08/2024 - 08:35
    +1

    Call your step bro

    • Munki on 02/08/2024 - 23:53

      He doesn't also need his prostate checked.

  • theHMASfriendship on 01/08/2024 - 08:47
    +3

    Stop eating so much fibre, stick to ultra processed foods and sugary drinks for sustenance.

  • onetwothreefour on 01/08/2024 - 09:27

    If you are in Perth call Bruce from Drain Cleaning Australia. If you are not in Perth look up his YouTube channel.

    • Gaz1 on 02/08/2024 - 16:30

      What's his prices like? (some of the really good, high profile, guys can be really expensive)

      • umoddbro on 03/08/2024 - 03:15

        Yeh some of these guys charge a 'premium' just cause they have a big youtube/tiktok following.

  • SimAus007 on 01/08/2024 - 09:29

    Oh who gives a shit…
    Oh a serious note, call a plumber or drain cleaner, issue solved :)

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 01/08/2024 - 09:32

    The sewage tank is clogged

    Get your septic tank pumped. It's not cheap, but if it's full, it's your only solution. Needs to be done urgently if you're getting backed up toilets etc.

  • JimmyF on 01/08/2024 - 09:59
    +1

    Does anyone have any advice or solutions for fixing this problem?

    You have a blockage in the pipe down stream…. As you claim to be "property managmentAUS", is this your place or someone elses?

    Either way, just get a plumber out to clean the pipes.

    • fungyou100 on 01/08/2024 - 10:09

      Rental

      • brendanm on 01/08/2024 - 10:12
        +3

        Are you renting it, or is someone else renting it off you?

  • Cheaplikethebird on 01/08/2024 - 10:21
    +25

    FFS just get a plumber. Landlords like you should be banned from owning IPs. I hope you're planning to give a discount to your tenant who is going without a toilet while you f**k around trying to work this out yourself. I'm all for LLs doing their own handyman work but if you're not actually handy then get a tradesman.

  • Brucet on 01/08/2024 - 10:31
    +1

    Try pour dishwasher liquid as much as you can around the toilet .Then flush it.Good luck.

    • BoltThrower on 03/08/2024 - 04:13
      +1

      The problem with this (for septic tanks) is that it kills the bacteria which breaks down the solids. I was given the advice by the guy who emptied my tank to use it sparingly, and definitely not the place to drop bleach.

  • Porker on 01/08/2024 - 10:45
    +1

    If OP is landlord, get a plumber as your troubleshoot methods are not working, and this will impact the tenant. The place looks as though it's one bathroom/toilet such that a functioning toilet would be a critical item.

    If OP is renter, please contact agent. If no agent, then contact landlord. If there's some under-hand rental agreement, then good luck.

  • sumyungguy on 01/08/2024 - 10:52
    +1

    How long is your drain snake? Your main sewer outlet is blocked further down; flushing the loo causes the water to rise up through the floor waste trap which isn't blocked.

  • pharkurnell on 01/08/2024 - 11:20
    +3

    Don't want to get an overpriced plumber

    Then get a normal priced one. how do your tenants like living with shit all over the floor?

  • chack008 on 01/08/2024 - 11:28
    +3

    Seems like you had issues in the past. How did you manage to get this fixed?
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/750721

    • skid on 01/08/2024 - 13:17
      +2

      Same foot different toilet.

      • rogerwilko on 01/08/2024 - 17:19

        Less water more chunk.

    • brendanm on 02/08/2024 - 06:33
      +5

      Nice, looks like OP is the landlord and let's the tenant live in shit because he doesn't want to pay for a plumber to fix his slumlord rental toilet.

  • freefall101 on 01/08/2024 - 13:12
    +6

    Don't want to get an overpriced plumber, if I get a plumber what they would do?

    Presumably they'd fix the problem.

  • nocure on 01/08/2024 - 13:12
    +1

    That floor drain should not be connected to sewage/septic.

    • Ghost47 on 01/08/2024 - 14:11
      +1

      Maybe its got its own pipe and it connects to the pipe that comes out of the toilet, but the blockage is after the two pipes meet. I reckon someone's been flushing wet wipes or something.

  • EFC94 on 01/08/2024 - 13:24
    +9

    "Don't want to get an overpriced plumber, if I get a plumber what they would do?"

    They'd probably fix your problem. If it was your own property I'd tell you not bother with a plumber and keep on wasting your own money until you hopefully fix it, knowing you're just slowly making a bigger and bigger mess would give me mild amusement.

    However considering it's an IP and someone else is living there, call a plumber and get them to fix it. It's someones home and you shouldn't be forcing them to live in unsanitary conditions so you can save a few $$$.

  • ArskinF on 01/08/2024 - 14:07
    +4

    Sound's like a job for the plumber's worm. If, as most investors, you are loathe to spend money on maintenance tradies:

    Neigbour experienced no water from taps. Eventually, after everything else failed she reluctantly calls for a plumber.

    He arrives and assesses the problem. Goes back to his vehicle and comes back with a mash hammer.

    Traces the water pipe, lifts the hammer and whack, hits the pipe.

    The water flows.

    That'll be $120, he says to the neighbour.

    "What!!??", she exclaims, "$120 to hit the pipe with a hammer?"

    "It's not about hitting the pipe with a hammer", the plumber replies, "it's knowing where to hit it".

  • Ghost47 on 01/08/2024 - 14:19

    Don't want to get an overpriced plumber, if I get a plumber what they would do?

    Get a reasonably priced plumber then. Or keep trying to fix it yourself and do things like pour heaps of Drano down the pipes hoping that will fix it.

  • Euphemistic on 01/08/2024 - 14:30

    JFC get some decent footwear on.

  • Chris Topher on 01/08/2024 - 20:27

    To me, not a plumber, is the air vent blocked? Up there, above the roof, bird nest/crap…

    Without venting, all water (toilet, shower, hand basin, kitchen sink) will level out in the pipes until gravity wins the battle.

  • miwahni on 01/08/2024 - 21:48
    +1

    Get a plumber ASAP so your tenants can get on with their lives. While the plumber is there, get him to replace the tap handles for the shower. See about getting a replacement bath, or at least suss out getting the current bath resurfaced. The storage and vanity both look like the timber is swelling, time for new fixtures there. Mate there's so much work required just in that one room to make it suitable for tenants.

  • Crimzic on 02/08/2024 - 17:26

    The issue looks to originate outside of your lot boundaries, so you may be able to have your owners corporation fix it. Call your strata managers.

  • amorphous2111 on 02/08/2024 - 18:58

    The first thing I would do is to knock on the neighbor door and ask if the have the same toilet problem, left and right. You live in an unit so if a few metre long auger doesn’t reach the blockage, it could be out of your unit and would affect other units as well

    it happened to me twice that the main sewer was blocked because my neighbors had the exactly same issue, called the water company and they came fixed it at night on the street.

  • wombok2 on 02/08/2024 - 21:20

    Nice toes, wanna….get a plumber?

  • Poor Ass on 02/08/2024 - 21:25
    +1

    I'm curious what happen here

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/750721

    • Hangryuman on 03/08/2024 - 12:01

      surely not a slumlord attracting crappy tenants from overseas who have no understanding of basic household services

      I had one illegal subletter who disconnected the hot tap to the vanity so she could save money on water/heating bills, leaving her subtenants without hot water to wash their face. Worship only one thing - money.

  • Aust on 02/08/2024 - 22:40
    +1

    That should just not be happening. And with no taps on the shower and some interesting garden pipe work on the bath taps. Id say the plumbing needs a bit of work

  • brad1-8tsi on 02/08/2024 - 23:12
    +2

    If you get a plumber they will probably do plumbing stuff.

    Alternatively, sell the place so you don't have all those landlord problems

  • drprox on 03/08/2024 - 07:12
    +1

    And this is why you shouldn't buy investment properties when you can't actually afford to maintain them…there's a profession that has existed for hundreds (if not thousands) of years…if only I could remember the name for you.

  • Hangryuman on 03/08/2024 - 11:36

    this looks like my place - a Sydney 1982 build Meriton unit - maybe not an exact match but very similar style and colour tiles and such

    if it's a first-floor strata unit there may be a blockage downstream in a shared waste pipe system - which may also affect one or more downstairs units connected to the same waste pipe.

    you could knock the downstairs neighbours to ask if they've noticed any slow flush or blockage, in which case it's a strata repair - notify strata managing agent or committee member if you know any to arrange a drain clearing fix ASAP before sewerage flooding becomes a major sanitary disaster requiring ripping up of floors and many $'000's in damage costs.

    if it's only your unit - you or a plumber might be able to unscrew that floor waste cover (I think they are screw fit - a pair of pliers to grip and rotate) to put a snake down there

    I've seen a shower blockage because a cheep'n'asty renovation tiler dumped their leftover grout down the shower waste which then set hard in the u-bend and blocked it - the plumber used some mystery liquid I think called BackIt which unstuck it and allowed it to be removed.

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