Plumbing - two toilets clogging. Help!

[dubdub123]

Initially I had an issue with downstairs toilet - it wasn't backing up but there's a slight leak on the floor . waiting for the plumber to come out (has been a while now) so haven't been using that one.
So then yesterday, in the upstairs of the house two of the three toilets clogged up ..
Yesterday myself and son checked in the drain outside the house and unblocked that - he would go into the house and flush the toilets as I tried to unblock and finally the water was running clear through the drain..
I bought drain blocker stuff in the hardware (tenner a bottle) and threw a bottle into each upstairs toilet and left for couple of hours then flushed it with a bucket of warm water.
Overnight the toilets had drained down but as soon as they were flushed again the bowls filled up The downstairs toilet is flushing ok but again today there was water on the ground..

So I take it that there's some blockage in the drain/sewer. Any ideas what I can do to try sort it? Of course I'm gonna try get a plumber in but being honest I find it next to impossible to get someone unless there's more substantial work to be done.

Any help appreciated !!

 

[Jazz01]

Yesterday myself and son checked in the drain outside the house and unblocked that

Hi - Are you on the public waste system or your private septic tank?
Are the outside drains to your home blocked this morning? If on public system, can you check with your neighbours (on both sides) to see if their outside drains are blocked?
If they are ok, then the blockage might be within your property or where you connect to the system - you could try to use drain rods (set of rods are around €25).
Alternatively, you could pour a few litres of washing up liquid down the system and leave for an hour, then try flushing the outside system (don't do it from the house, just down the outside waste drain).

Failing those, then a company like "Dynorod" (no affiliation or recommendations on this company - just the first company that popped into my head)

 

[WolfeTone]

Any ideas what I can do to try sort it?

Do a search for waste management companies in your area. This happen to me in my old house. This crowd came out CONTACT US - McBreen Environmental , pretty prompt too, and drained all the pipes around the house. The cost was about €150 (I think!) but problem fixed - some debris had built up together (probably from the time of building) causing the blockage.

 

[Leper]

1. If you are using rods remember to keep twisting them clockwise otherwise you could find yourself worse off unable to retrieve a rod or two.
2. Before you start rodding put a "maggot" (piece like a double wine bottle opener) on top of the first rod. Yo
3. When you have cleared the blockage put the "flap" onto the first rod and shove through and then pull towards you. This will loosen any stuff stuck on the pipes.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Worst Case Scenario:- Your pipes have collapsed or the "roping" connecting the pipe(s) to the Armstrong Junction (crossroads section of pipes) has rotted rendering it/them useless. If it's a "roping" issue it's just a case of drilling around the Armstrong Junction and replacing the rotted roping. You can buy the "roping" and binding compound in most DIY shops. If you'r pipes have cracked or broken you'll need professional help (a camera is put through the pipes with a light to the fore which shows any breakages in the pipes).

 

[roker]

my house had tendency to block because there wasn't enough slope on the pipe, the toilets where on the half flush mode so I had to increase them to full flush to keep the pipes clear

 

[dubdub123]

OK great thank you for all for the advice. It's a septic tank system. The blockage seems to have slightly improved but not gone completely as the toilets are really slow to drain so Im worried they will block back up completely again .
Thanks for the pointers on using the rods, I'm going to get some of those rods in to have as I regularly have issues. - if anyone has a set they would recommend I'd appreciate some names.
Also regarding the half flush mode - I'm gonna keep an eye on that actually as the toilets have an option to flush with less water so maybe that's contributing to the issue.
Good advice about the camera system as well - I've never had that done in this house but maybe but I seem to ad-hoc encounter this issue but then it's all good for months on end again. I'll look into getting drain experts out rather than my regular plumber.

 

[Monbretia]

Does your tank need emptying?

 

[Johnno75]

OK great thank you for all for the advice. It's a septic tank system. The blockage seems to have slightly improved but not gone completely as the toilets are really slow to drain so Im worried they will block back up completely again .
Thanks for the pointers on using the rods, I'm going to get some of those rods in to have as I regularly have issues. - if anyone has a set they would recommend I'd appreciate some names.
Also regarding the half flush mode - I'm gonna keep an eye on that actually as the toilets have an option to flush with less water so maybe that's contributing to the issue.
Good advice about the camera system as well - I've never had that done in this house but maybe but I seem to ad-hoc encounter this issue but then it's all good for months on end again. I'll look into getting drain experts out rather than my regular plumber.

Ok. I’m fresh out of a septic tank issue which was resolved over three days with a very patient and helpful father in law (a builder with knowledge of such things).

It sounds like we have/had similar problems. Toilets backing up despite use of bleach and drain in blockers etc.

If you have a septic tank, it needs to be emptied and drained once a year and cleared of sludge.

In my case, it was a case of Murphy’s law. The pump (which pumps the treated waste water into the settlor/seepage tank) in the septic tank kept switching off. This was as a result of the electric fuse constantly tripping off.

No pump = full/overflowing tank = backed drains and toilets.

Day 1. On investigation, the electric switch board (which provides power to the pump and aerator in the septic tank, or bio unit as we call it) that sits on the lid on top of the tank was submerged in about 1 cm of water. This was due to condensation over a year building up and getting into the switch relay. This was causing the electric fuse switch to trip. We drained the water, got a hairdryer to the board and sealed the electric box to prevent h2o entry. Problem solved.

Not so, alas.

Day 2. Power keeps switching off. So we took the tank lid off and drained the tank to look at the pump. Pump had hair blocking the inlet pipe. And baby wipes. This caused the pump to overheat and switch off. We released the blockage and bingo, sorted.

No so, alas.

Day 3. Emptied septic tank again and removed pump and examined pipes coming from pump (which carried waste water to settling tank). The “backflow valve/stop” which prevents pumped liquid from coming back into the pump was locked open with hair and baby wipes. We unclogged it. Put pump back in and sorted. Been going a dream since.

We now use biodegradable baby wipes, ensure in any event they’re not put into the toilet and put any clumps of hair that amass in the shower tray are binned (and not thrown into the toilet).
Hope this helps.

 

[dubdub123]

Ok. I’m fresh out of a septic tank issue which was resolved over three days with a very patient and helpful father in law (a builder with knowledge of such things).

It sounds like we have/had similar problems. Toilets backing up despite use of bleach and drain in blockers etc.

If you have a septic tank, it needs to be emptied and drained once a year and cleared of sludge.

In my case, it was a case of Murphy’s law. The pump (which pumps the treated waste water into the settlor/seepage tank) in the septic tank kept switching off. This was as a result of the electric fuse constantly tripping off.

No pump = full/overflowing tank = backed drains and toilets.

Day 1. On investigation, the electric switch board (which provides power to the pump and aerator in the septic tank, or bio unit as we call it) that sits on the lid on top of the tank was submerged in about 1 cm of water. This was due to condensation over a year building up and getting into the switch relay. This was causing the electric fuse switch to trip. We drained the water, got a hairdryer to the board and sealed the electric box to prevent h2o entry. Problem solved.

Not so, alas.

Day 2. Power keeps switching off. So we took the tank lid off and drained the tank to look at the pump. Pump had hair blocking the inlet pipe. And baby wipes. This caused the pump to overheat and switch off. We released the blockage and bingo, sorted.

No so, alas.

Day 3. Emptied septic tank again and removed pump and examined pipes coming from pump (which carried waste water to settling tank). The “backflow valve/stop” which prevents pumped liquid from coming back into the pump was locked open with hair and baby wipes. We unclogged it. Put pump back in and sorted. Been going a dream since.

We now use biodegradable baby wipes, ensure in any event they’re not put into the toilet and put any clumps of hair that amass in the shower tray are binned (and not thrown into the toilet).
Hope this helps.

Thank you for that information - could I ask you how old your septic tank system is ? I'm in the house since 2006 but I believe it was built in 2002 and I'm not aware of any pump similar to what you mention providing power to the septic tank. Could my setup be an older style?
I try to keep an eye on the drains outside if there's any sign of a blockage as I know that the piping isn't quite right there and can cause a blockage easily enough.
Somehow and I'm not sure how exactly but the toilets suddenly unblocked on Saturday. I had flushed each of them and they were still blocked and I figured that I'd have to get someone in. Then a while later I heard a noise coming from one of the toilets and the water was sucked down completely and initially seemed completely empty. But then it refilled to a normal level.
So now i won't call anyone in but I'm worried I could have another issue at some stage again.

 

[RedOnion]

Thank you for that information - could I ask you how old your septic tank system is ? I'm in the house since 2006 but I believe it was built in 2002 and I'm not aware of any pump similar to what you mention providing power to the septic tank. Could my setup be an older style

You'll only have pumps, etc if it was required based on the percolation tests that were done when the original planning was granted. Can you see your septic tank? What material is it made from?

You could potentially have issues with rain water getting into either the septic tank or the percolation area. Keep an eye on whether it gets worse when there's rain Vs dry weather.

It'd be no harm getting your tank emptied, and getting someone to check if there are issues.

Looking at your other posts, you're planning to sell the house, so this could have to be addressed to sell the house, so no harm knowing if you've a problem now.

While talking of selling, do you have a certificate of registration for your septic tank? You'll need that to sell.

 

[dubdub123]

You'll only have pumps, etc if it was required based on the percolation tests that were done when the original planning was granted. Can you see your septic tank? What material is it made from?

You could potentially have issues with rain water getting into either the septic tank or the percolation area. Keep an eye on whether it gets worse when there's rain Vs dry weather.

It'd be no harm getting your tank emptied, and getting someone to check if there are issues.

Looking at your other posts, you're planning to sell the house, so this could have to be addressed to sell the house, so no harm knowing if you've a problem now.

While talking of selling, do you have a certificate of registration for your septic tank? You'll need that to sell.

Yes I remember certifying it a few years back so I should have that form in the house, along with a BER that I got done. I'll double check I have it though as don't want to be scrambling later on.

I did get someone to clean it out and check over it a couple of years back but they couldn't find an issue.
This time I cleared the blockage outside but it didn't immediately resolve the issue. The downstairs toilet was ok but two of the upstairs ones were blocked so I'm thinking maybe an internal blockage. That has now resolved . I did put drain stuff down and I was flushing the toilets intermittently so I'm guessing it resolved over time but if something happens again I want to be prepared in the run up to christmas.

Basically what I see is a big silver metal lid in the garden and that can be lifted but I haven't done that in some time. I only lift the lid on the drain right outside the house. There's no electric pump similar to what was mentioned earlier.

Would it make sense to maybe run drain stuff down the toilets one a month or something to try avoid blockages?

 

[RedOnion]

Would it make sense to maybe run drain stuff down the toilets one a month or something to try avoid blockages?

Definitely not!

Most of the drain cleaning products are not suitable for use with septic tanks, as they kill the bacteria in the tank and stop it working properly.

You need to work out if the tank is too full, or if there's a blockage somewhere.

It's recommended that you get tank emptied every 1 to 2 years. Again, getting it emptied and having a receipt for the purchaser will be nice to have as it's one less thing for a purchaser to worry about.

I'd start there. Price will depend on where you live, but I think it's about 300 where I am.

 

[dubdub123]

Definitely not!

Most of the drain cleaning products are not suitable for use with septic tanks, as they kill the bacteria in the tank and stop it working properly.

You need to work out if the tank is too full, or if there's a blockage somewhere.

It's recommended that you get tank emptied every 1 to 2 years. Again, getting it emptied and having a receipt for the purchaser will be nice to have as it's one less thing for a purchaser to worry about.

I'd start there. Price will depend on where you live, but I think it's about 300 where I am.

OK great thanks ! I wasn't aware of that . Does it make sense to try get a camera down through the drains from the house as well? See if there's some issue that contributes to blockage. That's a good idea about getting the septic tank being cleaned out as well , I'll budget around that as part of the prep work I'll get done early next year. I think around 300 sounds right give or take for where I am.
Really appreciate this info.

 

[RedOnion]

Does it make sense to try get a camera down through the drains from the house as well?

To be honest, the guys that empty the tank will be able to tell you if the tank being too full is the issue, or if there is swamping in percolation area. This is what they do every day, so they've seen it all.

before getting a camera, you can find out a lot yourself just by opening the manhole and looking at how quickly things flow through, or if they're getting backed up. If there's someone with you, one person stay inside flushing the toilet while the other watches. If you're on your own, leave the tap in bath running while you go out to check. They should all be using the same pipes.

 

[Johnno75]

Thank you for that information - could I ask you how old your septic tank system is ? I'm in the house since 2006 but I believe it was built in 2002 and I'm not aware of any pump similar to what you mention providing power to the septic tank. Could my setup be an older style?
I try to keep an eye on the drains outside if there's any sign of a blockage as I know that the piping isn't quite right there and can cause a blockage easily enough.
Somehow and I'm not sure how exactly but the toilets suddenly unblocked on Saturday. I had flushed each of them and they were still blocked and I figured that I'd have to get someone in. Then a while later I heard a noise coming from one of the toilets and the water was sucked down completely and initially seemed completely empty. But then it refilled to a normal level.
So now i won't call anyone in but I'm worried I could have another issue at some stage again.

My house was built in 2016 so it’s a new system.

 

[dubdub123]

To be honest, the guys that empty the tank will be able to tell you if the tank being too full is the issue, or if there is swamping in percolation area. This is what they do every day, so they've seen it all.

before getting a camera, you can find out a lot yourself just by opening the manhole and looking at how quickly things flow through, or if they're getting backed up. If there's someone with you, one person stay inside flushing the toilet while the other watches. If you're on your own, leave the tap in bath running while you go out to check. They should all be using the same pipes.

That's what myself and son were doing the other day and I unblocked the drain outside til it ran well. Normally that is the end of any blockage but this time the two toilets were still clogged for a few days so must have been something else going on.

I think better to get the drain guys in to have a full look especially before going to market. I'll ask about the percolation area as well.

thanks all for the advice on this !