Help with apple in clogged toilet!
M80travis
My five year old son flushed an apple down our house toilet. It still
flushes sluggishly. Any ideas for dissolving or removing apple (short of
calling a plumber)?
Peter Neilson
In article <19961230073...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
Hmmm. Our horses like apples. Have you tried flushing a horse?
Boring alternatives include trying a snake or removing the toilet (you
CAN do it) to get at the apple, and making sure to put in a new wax
ring when you put it back. (The wax ring is why you must never flush
hot water down the john. It'll melt the wax. Don't try hot water to
"bake" the apple.) Oh, have you tried muriatic acid? That's the name
for commercial hydrochloric acid. Do be careful with it.
I'm sure your son would like to see you try the horse first.
--
= = = nei...@pagesz.net +1-919-775-3822
Peter Neilson Saddlebred horses. Many ponies.
7950 Lower River Road One trick donkey. Two cats.
Sanford NC 27330 Acres & acres of pine trees.
Jerry Groneberg
M80travis (m80t...@aol.com) writes:
> My five year old son flushed an apple down our house toilet. It still
> flushes sluggishly. Any ideas for dissolving or removing apple (short of
> calling a plumber)?
You could try pouring hot water into the toilet, hoping it will "cook" the
apple.
--
Jerry
ru...@sfpcug.org
In <19961230073...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, m80t...@aol.com (M80travis) writes:
>My five year old son flushed an apple down our house toilet. It still
>flushes sluggishly. Any ideas for dissolving or removing apple (short of
>calling a plumber)?
Try using a sponge or a plunger to remove the water from the bowl. Sometimes
the stoppage will be floating at the top of the trap and this will bring it down
to where you can reach it with your fingers. Try a good plunger (the big black
type with "lips") - work it *hard* with the toilet bowl as full of water as
you can get it (makes a good hydraulic seal).
A professional's toilet auger (short fat flexible snake with a 3' handle on it)
costs about $60. Home Depot and others have cheaper versions which probably
won't help you. These tools require good upper body strength to use, won't
work on some toilets, and may leave marks on the bottom of the toilet bowl.
But if you're up for it, you will probably get to use it once a year or so,
forever <G>.
If it's a relatively new toilet (the tank is attached to the toilet, not hung on
the wall), and you have a good back, "pulling" a toilet isn't too hard. The
main "gottcha" is the bolts holding it down. If these are rusted, or of the
type that screws into the wood, you may have trouble putting the toilet back -
in which case you need a plumber.
Best luck. Rufus [Ru-Mahn Plumbing]
John Hascall
<ru...@sfpcug.org> wrote:
}m80t...@aol.com (M80travis) writes:
}>My five year old son flushed an apple down our house toilet. It still
}>flushes sluggishly. Any ideas for dissolving or removing apple (short of
}>calling a plumber)?
}A professional's toilet auger (short fat flexible snake ... won't
}work on some toilets, and may leave marks on the bottom of the toilet bowl.
I've found that wrapping a towel around it helps prevent that. YMMV.
}the wall), and you have a good back, "pulling" a toilet isn't too hard. The
}main "gottcha" is the bolts holding it down. If these are rusted, or of the
}type that screws into the wood, you may have trouble putting the toilet back -
}in which case you need a plumber.
And don't forget to get a new wax seal if you pull it.
John
--
John Hascall, Software Engr. Shut up, be happy. The conveniences you
ISU Computation Center demanded are now mandatory. -Jello Biafra
mailto:jo...@iastate.edu
http://www.cc.iastate.edu/staff/systems/john/welcome.html <-- the usual crud
John Hascall
I've found a turkey baster invaluable on several plumbing projects.
Buy a new one for the kitchen, though... :o
Ken Winters
M80travis wrote:
>
> My five year old son flushed an apple down our house toilet. It still
> flushes sluggishly. Any ideas for dissolving or removing apple (short of
> calling a plumber)?
I had a similar situation with a metal toilet bowl rod (my 5 yr old as
well). Dissolving wasn't an option. I simply pulled the toilet (removed
2 bolts holding it to floor) and placed it upside down in padded tub.
The rod came right out. I then replaced toilet with a new wax seal. I'm
not a handiman type, so I'd say the job is within almost anyones ability
(assuming they have a good back).
Ken
Helen N. Lovisek
Ken Winters (kwin...@olympus.net) wrote:
: M80travis wrote:
: >
: > My five year old son flushed an apple down our house toilet. It still
: > flushes sluggishly. Any ideas for dissolving or removing apple (short of
: > calling a plumber)?
Go to the hardware store and buy a plumber's snake for
toilets. They're not very expensive (under $20) and are
a useful tool for homeowners.