Plumbing problem

bullacc · Post by **bullacc** » Thu May 29, 2008 11:05 am

So, the problem is this - i had to leave on a business trip outside the country, on short notice, and i left 2 friends of mine who were visiting to live in my apartment in that time.
When i got back after 3 days, i found the toilet clogged - nothing horrible is visible luckily, but the water drains extremely slow (as in, empty in 8-10 hours).

I don't know what they did there - and to be honest i really, really don't want to know.
I tried to remove the problem - in easy steps first, found a tip on the 'nets about pouring dish-washing liquid followed by warm water, and so on.
I tried using a plunger.

No result, the toilet is still blocked.

I would've called my housing company, but i would hate to have to explain why i left someone in the apartment.
So, if i were to hire a plumber, i need to hire an outside one.

Even then, after reading posts on this forum, the price level seems pretty scary - i'd rather put explosives down the pipe and hope for the best than pay 1.100 euro for this... At least it would be more fun in the short term.

Is there anything more i can do myself before having to call a plumber ?

**Sponsor:**

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Thu May 29, 2008 11:25 am

There are de-clogging devices (sort of wire springs) which you can lead into the pipe and poke around till you find the problem.
They are for sale in length up to 15 meters.
But you have to remove the seat first, otherwise you'll have difficulties passing the swans neck.

bullacc · Post by **bullacc** » Thu May 29, 2008 11:28 am

rinso wrote:There are de-clogging devices (sort of wire springs) which you can lead into the pipe and poke around till you find the problem.
They are for sale in length up to 15 meters.
But you have to remove the seat first, otherwise you'll have difficulties passing the swans neck.

You mean an auger ? Sort of like a steel snake that you have to twist around to make it navigate ?
Ok, i saw one of those in a shop in Ruoholahti, i'll try one of those.

richard berman · Post by **richard berman** » Thu May 29, 2008 11:34 am

Call your housing company , you do not have to tell them that it is your friends that did it, do you??

jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Thu May 29, 2008 1:37 pm

Ask your friends what they put down there. It also could be that it isn't related to something your friends did. It could be that everyone's toliet is draining slow. At least in on apartment where I lived where the pipes were getting pretty old and bad, we had terrible drainage. I'd just call and tell the housing company and say you have no idea why its doing that. Which is true!

bullacc · Post by **bullacc** » Thu May 29, 2008 1:48 pm

richard berman wrote:Call your housing company , you do not have to tell them that it is your friends that did it, do you??

Then that would mean taking responsibility for whatever is stuck in there... that my friend, i don't wanna do, knowing these two friends of mine.

bullacc · Post by **bullacc** » Thu May 29, 2008 1:51 pm

jas_rho wrote:Ask your friends what they put down there. It also could be that it isn't related to something your friends did. It could be that everyone's toliet is draining slow. At least in on apartment where I lived where the pipes were getting pretty old and bad, we had terrible drainage. I'd just call and tell the housing company and say you have no idea why its doing that. Which is true!

They deny everything.
But i don't trust them, as this isn't a case of slow drainage, it's a case of no drainage at all - i think the water almost evaporates faster than it drains.

jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:01 pm

bullacc wrote:
jas_rho wrote:Ask your friends what they put down there. It also could be that it isn't related to something your friends did. It could be that everyone's toliet is draining slow. At least in on apartment where I lived where the pipes were getting pretty old and bad, we had terrible drainage. I'd just call and tell the housing company and say you have no idea why its doing that. Which is true!
They deny everything.
But i don't trust them, as this isn't a case of slow drainage, it's a case of no drainage at all - i think the water almost evaporates faster than it drains.

Some friends you've got there!

bullacc · Post by **bullacc** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:06 pm

jas_rho wrote:
bullacc wrote: They deny everything.
But i don't trust them, as this isn't a case of slow drainage, it's a case of no drainage at all - i think the water almost evaporates faster than it drains.
Some friends you've got there!

Well, there are friends, and there are friends.

Mattlill2000 · Post by **Mattlill2000** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:17 pm

You could try the drain cleaners they sell in hardware stores ( eg. K-rauta). Buy only the stuff that is in crystal form and follow instructions. I once cleared a plugged tub drain but had to apply the stuff twice. Its the same stuff that plumbers use.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:35 pm

bullacc wrote:
richard berman wrote:Call your housing company , you do not have to tell them that it is your friends that did it, do you??
Then that would mean taking responsibility for whatever is stuck in there... that my friend, i don't wanna do, knowing these two friends of mine.

Its your flat = your responsibility. Now if its something solid like a towel or knickers and you poke it someplace and it gets stuck on the next level, the whole floor will have their toilets working like fountains, and then guess who is going to pay? Do you have one of those "darwin awards" insurances... So get the housing co. janitor there ASAP, and you can say you had some friends over and you all were very very drunk, that is a believable memory loss.

PS And next time tell your friends to unwrap the hashis before flushing it

bullacc · Post by **bullacc** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:47 pm

Hank W. wrote:
bullacc wrote:
richard berman wrote:Call your housing company , you do not have to tell them that it is your friends that did it, do you??
Then that would mean taking responsibility for whatever is stuck in there... that my friend, i don't wanna do, knowing these two friends of mine.
Its your flat = your responsibility. Now if its something solid like a towel or knickers and you poke it someplace and it gets stuck on the next level, the whole floor will have their toilets working like fountains, and then guess who is going to pay? Do you have one of those "darwin awards" insurances... So get the housing co. janitor there ASAP, and you can say you had some friends over and you all were very very drunk, that is a believable memory loss.

PS And next time tell your friends to unwrap the hashis before flushing it

Hash ? When the fine for possession here is so small, there's no point in flushing it.

You have a point about that though... also, i forgot i'm in Finland now, so drunken amnesia is probably already in the Constitution as an inalienable alibi, or should be.
Good excuse, thanks.

I'll call the housing company.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:52 pm

Well, the probability of what is then got out of there - say it is a genuine Russian buzzing buttplug... doesn't buzz and won't fit... so it got flushed...
/get me coat

Mattlill2000 · Post by **Mattlill2000** » Thu May 29, 2008 3:03 pm

PS And next time tell your friends to unwrap the hashis before flushing it

This toilet thing reminds me of a Cheech and Chong skit...................

bullacc · Post by **bullacc** » Thu May 29, 2008 3:33 pm

Hank W. wrote:Well, the probability of what is then got out of there - say it is a genuine Russian buzzing buttplug... doesn't buzz and won't fit... so it got flushed...
/get me coat

Oooh, you have a dirty mind...

Honestly, the idea of dropping a piece of clothing inside, followed by using the toilet without checking if it works or not, is probably closer to the truth.
I'll see tomorrow when the person from the housing company comes here.

I didn't even think about dislodging whatever is there only to block everything for the rest of the building... good that you told me.
I'm new at living in an apartment, back home i didn't have these kinds of problems, whoever designed my house thought about these kinds of things and there are a lot of traps so that you can intervene on a blockage at almost any step until the junction with the mains in the street.

Well, chalk this up next to the other problems with living in an apartment building.

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