Round the bend?

twopenny · 30 November 2020 at 3:10PM

Moved into a house where no on had lived for 15yrs but had visited for a couple of days a year.

The toilet had no water in the trap and it was so black with crud it required scrubbing as cleaner didn't do it.

Over the year it's become increasingly difficult to get it to flush away what it should flush away, even soft wet paper. I put a bowl full of washing up water down and it flushed out half disolved paper and 'other'.

It was still not flushing away.

Put down bicarb and vinegar which did a great job of what I can reach. Put washing up liquid and hot water to soak twice and it's working a lot better.

Then I put my hand, a soft scourer and a bent 'pipe' brush and had a scrape. Bits of the black came off and dirty water but I can't get beyond the bend where it drops dry.

It seems more just it's not smooth and slippery, just rough crud stuck to the pipework from not being flushed through and when leaving the house to snow and heat waves drying it to a crust.

Can anyone please recommend something that might clean beyond the bend if I use it regularly? I'd like to get it sorted and so much to choose from and google was no help. Plumbers looking at the bathroom are talking pressure wash and expensive cleaning.

cajef · 30 November 2020 at 3:20PM

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HG-Liquid-Drain-Unblocker-1L/dp/B000IU3VS0

Worth trying we had problems with a toilet flushing and it worked for us, if you Google it plenty other places sell HG products.

twopenny · 30 November 2020 at 5:51PM

Thanks Cajef. I did wonder whether to just work my way along the shelves of Proper Job DIY shop.

I miss the old powdered Harpic, that cleaned heavy brass too.

Think I might get someone to check how much water the ballcock is letting into the flush tank. Previous owners kept everything to a minium for the water meter.

EssexExile · 30 November 2020 at 9:17PM

You need something mechanical, not some chemical. You pour a chemical down, it makes a hole and pours through it, all gone, leaving most of the crud behind. Personally I'd pull the bog away from it's connector and dig in. Oh the joys of home ownership.

Jeepers_Creepers · 30 November 2020 at 10:15PM

Second what Essex says - remove the pan! Crazy trying to shift that with the pan still in situ.

Removing a pan is easy. Then you'll know what you are dealing with.

Good chance the actual soil pipe is not too blocked, or will be easy to clean even if it is - it'll most likely be a straightish pipe leading to a vertical vent pipe outside.

If the pan has hardened gunk in it, scrape away what you can, seal the outlet pipe with a polythene bag and a rubber band, and that'll allow you to fill the pan with whatever power-cleaner you plan to use. Tilt the pan front upwards to release any trapped air beyond the U-bend, and sit it back down - the pan should now be full of cleaner with no air. Let it do its jobbie.

twopenny · 30 November 2020 at 11:24PM

Well - your talking to a small old lady so I think removing the pan is off the cards. The vent pipe is boxed in in the bathroom which is annoying re space but there it is. At least, there isn't one outside and this is an unknown box running the height of the bungalow.

I'll wait till I get the bathroom done. Trouble is I've been waiting a year now due to me being ill pluss covid and its irritating me. So much lucrative easy work getting a small bathroom done is proving difficult.

The pan is spotless as is the exit pipe as far as my hand will reach. I'll have a look in the cistern to see if the water level is high enough and persever with the soapy water and vinegar mix randomly in the hope it helps.

Jeepers_Creepers · 1 December 2020 at 12:32AM

If you've gone as far as your hand will reach, then every chance the 'bend' is actually clean enough. So your next check - the cistern water level - is sensible. It could be as simple as that :-)

twopenny · 1 December 2020 at 7:36PM

Thank you for cheering me up JeepersCreepers.

Think I've lost confidence in doing anything at the moment when you can't get any trademen to do a job but it's useful being small, I can get where others can't

But now it's a tad better I've been watching what happens (joy!) and it seems one stream of water from the tank isn't sufficient by a few seconds.

No way to turn the water off to the tank for those that suggested it and I've examined every bit. But I'll gee myself up eventually and have a look. I remember from examining them on purchase to see if there was water in (wasn't in the bowl) and it' looked like it needed a clean anyway.

Jeepers_Creepers · 1 December 2020 at 8:17PM

If you post a photo of the cistern, and ideally one with the lid removed showing the water level and the type of guts it has, we can advise further.

Just a few months to go - normality will resume :-)

twopenny · 2 December 2020 at 7:47PM

Jeepers it was a normal day today. Even got a coffee in a cup delivered to table and chat. Feels quite different.

It's raining all day tomorrow and cars in for it's MOT so no excuse. I'll get to it. Thanks.

twopenny · 3 December 2020 at 2:37PM

So, looks like a lower water level with a line scratched in the back of the tank but I can't find anything that isn't fixed solid.

How would I normally be able to adjust the ballcock to increase the capacity please?

No wonder my water bills were so low. Nothing seems to work at full power.

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Round the bend?

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