The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
Please vote in the Forum Structure Poll. Polling will close at 2PM EST on January 21, 2025.
Toilet Seriously Clogged
Robos A Go Go
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
My incompetent roommate got hammered one night and, in his stupor, knocked a tray of Gilette razors into the toilet. Unfortunately, he didn't bother to retrieve the tray, nor did he tell anyone, and so the thing was inevitably flushed by someone (knowingly or not) and has apparently since become lodged, obstructing the flow of water and thusly preventing the thing from flushing properly.
After a couple days, the situation hasn't changed. The plunger hasn't done anything to help the situation, nor have repeated flushing or, as of yet, the use of Drain-o. As far as I know, this is the extent of our most basic options.
So, what I'm asking is where we go from here.
Firstly, what are our options for dealing with the problem, considering we're renting the apartment (only one of us is on the lease, and the rest of us including myself and the gentleman who fucked up the toilet have separate rental agreements with the man on the lease). Is there anything left that we can do, or are we at the point where we need to approach the landlord?
Secondly, how do we approach the matter of paying for whatever the next step is, assuming it involves a plumber or something along those lines? Obviously the guy who fucked up is to blame, but this is our only toilet and, obviously, the thing's a bit of a necessity. Given that, I wonder if the landlord has some kind of legal obligation to take care of the problem, even if the responsible roommate or the man on the lease are themselves unwilling or unable to cover any resulting costs. The landlord himself has been reluctant to address problems in the past, as have everyone else here, so I very much think there'll come a point where someone needs to be pushed into taking care of this. When that happens, who needs to give in?
Fyi, in regards to the toilet itself, the water level rises to about the rim with a flush before slowly receding and reaching about the average level of water. Personally, I'm reluctant to use it for anything but liquids, and I don't as of yet know how it handles solid waste. Given the evidence, though, I can't imagine it would go very well.
After a couple days, the situation hasn't changed. The plunger hasn't done anything to help the situation, nor have repeated flushing or, as of yet, the use of Drain-o. As far as I know, this is the extent of our most basic options.
So, what I'm asking is where we go from here.
Firstly, what are our options for dealing with the problem, considering we're renting the apartment (only one of us is on the lease, and the rest of us including myself and the gentleman who fucked up the toilet have separate rental agreements with the man on the lease). Is there anything left that we can do, or are we at the point where we need to approach the landlord?
Secondly, how do we approach the matter of paying for whatever the next step is, assuming it involves a plumber or something along those lines? Obviously the guy who fucked up is to blame, but this is our only toilet and, obviously, the thing's a bit of a necessity. Given that, I wonder if the landlord has some kind of legal obligation to take care of the problem, even if the responsible roommate or the man on the lease are themselves unwilling or unable to cover any resulting costs. The landlord himself has been reluctant to address problems in the past, as have everyone else here, so I very much think there'll come a point where someone needs to be pushed into taking care of this. When that happens, who needs to give in?
Fyi, in regards to the toilet itself, the water level rises to about the rim with a flush before slowly receding and reaching about the average level of water. Personally, I'm reluctant to use it for anything but liquids, and I don't as of yet know how it handles solid waste. Given the evidence, though, I can't imagine it would go very well.
Robos A Go Go on
0
Posts
How much will that cost, and if the responsible person is unwilling/unwilling to pay, can we get the landlord to pay or will it fall to the rest of us to divide the cost amongst ourselves or cope?
Also, if snaking doesn't work, what then?
The man on the lease actually had this same exact problem with his last apartment, and in that particular case snaking didn't solve the situation and addressing things would have required something more serious and expensive. He wasn't willing to pay for it, the landlord wasn't willing to pay for it, and this went on for a year until he just moved out.
Even if that's unlikely to happen again, I'd like to know what would need to be done if that were to happen again, from the extent of the problem to all parties refusing to do anything about it. I'd move out sooner rather than later if nobody did anything, but I'd like to think there's something more reasonable than abandoning the place just so I have somewhere to poo at night.
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
Your landlord would be obligated to provide you with service to make sure the toilet operated properly, but given that your roommate clogged it through... basically incompetence... you would probably be on the hook for covering the cost.
If you choose the professional plumber option, I would contact your landlord. They may have some sort of contractual obligation or arrangement to have it serviced with a certain plumber. You also don't really want to have someone come and do this sort of thing to your landlord's property on your own without at least alerting them first, so either way a phone call to your landlord is in order.
Some landlords are fairly handy and have tools like snakes and stuff to do this on their own. I'm guessing an object like you're describing wouldn't have made it much past the u-bend, and a borrowed or purchased plumbing snake may get you out of this on the cheap.
Otherwise organize with your landlord for they or you to arrange for a plumber and do it professionally. Expect to pay if you do. Probably more than 50, probably less than 100.
'bout 60 bucks, maybe a little more. Assuming running a snake through will fix it, which it sounds like it will
edit: beat'd and with better info, well shucks
though I'd agree with calling the landlord fist, he may take care of it himself pro-bono
Unfortunately you're most likely going to pay for it. However, if it comes time for you to move out, the rental office is obviously going to have to protect their investment. Basically, you're fucked. Your best bet is to work out some sort of extended repayment on top of your rent.
Side question - is this your only toilet?
Professional plumbers have some pretty goddamn powerful snake/auger things. They can bust up anything that is less tough than your pipes. If you got a snake of your own, you'd basically be hoping for the object to get bound up in the little wire coil at the end of the snake in such a way that you could pull it out.
Any problem can be solved as long as you are willing to pay enough money. If a snake can't do this easily, and you want to poop in your apartment, you gotta pay.
A cellphone is probably larger and more dense than a tray of razor blades, but it -could- still happen to you.
Truth. My situation is about the same...My former roommate, for reasons unspecified, flushed an Altoids can down the toilet and it got clogged in there. I bought a toilet auger and tried snaking it, but it was stuck and wouldn't come out. We called the plumber and he even used some auger that was ten times better than the one I got at the hardware store, and it wouldn't come out. Turns out he had to break the toilet open and we ended up getting a different one.
If I were in your shoes, I'd buy an auger at the hardware store first...they're only about ten bucks and can save you a bunch if you're able to get it out by yourself. But if that doesn't work, you'll probably have to revert to a plumber.
This only applies if the tray is within a few feet. If you're able to run a 10' auger down the pipes without encountering said object than it's time to get a professional.
Failing that, drain the toilet(tank and bowl), unscrew the two bolts holding the toilet down and remove it. You will need a new wax seal when you reinstall the toilet.
Hopefully the obstruction is in the toilet trap and you can get it out.
If not, and it is not trapped in the line at a point you can still see it, you will need to snake the line. With perssitence you will either snake it back to you or push it to the main line.
Failing this you will need a plumber.
Someone said to call the landlord. When the plumber, they hire, removes a bag of razors you will be getting a bill. This does not fall under the landlord/renter agreement of any place I have ever lived.
Either you don't find them, or you do find them and cut your fingers to shreds in just about the filthiest imaginable environment for it. That would be what they call a no-win situation.
Good heavens your sister is an idiot.
Sorry Robos, it looks like you'll have to pay to poop. It's safer, and the chances of it getting further fucked up are minimal when you involve a professional, as the burden is then upon them.
The claws work way better than the snake corkscrew for retreiving specific objects.