quote:

---

>I live in a highrise condo. I have had a few toilet backups which
> clear after a few plunges with the toilet plunger,on
> some occasions it has taken more than a few plunges to clear. On one
> occasion I have had a serious overflow
> The property management have removed the toilet and used a snake to
> attempt to fix the problem, to no avail.
> I still am getting toilet backups.
> Management removed a "Y" section of pipe which takes the waste from my
> apartment to the main stack, (pipe).
> The plumber showed this "Y" section to me and said " you can see it is
> clear".
> There was a certain amount of crud buildup insid the walls of the "Y"
> section.
> The plumber removed a section of wall from my kitchen and cut a
> section of pipe from the vent pipe to check for blockages.
> The vent pipe was clear.
> The building I live in is 36 years old.
> I live on the 17th floor of a 23 storey 300 unit apartment building.
> The property manager is trying to tell me the problem is mine!
> Q: Is there a way of calculating the percentage of restriction of
> water/waste flow through a pipe of a given inside diameter, with a
> given amount of scale/crud/dirt buildup on the inside walls of the
> pipe.
> Any help on this matter.(No Pun Intended), would be greatly
> appreciated.
> Please reply to group or directly to
> mlane@idirect.com

quote:

---

> We either the toilet isn't vented properly and has always given
> problems or the problem is being caused by a cheap-XXX toilet. Dump a
> full 5-gallon bucket down that toilet. Is should flow and flow right
> out easily (no backup...no partial backup). Just whoosh and gone.
>
> Use LOTS of water. We're deliberately trying to overload. Regardless,
> it should not back up at all. If it does, call your plumber back to
> confirm that the place is properly vented.
>
> Any chance you hear a gurgling sound from your lavatory sink or toilet
> when you flush? That would also indicate a venting issue.
>
> If you're not sure, you can always call the local plumbing inspector
> out there to advise you.
>
> And another question...(and you'll think I'm being a smartass for
> asking). First, is the toilet being used for something other than
> fecal and liquid waste? Second, are you shitting bricks (literally,
> some people suffer from very hard, solid feces). People who shit
> bricks also run into recurring toilet problems that nobody can
> troubleshoot. (if this is the case, toss the plunger and go buy
> yourself a closet auger). Third - did you ever replace the toilet?
> (and did you replace it with a good one)? Don't try to save a few
> bucks by purchasing a crap $40 bargain toilet from Lowes.
>
> Just some thoughts. If you eat smaller meals spread throughout the day
> instead of larger meals, you can reduce your turd size by almost 40%.