No telling what a plumber will find in a Toilet
If you are plumber there is not telling what you will find when you are trying to unclog a toilet for one of your customers. Most often it is the main sewer that is clogged and not the toilet itself. It just always shows up when the toilet or toilets will not flush or are flushing very slow. You have to first check and find out where the problem is originating by diagnosing and step by step procedures. First you will have to check the main sewer line. Usually if the main sewer line is clogged very bad when you try to flush the toilets it will try and back up into the bathtub or into the shower from the drain lines. If the main sewer line is clogged it can not got out though the main trunk line. It has no where to go. So in essence the only place it has to go is to flow backwards though the smaller drain lines and ends up pouring out through the bathtub drains or the shower drains because that is the lowest point in the drain system. The other place it can show up at or flow out of is your condensation or hot water pop off drain which is most likely in the garage. Sometimes you won’t even know or find this for several days if you don’t happen to go into the garage.
When it is clogged like this and it tries to flow in the reveres direction it can cause other problems besides the main sewer line clog. When it flows in reveres it will bring solids with it and cause other lines like you kitchen, washer. sinks tubs and shower drains to become impacted with these solids. Then not only does the tech have to snake the main sewer line. The techs will have to snake any of the other drain lines that are still clogged and impacted by plunging or continuing to try to use the toilets after they get clogged. These clogs in the main sewer lines are usually caused by roots in the line or from flushing things like feminine products, baby wipes, or disposable rags.
Now when the tech rules out the main sewer line not being clogged and it is not backing up into the tub or shower then he knows there is something stuck inside of the toilet or if it is very old. Or just a cheap toilet probably purchased at one of the big box stores. Which most are are really bad even when brand new. Although they still cost a pretty penny. If you are going to buy a toilet make a short trip to a good supply store and buy a good toilet that will work as good when it is ten years old as the day you bought it. I suggest Locke plumbing supply and a Mansfield toilet. It will be reasonably priced and is great quality.
Ok. The techs have ruled out everything but the toilet is clogged. Now we get down to the nity grity. We will have what is called a closet auger. This way we can snake the toilet with out scratching it with the cable. I have pulled out anything and everything you can imagine out of a toilet. You would be very surprised to see the things I have seen and would probably want to UN-see some of them. Everything from kids toy rocky horses to electric razors. You would be surprised at what some people will try to flush down there toilets. I even pulled out a squirrel once and that even surprised me after 30 years of plumbing. He probably fell down the main or three inch vent on the roof and was now imprisoned in the sewer system. He the tried to escape by trying to climb out through the toilet and ultimately was very stuck.