Plumbing question - toilet removal

[tigersaw]

Something is amiss in the shower room upstairs. The shower is very slow to drain, has been a while, but now the toilet does not drain either, first backing up water back into the shower tray :eek:
I pretty sure something is very blocked in the stack where they all join in. I doubt the stack itself is blocked up from the bottom, as the same happens if you leave it 1 hour or 2 days.
Nothing has had any effect, friendly chemicals through to steaming caustic soda.
I reckon its from years of people chucking cotton buds and floss and god knows what down there, along with hair and the rest.
So, I think I need to remove the toilet, and get my hands in there if I can.
From what I can see by peering under the boards and the like, the toilet connects to a solid curved bit, which interfaces to the stack.
I'm happy to run without a toilet in there for a while until I win the lottery and can win a new suite, so if I remove it,
1: should the curved pipe just pull off the stack or will it be bonded on?
2: whats the thing I need to seal off the hole it leaves behind, some sort of cap I guess?

Its 1980's plastic plumbing for the record, and the toilet is a tasteful pink colour.

[tigersaw]

heres a pic:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n273/tigersaw/toiletblocked2.jpg

[Specialone]

Am I seeing things right there?
Does the stack not continue after the wc joint ?
If there is no vent above the connection for the wc etc, it can't pull any air in which will drain really crap.

[Specialone]

Is that looking from the side or top ?

[Specialone]

Take toilet out, get a drain unblock spring thing, less than a tenner from a tool supplier, feed it in the direction of flow, rotating it as you go, if it's blocked that will clear it, it may be further down the stack and require more extreme measures.

[Bluefish]

that must be the top meaning no vent, unless it continues upthe wall outside?

[Specialone]

that must be the top meaning no vent

That's the way I read it as well, no fecking chance of that draining properly if that's the case.

[maviczap]

http://www.homeimprovementsdepot.com/images/mike-holmes-book.jpg

[tigersaw]

No, it goes onwards and upwards and out the roof, just you cant see that bit from the picture as I've taken it from under the boards.

[andrewsmith]

it maybe lack of fall to the stack, or a massive jobbie lodged*

is it a single or shared soil vent?
The first port of call would be a set of rods and see if clearing it helps, after that poss taking the stack off and clearing it

*well someone had to crack the joke

[tigersaw]

it maybe lack of fall to the stack, or a massive jobbie lodged*

"20 years of massive jobbies I reckon

is it a single or shared soil vent?

No, its one of two stacks in the house. This one is just for the en-suite

The first port of call would be a set of rods and see if clearing it helps, after that poss taking the stack off and clearing it

I need to get the toilet out, hence my original question about sealing it back up. Taking the stack off? That sounds like trashing the house a bit

[Specialone]

You wont have to take the stack out ;)

Be careful with buying rods, you might struggle to get them round that bend.

Try the smaller spring like I suggested first, my spring is about 5 metres long so would reach downstairs.

It should clear down to the ground at least, if not there will be a rodding point outside which you can rod if the problem is further down the line.

I presume the other toilet drains ok ?

[tigersaw]

You wont have to take the stack out ;)

Be careful with buying rods, you might struggle to get them round that bend.

Try the smaller spring like I suggested first, my spring is about 5 metres long so would reach downstairs.

It should clear down to the ground at least, if not there will be a rodding point outside which you can rod if the problem is further down the line.

I presume the other toilet drains ok ?

Springs, you mean something like:
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/11325/Hand-Tools/Plumbing-Tools/Sink-Drain-Clearance/Drain-Unblocker
or:
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/drill-powered-drain-unblocker?da=1&TC=RV-040510018

As I said, I think the problem is high up, since it happens if you leave it an hour or a day - if the stack was blocked down the bottom it would have drained down in a day and it would take a flush I would have thought.

No Idea where the foul drains go outside, I can only find the storm drains.

Yes, the other toilet/bathroom works fine, so I'm OK for number 2's, shame its got a bath and not a shower.

[Specialone]

Yeah that type of thing, bit overkill maybe, I got mine from b&q I think, sure it was a tenner.
Is it a modern house ?
Have you got silver egg shaped covers on your patio anywhere outside?
These are rodding points btw.

Defo try the spring first, keep bringing it back up when you hit an obstacle to bring any sludge up.

[andrewsmith]

as special one said

but as a derailing side

J-YVt4gfquA

[tigersaw]

Its about 1988 I think.
Not seen any covers as you describe no. Just several concrete ones about a foot round, but I know they are just the drains, not the foul. I dont think anyone in the close knows where the foul runs. We have a big common manhole for storm and drains.

I'll try B+Q its just down the road.

When I remove the toilet, If I dont fancy putting it back or it falls apart, (someone has kinda tiled it in), how do I block the poo pipe, is there a proper cap or something?

[dirtydog]

It looks like a push fit fitting at the point that you want to cap it (Cant properly tell fromn the pic though) off in your picture so if you do decide not to put the toilet back you'll need one of these
http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;jsessionid=VZMKEL1A0DDC4CSTHZOCFGA?_dync harset=UTF-8&fh_search=18082&searchbutton.x=15&searchbutton.y=10&searchbutton=submit

if its not a pushfit then you'll need to cut the link pipe, preferably as close to the white pan connector as possible and fit a coupler (screwfix cat number 14551) and the socket plug

[tigersaw]

It looks like a push fit fitting at the point that you want to cap it (Cant properly tell fromn the pic though) off in your picture so if you do decide not to put the toilet back you'll need one of these
http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;jsessionid=VZMKEL1A0DDC4CSTHZOCFGA?_dync harset=UTF-8&fh_search=18082&searchbutton.x=15&searchbutton.y=10&searchbutton=submit

if its not a pushfit then you'll need to cut the link pipe, preferably as close to the white pan connector as possible and fit a coupler (screwfix cat number 14551) and the socket plug

They look the jobbies to seal up the jobbie pipe - thanks!

Do I need to bond them in, are they airtight/watertight enough? Or just some amalgamating tape round the join?

[dirtydog]

Shouldnt need anything on them just push it on/in

Only problem I've had with them is the seal sometimes gets a little compressed and its really easy to push it in but its still watertight