Why Is My Toilet Overflowing?

Posted on September 10, 2020 | by JD Precision Plumbing & Air

We had a customer call in our office with the problem of a spare toilet overflowing. She said even when her husband turned the main water off to the entire home the toilet was overflowing out of the bowl and even seeping out of the base of the toilet, between the toilet and the floor.

Anytime something is coming out of the bowl the only explanation is a toilet clog. Our dispatch team knew instantly to send a technician with a toilet auger.

cleared out toilet — Toilet after cable was put through to clear line.

Photo showing the stoppage after a simple toilet paper test.

When he arrived he ran the toilet auger and was able to remove the blockage. We always like to check our work, so he followed that up by flushing some toilet paper down the toilet. Not too much, just about as much as any average flush. When our technician did this test- the toilet backed up again immediately.

Having another backup immediately after clearing the line is an indication that there is a bigger problem than just a simple tissue blockage.

The technician then pulled the toilet from the floor and called in a drain specialist. Our drain specialist arrived on the scene with his sewer camera.

This is a special tool with a camera on the end of a long reel that can go into the sewer line to show us exactly what we're looking at under the home. To learn more about this click this link.

When he put the camera in the line you can see here in the video, he saw water standing in the pipe.

In a typical homes sewer pipe you should not be able to see any water standing, but this was about 4 inches of water standing in at least 25 feet of this families line under their home. We knew from just looking at it the problem was a belly in the line. A belly in the line is most likely caused by a foundational shift. To learn more about the things that cause backups click here.

gap between drit and foundation — In this after photo of the new sewer line you see the black shadow showing the separation between the foundation and the clay under home.

Once we explained to the homeowners what exactly was going on and had the OK we hired a professional excavator team to dig under her home giving us a 39 foot working space. When these excavators had performed their job you could see 6 inches between the base of the foundation and the clay under the home. See photo to the right.

There is no denying at this point that there is definitely a foundation issue. Because of the excavation we had to do in order to access the pipes we were able to alert the homeowner to the larger problem that was the foundation issue so they could address it properly.

To make sure that our repair stands the test of time regardless of what is happening to the foundation in the future we use a special type of hanger to secure the pipe to the foundation itself. This secures the pipe from moving up or down, as opposed to the other option to use a hanger that only prevents a downward motion, our team here at JD precision knows these tend to fail so we avoid using the teardrop hanger. After we laid the new pipe and secured this pipe with the hangers we installed two additional clean outs for any future issues that may arise so that the homeowner will not have to tunnel under the home for any clogs.

If you believe this might be a problem you are experiencing, if you find your toilet overflowing constantly or just occasionally, in your home please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We are always a call or text away, or if you'd rather have us reach out to you please fill out the schedule now form and our office will call you!

Why Was The Toilet Clogging Up?

Posted on September 3, 2020 | by JD Precision Plumbing & Air

I want to walk you through a recent call for a toilet clog that we received here in the JD Precision Plumbing office. A woman called stating that her toilet is continuously backing up which, which can be a big problem.

When we came out we pulled the toilet and put a snake down the drain line. This snake is like a big coil machine and it's pretty strong. It has these devices on the end that can get through whatever it needs to get through in the sewer line.

After the plumber cleared the blockage we wanted to get to the root of the problem for her. Because there is almost always a bigger issue than just a simple toilet clog.

We took the sewer camera, which is very similar in appearance to the snake just not quite as hardcore. When we stuck that down the toilet sewer line we were able to see in this woman's sewer line exactly where there was build up.

You can imagine what was being flushed in the average families toilet, and that is what was there. When our technician saw the image on the screen he saw a crack in her sewer line. Upon further examination hes saw that he could get the camera to actually go through a crack! When he got the camera down there he was able to see the seepage, the toilet paper, and the debris was supposed to be going through to the city sewage system.

In this families case the crack was large enough that the sewage was getting out under the foundation which is a huge problem. If this goes untreated and the family continues to use this toilet for years that's a big problem. So obviously something needs to be done but the question now arises where is the problem occurring?

Here is the crack in the PVC causing the toilet clog!

Here is the photo we took with the camera of under her foundation!

We actually have technology that we call a locator, we leave the camera end at the point of the problem and move the locator over it, sort of the way a metal detector is used, our technician is able to sweep until they find exactly where that end of the camera is, so when they find it they can say okay this is where the problem is exactly.

For this family that was between one child's bedroom and another child's bedroom. The sewer line that connects one toilet to the other. So we have to explain that she has this is a huge problem right in the middle of her home underneath the ground.

We then presented the problem to the homeowner and showed her all of the research we'd done and how we knew exactly where the problem was and how big of a problem it was.

As our technicians was talking to her she was reminded that a foundation company had come out in months past and leveled the home. When they leveled the home one of the PVC connections didn’t hold and most likely got a hairline fracture that worsened over time.

Luckily for this homeowner it was completely covered under warranty by the foundation company. And they are taking care of it completely!

Had this not been the case our solution would have been to tunnel under her home to gain access to the sewer pipe and make the proper repairs needed.

This is just a sample problem that we get a call about multiple times every day. Now, this is a worst case scenario, sometimes it's just a little too much toilet paper got flushed or a toy is lodged inside the sewer line, but from the smallest problems to the biggest problems we have the tools and the resources to get the job done with Precision!

Check out this link for more information on sewer camera inspections.

What Causes The Sewer Line To Back Up?

Posted on August 25, 2020 | by JD Precision Plumbing & Air

What causes the main line to back up?

There are many things that cause a main line to back up. Some of those could be a belly in the line, roots, bad glue joints, burrs from a cut pipe, no fall in the line, or foreign objects in pipe.

What is a belly in the line?

A belly is any lower portion of a drain line that holds small or large amounts of sewage. This will cause any solid that hits the belly to slow down or stop causing a stoppage or slow drain.

How do roots cause a main line back up?

Roots get in the pipe at any connection point. As the root grows inside the pipe they will begin to catch solid objects and hold back the proper flow of the drain.

How can bad glue joints effect my sewer line?

A bad glue joint results in a poor connection for the pipe. This poor connection leaves room for roots to grow, cracks to form, or if the pipe separates- accumulation of solids.

What is a burr?

A burr is any unsmooth area of cut pipe. This jagged edge can grab onto toilet tissue and other solids to prevent them and things behind them from moving down drain line.

What does proper fall in the line mean?

Proper fall means when a level is placed on the pipe there should be a 1/4” to 1/8” fall on 4” and 3” pipes and 1/4” fall on 2” pipes angled down until the city connection point. If this proper fall does not exist you can have backups from improper flow.

What foreign objects should not go down the drain?

Anything beyond human waste, toilet tissue, and the small scraps you put in your garbage disposal.
See these two links for more explanation of why check out these other blogs below.

https://www.jdprecisionplumbing.com/what-can-i-flush-down-the-toilet/

https://www.jdprecisionplumbing.com/what-can-i-put-down-the-garbage-disposal/

What Can I Flush Down The Toilet?

Posted on August 25, 2020 | by JD Precision Plumbing & Air

White toilet with text discussing what to flush down the toilet and preventing plumbing clogs.

What can I flush down the toilet?

What can you flush down the toilet and what should you flush are two very different questions with very different answers.

Toilets are built to flush anything that will fit down them, which is an amazing feature! Some toilet manufactures even boast that their toilets can flush golf balls and other odd objects. But, we should be focused on what the drain lines of your home can handle instead of what the toilet can.

Most residential drain lines in the Houston region are 3 or 4 inch pipes. When you consider what is being pushed through a hole of this size if puts things in perspective. When we discuss what should or shouldn’t be flushed our main thought is how will that item do in the drain lines, will it do as it should or could that cause a clog or blockage?

Blockages and drain line issues can be some of the most expensive plumbing repairs needed in a home, and as a homeowner its best to equip yourself with the knowledge to avoid these when possible.

Here is a cute video or owner, Jerrys, grandchildren demonstrating what not to do.

Below are a few of the samples we have seen in the past.

Can you flush DENTAL FLOSS down the toilet?

As convenient as this would be, it can wrap around other items that have been flushed and create large masses in your drain lines that aren’t easily made to go all the way to sewer.

Can you flush DIAPERS down the toilet?

Diapers are very absorbent and can cause a blockage very quickly if flushed down the toilet. It is more common than you might think especially in a commercial environment, but they do not break down and are much thicker and sturdier than toilet paper.

Can you flush COTTON BALLS/ COTTON SWABS down the toilet?

When flushed these items do not break down like toilet paper is designed to, they can clump together and attach to other flushed items, they can also collect in corners of pipes and cause issues for drainage.

Can you flush BABY WIPES down the toilet?

Even though most packaging states they are flushable we advise not flushing them! They do not break down and will cause a clog.

Can you flush CAT LITTER down the toilet?

Cat litter has sand and clay that will clog pipes. Even the fancy stuff is never recommended to be flushed.

Can you flush PAPER TOWELS down the toilet?

Flushing paper towels down is not recommended, they are not built like toilet tissue and do not break down in drains.

Can you flush BANDAIDS down the toilet?

This is not recommended because they are sticky, and they are plastic. They will stick to the walls of the drain line or attach to other debris causing blockages.

Can you flush TAMPONS down the toilet?

It is not recommended. We have seen time after time a build up in drains due to this product being flushed, the plastic portion as well as the cotton portion WILL cause problems. It is best to always dispose of any feminine hygiene product in the trash.

What CAN I flush down the toilet?

Human waste and toilet paper are the ONLY things we recommend flushing down the toilet. All homes should be well suited to handle these things. Should you find yourself in a situation where this is not the case, please call a plumber to camera your drain lines, a properly plumbed home should be able to tackle this. Any other found object you can think of should not be flushed down the toilet.

Are you finding yourself in a clogged drain situation because you found this page too late? No problem, Click below to learn more about our drain cleaning services.

https://www.jdprecisionplumbing.com/plumbing/drain-cleaning/