Blocked toilet and leaking water

[ScotHill]

Our toilet occasionally blocks, up to the level of the pan - it drains in maybe 15-20 minutes or a quick plunge gets it down, but if the former I’ve noticed water leaking around the base of the toilet, not a lot but enough to need a few bunches of toilet paper to mop it up.

Is that a symptom of the blocked toilet, e.g. water leaking out of some kind of air release higher up in the drainage system somewhere, or could we have an actual leak in one of the internal pipes within the toilet?

Standard toilet with a back-cistern above the level of the pan.

[colin_p]

It is likely to be leaking at the pan coupler.

[finlo]

colin_p said:

It is likely to be leaking at the pan coupler.

This, it normally passes through quickly not giving it a chance to leak but when subjected to prolonged immersion it does.

[Gtom]

[ScotHill]

How easy is the pan-coupler to get to, is it down through the cistern or deeper into the toilet than that? Assuming it’s not part of the waste pipe?

[colin_p]

It is the junction of the 100mm or 110mm or 90mm dia pipework to the toilet bowl that takes the waste away. It is a simple rubber seal.

However, your problem is elsewhere. You need to rod, or have rodded, the waste pipe.

[Actual]

colin_p said:

It is a simple rubber seal.

Anytime I have had to work on fitting a toilet cistern it has been a world of pain and many trips back to Screwfix.

The last incident was fixed using Close Coupling Doughnut Washer from Toolstation.

[colin_p]

Actual said:

Anytime I have had to work on fitting a toilet cistern it has been a world of pain and many trips back to Screwfix.

The last incident was fixed using Close Coupling Doughnut Washer from Toolstation.

I know that pain also, but this is about where the poo pipe connects to the pot, at the bottom, at the back.

[ScotHill]

The first few times it happened I spent probably half an hour rodding and must have got it a good 10-15m down (however long those blue Screwfix springy ones are) but a couple of plunges and the air bubbles up and it drained away, son not really sure what the problem is.

Hill Jr flushed some pants down the toilet but that was five years ago and this only happens a couple of times a year, maybe when too much paper/giant turds go down.

[Actual]

colin_p said:

I know that pain also, but this is about where the poo pipe connects to the pot, at the bottom, at the back.

I had a toilet where the poo pipe had a corner and then went horizontal for over a metre to the soil stack. The poo built up and caused a half dam in the pipe. The toilet cleared slower and slower. I couldn't get any tools around the U bend and then the corner. Rapidly pouring a large bucket of water into the bowl would help. Eventually I removed the toilet and cleared out the poo pipe.

[ScotHill]

I’m sure I remember seeing an ad for expanding gel that fills up and travels through the pipe clearing it out - does anything like that exist or did I dream it? Maybe Fybogel for toilets.

[smifffymoto]

I would say when it blocks someone,a female,has scrunched and not folded the paper.
In my years of running a camping site that was the number one cause of blocked toilets..

[bennno]

ScotHill said:

Our toilet occasionally blocks, up to the level of the pan - it drains in maybe 15-20 minutes or a quick plunge gets it down, but if the former I’ve noticed water leaking around the base of the toilet, not a lot but enough to need a few bunches of toilet paper to mop it up.

Is that a symptom of the blocked toilet, e.g. water leaking out of some kind of air release higher up in the drainage system somewhere, or could we have an actual leak in one of the internal pipes within the toilet?

Standard toilet with a back-cistern above the level of the pan.

From what you are describing it’s a dirty water leak, so I’d get a plumber in before it rots the floor etc.

There are two holes from the pan, the soil pipe hole, or the inlet from the cistern. If the pan is very full it could potentially be leaking from either.

[ScotHill]

bennno said:

From what you are describing it’s a dirty water leak, so I’d get a plumber in before it rots the floor etc.

There are two holes from the pan, the soil pipe hole, or the inlet from the cistern. If the pan is very full it could potentially be leaking from either.

But the leak would only be active if/when the pipe was backed up though? Will get someone out to look at it.

[bennno]

ScotHill said:

bennno said:

From what you are describing it’s a dirty water leak, so I’d get a plumber in before it rots the floor etc.

There are two holes from the pan, the soil pipe hole, or the inlet from the cistern. If the pan is very full it could potentially be leaking from either.

But the leak would only be active if/when the pipe was backed up though? Will get someone out to look at it.

You said its when the pipe is blocked and the pan is filled with water. if the water level is high enough it might come past the inlet filler.

[richwain24]

Definitely get a professional out if the problem doesn't seem to be improving. I've used DASA before - don't know if they would be of any use if they are located near you? https://www.dasa.co.uk/residential-services/blocke...

[alfabeat]

Sounds like you have just been doing enough to clear the blockage without really clearing the problem totally. The coupling shouldn't leak regardless of the toilet bowl being full, so that does need attention. Is your soil pipe internal or external? Any rodding access points in it?