Do not use with plunger or in toilet -- Liquid Plumber. archived

One risk I can think of is that when you use a plunger, sometimes you experience blowback when liquid from the toilet splashes on your body. Since Liquid Plumber is pretty caustic stuff, blowback could be serious, especially if you get any in your eyes.

Yeah, what tj said. When it comes to toilets it's either plunger, snaking, or (gasp, grab the checkbook) plumbers.

just snake it, if you need one I'll bring it over in the morning (late morning?).

Also - it could probably melt your plunger (hahaha, I originally wrote "melt your plumber" -- well that too) and more importantly, if you have lead in the pipes (I know my apartment has lead pipes) then it'll really mess 'em up...

Also be careful not to let the cats/dogs (if you have them) drink out of the toilet for a while after using any product/cleaner. And also with pets never use those hanging bowl/tank tablet thingies.

What you need is called a closet auger and they sell them at Home Depot. Prices vary, but I think the one I purchased was under fifteen bucks. Run down in the morning, they should be open at seven. While you are there buy a plunger with a cone that pops out of the bottom for use on toilets, but DON'T USE IT WITH THE LIQUID PLUMBER IN THE BOWL, unless you have a full Hazmat suit in the closet.

After using the auger, put it in a plastic bag, take it outside and rinse it with the hose. Eye protection and rubber gloves would be a good idea for the whole operation.

JB, is this your new bathroom? New low water use toilets tend to clog more often than old ones.

For future reference, a plunger is far more effective for a clogged toilet than liquid plumber, which I believe is used principally for grease clogs (as in sinks). The reason a toilet gets stuck is because something is logged in the drain and the plunging will dislodge the obstruction by moving it back and forth.

I agree with everything that has been said about being careful now that liquid plumber is in the bowl. Nasty stuff.

Since the shower drain is clogged too, the problem occurs after the drains for the two join together, which means the problem is in a 4" (probably cast iron) pipe. If a plunger doesn't do the trick, it could be that roots have caused the problem, in which case it will need to be snaked (think roto-router) . Plumbers even have cameras they snake into the line to check them out.

Closet augers are great for clogged toilets, but your problem sounds further down the line than an auger will reach, and I agree with PhilC that plungers are a much better choice than chemicals for clogged toilets.

If the shower drain and the toilet are both clogged AND interacting with each other, that is toilet water coming up out of the shower drain, you have a stoppage in the 4" stack downstream of the point where the 2 fixtures intersect. A toilet auger is not going to do you any good. Most likely if this is on the second floor you will have to have your plumber pull the toilet and run an electric snake down the closet bend to get at the stoppage.
Often we find that this type of stoppage is caused by flushing dental floss or heavy paper towels.

(or baby wipes as we discovered during a heavy rain several months ago.)


Oh no, is this the new bathroom JB???

Another non-toxic way to clean drains is with baking soda and vinegar. Pour cup of baking soda down the drain, slightly warm a cup of vinegar, pour it down and after about 5 minutes, pour a few quarts of boiling water down.

And remind us what kind of toilet you got.:sad:

The last time the plumber came and had to clean out our pipes down to the street, he told us the best toilet paper to use if your systems are old is Scott. We've followed his directions, no wipes down the toilet, no floss, nothing at all except TP, and we've been ok.

We use Scott's too, I buy it by the case at Costco. Last time I got it at Pathmark though and it was distinctly different. My husband thanked me for buying softer TP. It's almost done with so back to Costco for a big case of the hard stuff.

Thanks all! Yes, it is our new bathroom. Mrs. J.B. is very pregnant and has no bladder space, so WAY more T.P. is going down than is usual. It's good to know that Liquid Plumber is more of a kitchen clog fixer, at least for the future.

After I poured it in, and read the rules, I kind of thought it would get stuck in the toilet's bend, but might have gone straight to the source if I had poured it into the shower drain. Any thoughts on that idea?


(shh, isn't the baking soda and vinegar your treatment for heartburn too?)

LOL. It was Mr. Shh's treatment, well the baking soda, not the vinegar. It's a great multi-use product! Read the side of the box!

Ah, last time I was at Costco I only found their brand - which Costco do you go to? Gah, I need lots of stuff from Costco.

Is there anything Baking Soda DOESN'T do? I wonder if George Washington Carver was behind that, too.

The costco on Route 22. I buy the big giant pack of Scott's, they have them right next to the Kirkland Brand. I believe they also have Charmin but that's horrible.

Having moved from the wonders of city sewers to the hazards of septic tanks, we don't flush anything down the toilet except TP. None of the above, and including personal products, hers and his. Also told not to use powdered laundry/dish detergents. Clogs up. And I know a plumber is costly, but septic prices are outrageous. We now have it pumped yearly (few hundred) versus replacing, $20,000 +. I recommend this suggestions, Mpwld pipes are old, we always had problems with clogging and I as the female always got yelled at.

yup, use the closet auger for the toilet, it is a specially designed snake. NEVER put such chemicals in the toilet. I have usually found that clogs in the toilet come from something being flushed that doesn't belong there, like toys!

er... my toilet in ny gets stuffed up constantly, and often overflows (with nothing in it!), so i wouldn't call city sewers wonders, by any means.

Posted By: flugermongersIs there anything Baking Soda DOESN'T do? I wonder if George Washington Carver was behind that, too.

As Homestar Runner would say, "I know, can you believe it!?"

GT's wisdom from unfortunate personal experience. If your old pipes are clogged far down in the system (past the fixture itself), CALL A PRO.

Nasty things can happen when you start trying to clear out ancient pipes and you want someone on hand who can intervene. It's like having surgical specialists stand by during an operation.

Um, this is the bathroom that was just renovated, so it's all PVC, I saw it! Now I've borrowed a drain snake, but I can't force it more than a foot into the pipe, yes I'm sure there's a turn, but I can't seem to force past it.

We'll be calling Gateway, who did the plumbing, but if I pay a guy $200 to push the snake past the first turn and it clears, I'm going to shoot myself.

Is there some secret to success with a snake?

MIddle eastern music tends to charm them pretty well.

Posted By: shhMIddle eastern music tends to charm them pretty well.

I tried that!:wink:

Hmmm. New PVC? That would tempt me to attempt a (probably foolish) DIY job. Have a plastic surgeon & EMT standing by, tho.

Shh - good show on taking that down a G-rated road....

Huh, I wasn't even thinking G-rated, that's just the first thought that came into my mind. Now had JB inquired about how to deal with a serpentine, I would have given a COMPLETELY different answer. :wink:

Given Plungy's post I will bet dollars to donuts that when the toilet was installed someone forgot to remove the rag that was stuffed in the drain to prevent sewer gas leaking into the house. JB, I would call back the contractor who did the bathroom for you.

A new low flow toilet backing up is one thing. However, having a brand new pipe clogged should be part of the warrenty process.

Well, BobK, that was a nice thought, but Gateway had to remove the toilet to snake the pipe (so I'm not a total incompetent for failing to snake it myself.) Good call, Plungy!

What did they pull out? "Flushable" wipes!! Good call, shh!

$250 and NOT covered by any "warranty."

:cry::angry:

Ouch! I'd send that bill to the "flushable" company!

Which brand?

For the plumbers out there...

Would a product like Liquid Plumber do anything to the wax seal?

Wow, I know my blockages.