TOILET CONTAMINATION PROBLEM

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  • rhino

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    I have a toilet with an issue I've never seen before. When I flush, a small amount of fecal matter and discolored water enters the bowl about half way through the inflow into the bowl.

    Searching online leads me to multiple assurances that it can't possible be fecal matter and it's just rust. Unfortunately, I know the difference between rust and other benign particulate that might be entrained with the fresh water and poop. This is small bits of poop entering the bowl with the fresh water.

    It's been happening for about 2-3 weeks. Just before, I had a stubborn and messy "clog" that required about half an hour (total) of vigorous plunging. During my attempts to clear the clog, the bowl was full to the top with some pretty dirty, nasty water. After I succeeded in clearing the clog, I scrubbed the crap out of everything (literally and figuratively) and I thought all was well. Then the mystery poop started entering the scene. I thought it might be something I missed when I scrubbed that was just loosened by the fresh water flow, but after multiple additional scrubbings and inspections, the bowl itself was as clean as new ... until the next flush.

    So I think it's obvious a significant amount of fecal matter got trapped inside somewhere, but I don't understand how that can happen. Has anyone else experienced this or heard of it? What can I do to fix it? Removing the toilet and pushing some high pressure steam or water through it doesn't seem practical, but I can't think of anything else that might help.

    Help!
     

    rhino

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    Look in the tank. Sometimes the collect some debris and other etc's but I have never seen Poop come in from the fresh water supply.


    Checked that. Tank is clear with a bit of sediment on the bottom, but nothing even remotely resembling what is entering the bowl from under the rim.
     

    bwframe

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    bfnt.gif
     

    churchmouse

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    Checked that. Tank is clear with a bit of sediment on the bottom, but nothing even remotely resembling what is entering the bowl from under the rim.

    Put some bleach in the bowl. Put enough in it to do some work. Flush it. Repeat. You may have some crap in the cavity that guides the water out of the tank. Hard to say with out seeing and I am not gonna look either.....:):
     

    rhino

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    Put some bleach in the bowl. Put enough in it to do some work. Flush it. Repeat. You may have some crap in the cavity that guides the water out of the tank. Hard to say with out seeing and I am not gonna look either.....:):

    I've done almost a gallon of bleach, both in the bowl and the tank in several sessions, but I'll keep trying it!!!

    I think you're on the right track. Keep bleaching and flushing.
     

    hoosierdoc

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    have you disconnected the supply line from the tank and tested that?

    Could you rig the float to not work and just let the toilet run for an hour?

    Can you get a wire brush through the inside toilet part from the tank to the bowl? I know there's a lot of areas through there, but maybe?

    What's a new toilet cost? :D
     

    rhino

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    have you disconnected the supply line from the tank and tested that?

    I have not, but I should just to rule it out. I don't see anything in the tank, but running some water from the line into a bucket would prove it's not the problem for sure and for certain.


    Could you rig the float to not work and just let the toilet run for an hour?

    Ooh! That's a good idea. You're thinking outside the box! I need to be careful though. I can envision being successful and getting it to run continuously, but then fail at having it also empty through the drain continuously.


    Can you get a wire brush through the inside toilet part from the tank to the bowl? I know there's a lot of areas through there, but maybe?

    That's also worth exploring. I have some brushes I use to clean straws for big insulated mugs. They might get in there. Remind me to throw them away after I try!


    What's a new toilet cost? :D

    More than I have until I get a job and rebuild my depleted reserves!
     

    1911ly

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    Are you sure it is coming from the rim/tank and not back threw the drain? I have had a plugged drain tile back up some nasty stuff in to my tub. This place is plumbed weird from when they put the addition on. If you have a 2 story house? You might have a blocked air vent? Just grasping as straws.
     

    rhino

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    Are you sure it is coming from the rim/tank and not back threw the drain? I have had a plugged drain tile back up some nasty stuff in to my tub. This place is plumbed weird from when they put the addition on. If you have a 2 story house? You might have a blocked air vent? Just grasping as straws.

    It's entering with the flush water on the left side and you see it coming down from under the rim at about 7:30 facing the toilet. This happens when the bowl is otherwise completely clean, which is why it's so obvious. It's a single level condo about 20 years old. I had new Kohler toilets installed when I bought it about three years ago.
     

    Thor

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    Sounds like you might have some mold growing in the channels in the bowl downstream from the tank. You've already tried bleach...my personal solution would be not watching...turn the lights out...just walk away. It's not like I'd be going to use that water for anything else.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    We get the same thing from time to time being on a well with a lot of iron in the water. It's rust/lime scale breaking loose. It does look like poo, but it's not. Actually what hoosierdoc suggested about letting it run isn't far off from what I do. Just hold the flush handle down while flushing. Do that a few times and it should clear up (until enough accumulates to start doing it again).

    You could also get some Iron Out and put in your tank and let it sit for awhile then do the "long flush" like described above. Might take a couple of times but the Iron Out should help clear it up. I suspect something like Lime Away or CLR might help too.
     

    femurphy77

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    Is the toilet used regularly or less used? Could it be mold build up in the water jacket around the bowl and coincidentally it's started breaking off? We're on a well and when we first moved in we were seeing a lot of sediment coming out of the ports during flushing, we found our tanks to be pretty heavily sedimented. After flushing them thoroughly, adding a whole house sediment filter and a water softener we have spotless tanks.
     

    Mgderf

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    I have a suggestion, but it requires a good deal of caution.
    Remove the toilet tank lid.
    See the bowl fill tube where the little hose dumps water?
    O.K. get a bottle of muratic acid from your local hardware store.

    Pour about 2 cups of muratic acid in the fill tube.
    Let set for at least 30 minutes, then flush, rinse and repeat as needed.

    CAUTION- muratic acid will create a fog when dispensed.
    You must NOT breathe these fumes!
    It can kill you!

    Pour into fill tube, while holding your breath.
    Leave the room and shut the door. Turning on the fan will help as well.
    I would also shut the lid.

    This works to clean most anything from a porcelain toilet, but will wreak havoc on a septic system.
    Wear gloves and eye protection.
     
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