Frequent clogs, what can I do?

[CABrouwers]

A drain pipe in my apartment gets regularly clogged, and I wonder how I can prevent it from happening.
I am also curious to understand what might be happening since some of the symptoms sounds rather curious to me.

• The apartment is located in an old industrial building, and most pipes run under a raised floor.
• A 4" pipe connects two adjacent bathrooms to a riser. The distance is about 25`.
• Each bathroom includes a wall-hung toilet, a bathtub, and a sink.
• My recollection from construction is that the pipe meets the minimal slope requirement of 1/4" per foot.
• Any change or repair to the piping would be very costly, as it would require removing the tilework and/or the wood flooring.

For the first five years after remodeling, we experienced occasional clogs, which a plumber would resolve then with an auger. However, clogs are now occurring every few weeks. Perhaps it is because the bathrooms are used more (children getting older + COVID confinement), or maybe something has deteriorated?

• The clog is usually announced by gurgling in the toilets bowl (Why?).
• the water level in the bowls becoming very low after a flush also seems to announce a clog.
• A plunger can't beat the unclog, but it does manage to empty the bowl. Strangely, I can usually flush and empty the bowl repeatedly by actioning a plunger, so the water can get thru. Water might back up in the bathtub but usually drains within minutes.
• Sometimes using actioning a plunger in one toilet makes the other bowl empty (?)

I bought a powered auger and can unclog the pipe by removing one of the toilets and pushing 30' feet of snake wire into the pipe. I am not happy however to have to do that chore every few weeks, and I would welcome any suggestions on improving the situation.

 

[Geofd]

A drain pipe in my apartment gets regularly clogged, and I wonder how I can prevent it from happening.
I am also curious to understand what might be happening since some of the symptoms sounds rather curious to me.

• The apartment is located in an old industrial building, and most pipes run under a raised floor.
• A 4" pipe connects two adjacent bathrooms to a riser. The distance is about 25`.
• Each bathroom includes a wall-hung toilet, a bathtub, and a sink.
• My recollection from construction is that the pipe meets the minimal slope requirement of 1/4" per foot.
• Any change or repair to the piping would be very costly, as it would require removing the tilework and/or the wood flooring.

For the first five years after remodeling, we experienced occasional clogs, which a plumber would resolve then with an auger. However, clogs are now occurring every few weeks. Perhaps it is because the bathrooms are used more (children getting older + COVID confinement), or maybe something has deteriorated?

• The clog is usually announced by gurgling in the toilets bowl (Why?).
• the water level in the bowls becoming very low after a flush also seems to announce a clog.
• A plunger can't beat the unclog, but it does manage to empty the bowl. Strangely, I can usually flush and empty the bowl repeatedly by actioning a plunger, so the water can get thru. Water might back up in the bathtub but usually drains within minutes.
• Sometimes using actioning a plunger in one toilet makes the other bowl empty (?)

I bought a powered auger and can unclog the pipe by removing one of the toilets and pushing 30' feet of snake wire into the pipe. I am not happy however to have to do that chore every few weeks, and I would welcome any suggestions on improving the situation.

Are you using anything different wet wipes or anything like that

 

[CABrouwers]

Thanks for your question.
NO only water, toilet paper and human waste!

 

[Geofd]

Have you gone more than 30' I would empty the drum or rent a snake that would reach the street

 

[rob123]

i would have some one come with a sewer camera to see what is going in the drain.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Agreed to the camera inspection.

There could be a hair curler, plastic toy, etc, stuck in the pipe.
Or a rough joint that collects toilet paper.

 

[plumberbuckscounty]

Frequent toilet clogs are a sign something is not right – the issue typically has to do with your plumbing, your toilet, or what goes down it. Common causes when a toilet keeps clogging include:

• You have an older model low flow toilet
• Items that shouldn’t be flushed have been flushed
• Too much toilet paper use
• The toilet trap is clogged
• The toilet vent is blocked
• Your sewer line is clogged