Hoping for an Xmas miracle of information/experience/best guess on partially blocked drain pipe

[Geofd]

It's hard to awnser without seeing pics of what he opened, if your hiring plumbers
To snake your drain and they don't have the proper equipment your getting the wrong plumbers that means they don't snake drains on a regular basis and will
Waste your money
With the toilet in question take a hose runn it into the bowl and test it for at least 5 minutes, then start adding toilet paper with the water still going....
You never really awnered how the toilet line connects you mentioned sometimes about a tub drain?????

 

[plowking]

I think the p trap is not allowing the vent to work because it restricts the air flow. With toilet off it acts as vent. That's bad as you can get sewer gasses in house. I've had similar problems with venting issues in houses on septic tanks when deep snow and ice cover the roof vents. You may have to relocate the p trap Another question .Does the pipe going to the city sewer have a cleanout or manhole in the street where you could see the end of line from your house?

 

[skeezix]

Buy your own cheap camera as I suggested, you can look right at the problem without guessing or wondering.

I was really surprised to see those inspection cameras. Thank you for the link! Anything I should look for when reviewing the specs? I'm wondering about how I could get the inspection tool to turn past two 90-degree turns about 10 feet from my opening (a tee). The pipe is a 2-inch or a 1.5 inch pipe (can't recall which right now). I can get a snake past them but only after a couple minutes of twisting, pulling, and pushing it through.

 

[Jeff Handy]

I have an older one that I got as a gift, don’t remember the brand etc.
Mine has a nine foot snake.
I have seen Amazon ones with 9 foot, 11 foot, 30 foot cables.
I have only been able to get mine to go past one elbow or tee, the cable is pretty stiff.
I don’t think you will have much luck getting past two fittings.
Maybe it might go farther in a bigger pipe.
I would not advise too much twisting of the camera cable, they are nowhere near as strong as a good drain snake cable.
No advice about specs, except you get what you pay for.
These are really meant to be a cheap compromise for homeowners, not pro quality.
Mine has also been great for looking behind walls to plan routes for wiring, onlya small hole or two to fix afterwards.
And it beats the old spinning coat hanger inspection tool, haha!