[Plumbingfilter] How to fix inspection plug on tolet drain?
April 15, 2013 2:37 PM Subscribe
Hi Mefites, first month of homeowning has been interesting, to say the least. Just spent an hour cleaning up water waste from the toilet. What I believe is called the inspection cap cover has come loose and doesn't seem to want to stay put. Call a plumber, or simple fix?
Short, non-nasty version: we have two toilets, one upstairs, one downstairs. Just found lots of water downstairs. Cap has come off the inspection pipe that's in the downstairs bathroom. Cleaned up, put cap back on. Got Mrs Peteyjlawson to flush upstairs toilet; all was good. For about a minute. Then, lots more water, cap exploded off. It's a push type rather than a screw type and a look at it seems to imply that there's some dried sealant that may have failed. So, is there a secret (I'm guessing involving silicone sealant) to getting the thing to stay on? Or should we call a plumber to have a look? If the plumber option, any rough idea how much the fix will cost in Greater Manchester? Thanks for any help in advance.
Short, non-nasty version: we have two toilets, one upstairs, one downstairs. Just found lots of water downstairs. Cap has come off the inspection pipe that's in the downstairs bathroom. Cleaned up, put cap back on. Got Mrs Peteyjlawson to flush upstairs toilet; all was good. For about a minute. Then, lots more water, cap exploded off. It's a push type rather than a screw type and a look at it seems to imply that there's some dried sealant that may have failed. So, is there a secret (I'm guessing involving silicone sealant) to getting the thing to stay on? Or should we call a plumber to have a look? If the plumber option, any rough idea how much the fix will cost in Greater Manchester? Thanks for any help in advance.
Best answer: I wonder if your inspection thing is the Air Relief Valve that functions as a vent in older systems, especially systems retrofitting into houses without plumbing originally. If so, than this vent is either malfunctioning or you have a problem further down the drain. I would bet on the vent malfunctioning and you need a plumber. I am in the US (but also a homeowner on a 110 year old home with retrofitted plumbing) so I have no idea of the cost.
posted by bartonlong at 2:56 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by bartonlong at 2:56 PM on April 15, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for the reply - we're getting a plumber in to be on the safe side. The toilet itself was put in about two years ago by the previous owners when they had the extension built and added to the existing plumbing. The cover looks like this, if it's any help.
posted by peteyjlawson at 3:16 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by peteyjlawson at 3:16 PM on April 15, 2013
Best answer: There should never be any pressure on something like that - so it's not that the cap isn't secured correctly, it's a problem someplace else in the system. It could be a clogged drain or a clogged vent causing the issue...
posted by NoDef at 3:55 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by NoDef at 3:55 PM on April 15, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for the replys Mefites. Turns out that it was some air in the system pressing down that forced the incorrectly-fitted cap to come off (whoever installed it used superglue instead of silicone which is, apparently, the very wrong way to do it). Plumber slathered it in sealant, put it back on and assured us that it shouldn't happen again. For future reference, it cost £60 to put right.
Thanks again folks!
posted by peteyjlawson at 11:03 AM on April 16, 2013
Thanks again folks!
posted by peteyjlawson at 11:03 AM on April 16, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by peteyjlawson at 2:41 PM on April 15, 2013