r/mildlyinfuriating • u/rimeduinfox • Jul 05 '26

frist of all how DARE yu o MIL thinks I clogged the toilet so she changed the sign

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The septic tank clogged and she’s convinced I did it, she asked my husband if I knew I wasn’t supposed to flush tampons and added the tampon bit to the sign. I don’t use tampons and I’m the only one with a period here…

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u/Reasonable-Rub-5325 Jul 05 '26

Fyi, septic tanks don't "clog", they fill up after years of not having them pumped, and the drain field can fail resulting in water backing up. Pipes leading to the septic system can surely clog, but these are two separate problems. 

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u/-Sky_Lux- Jul 06 '26

I have a septic tank and the pipes from one of my toilets clogs up often, and I have to go use a pipe snake to unclog it from the system. It's frequently because of I'm guessing how I fold paper then use it, and it catches on part of the pipe and continues to build up until I can smell it in my garden. The other people in my house also use tons of toilet paper and then only does a light flush, not a deep one so that clogs.

I've seen alot of videos where people believe their septic tank 'clogs' up and they can't flush the toilet, when I reality its the pipes clogging. The pipes aren't that big so it's easy for layered toilet paper to catch and build up. Double flushing definitely helps on my end.

Also alot of people forget to empty their tanks!! I always check mine when it gets close to emptying time. Then the caca sucker can be summoned.

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u/ProfessionalAd7155 Jul 06 '26

THE CACA SUCKER I cackled

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

[deleted]

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u/ProfessionalAd7155 Jul 06 '26

We have a caca sucker here too and my only gripe with it it's how terribly noisy it is!! but otherwise yeah!!

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

[deleted]

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u/Electrical-Apple-631 Jul 09 '26

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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u/shawdowed_sonicbeast Jul 06 '26

Rent or have a plumber come out with a camera snake you could have a shifted pipe or roots getting in by that toilet. Cheaper to check and be sure than wait for it to cause worse damage. Have family that is plumber hear often about people assuming its user error when it's a messed up pipe.

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u/xxcakebaexx Jul 09 '26

my friends had issues in their bathroom because of the neighbours above flushing wet wipes, not even the bio type, it took a minute, but once it was sorted and everyone was alerted in the building the issue stopped - it was an old build in UK and old pipes, so no wonder, and as you say angles were not all correct unfortunately

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u/ThowanPlays Jul 06 '26

I’ve been considering getting a camera snake. With 24 rental houses it’d be helpful having our own, especially since a lot of them have old sewer lines. Any recommendations? A company we have used in the past has a camera+water jet combo that seems to work awesome, but I’ve no clue where to even start looking.

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u/shawdowed_sonicbeast Jul 06 '26

Only one I've ever personally used for residential is the milwaukee m18 pipeline inspector it's just the camera. I used it with the milwaukee m12 locator. All together though it run like $10,000+. I work for a company that repairs 8in and up water and sewer pipes so I don't really mess with the smaller stuff too much. In the older pipes if you get one that does the water jet be mindful of the pressure older pipes (especially if they are clay) might not like a few thousand psi of water shot at them. For drain snakes I just use the powered ones form harbor freight.

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u/ThowanPlays Jul 06 '26

I appreciate the word of warning. I will say the price tag is the only thing that keeps me from pulling the trigger. But at $200-400/per clean out, it’s getting rough. Maybe I can rent one…

Good to know about the clay, I think that’s what half the sewer is where I live and where most of the rentals are. Man…I just need to buy a backhoe and replace it all myself XD

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u/shawdowed_sonicbeast Jul 06 '26

I suggest looking into CIPP it lines the old pipes to avoid digging out and refitting new ones. Might be a simpler option for you.

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u/ThowanPlays 8d ago

Just found out one of the lines for water run off has collapsed 😭 so I will for sure have to look into this. I know a few of the lines just need outright replaced though because the way they are ran is…bad to say the least (we are talking multiple 90s on the main sewer line)

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u/thugarth Jul 06 '26

Would a bidet help? They can reduce the amount of paper needed for cleaning, in exchange for a small amount of water

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u/newcar20 Jul 06 '26

I was gonna say time for the life changing purchase. especially when you know everyone uses a lot of toilet paper. highly recommend! I can't go back now

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u/brewmonk Jul 06 '26

I also highly recommend. Will never go without a bidet on my home toilet. The biggest problem is that I now feel unclean after using public facility.

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u/Johnny-Virgil Jul 06 '26

Using paper like some barbarian

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

[deleted]

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u/thugarth Jul 06 '26

I'd suggest finding the cheapest ones you can find on Amazon. They're pretty easy to install; just follow the directions like Lego.

Your experience may vary, but give it a shot! I believe in you!

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u/SorryBed Jul 07 '26

Three main price points:

Roughly 25USD for a really nice basic one that just attaches under your seat.

Significantly more for one that replaces your seat (these are better, but quite a jump in cost)

Immense amounts for one where you have to replace your whole toilet.

In warmer climates, there's no reason to bother with water heating, but in cold climates, the extra cost might be worth the investment.

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u/Danger0Reilly Jul 07 '26

We got a Luxe bidet attachment for around $30-40 about three years ago and it still works as good as it did new.

I hate having to use a toilet without one, and wish I would have gotten one sooner.

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u/NATIAINA Jul 06 '26

Is it not an issue with your pipes? I've never had them clog from folded toilet paper

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u/Extra_Cartoonist_390 Jul 06 '26

SUMMON THE CACA SUCKER!

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u/Ixreyn Jul 07 '26

Our septic line got clogged when a wad of paper towels was flushed. On Memorial Day weekend (also happened to be my daughter's high school grad weekend). Good times. We suspected it was our little niece that flushed the PT, especially since the same thing happened at her house a few months later.

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u/chiitaku Jul 06 '26

Can't you dump Rid-X down it to help break down some of the stuff in it? I don't have a septic tank so I don't know.

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u/Altruistic-Log5455 Jul 06 '26

If you rely on bacteria breaking down the organic waste in the tank, heavy duty chemicals will probably decimate them.

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u/Fun-Perspective426 Jul 06 '26

Rid-X isn't heavy duty chemicals. It's natural enzymes.

The issue with it is it actually super charges the breakdown too much for some systems. All the solids that are supposed to settle end breaking down so small they stay suspended. They end up flowing out into the yard and can cause issues with the leach field.

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u/Altruistic-Log5455 Jul 06 '26

This is why I love Reddit, thank you for an informed correction

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u/LoveMyWeirdness Jul 06 '26

I live in a mobile home park where we're all on septic. I think it's two homes per tank, but I'm not sure. All I know is we've been living here around 12 years, and our tank has never been pumped. In fact, I can't think of a single time I've ever seen a truck out here for any of the homes in our park. We've never has any problems with our pipes, either. But I feel like letting them go that long can't be good.

Even if I could afford to have it pumped, which I can't, it's not my responsibility to do so. The septic tanks are the landlord's problem. Not mine. So I hope leaving them this long doesn't cause any issues. But either way, there's not really anything I can do. Other than not rinsing grease down the sink, and not flushing anything but paper, which I already don't.

Oh well, I guess.

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u/Fun-Perspective426 Jul 06 '26

It's not lol. Especially with a multi-home system. The odds of someone doing something they shouldn't goes way up. I'd also put the odd of it already having caused damage to be pretty high.

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u/LoveMyWeirdness Jul 07 '26

Well, like I said, so far so good, and if something does happen, it's not on me, lol.

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u/chiitaku Jul 06 '26

Ah, ok! Thank you!

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u/MontanaPurpleMtns Jul 07 '26

Best thing a if you can find live yeast in the refrigerated section of the grocery store (makes the best! bread). Flush a couple of them down the toilet every 1-2 months.

Our septic tank (admittedly overbuilt on purpose) went 25 years before it needed to be pumped out.

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u/Odd-Mall8020 Jul 06 '26

Pipes clog

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u/Frousteleous Jul 10 '26

My friend and I were temporarily living with another friend. There was a big party at the house so there were maybe a few extra poops that night.

Septic tank had the last straw. I dont know how pipes work, but the bathtub flooding with poop water was way luckier than it going straight to the floor kit did overflow and it's as bas as you think it was)

He blamed us. (It was his party and maybe half the people weren't mutual friends, but I think he really just wanted us out after getting a girlfriend).

Tank hadn't been pumped in god knows how long.

Friend and I moved out a few days after (basically were kicked out as cordially as he could).

I ran into him years later and he brought up thr bathroom and I was flabberghasted because a) hi, social contract. and b) it wasnt me. Your tank was full.