I was going to say that you will likely have to take the toilet off the base. A lot of work and hopefully it will solve the problem. The last time we had to take the toilet off we painted behind it because otherwise you cant really get back there, so if your in the mood for a new color, now is the time to go for it! Have you tried to fish it out with something like a flexible wire grabber thing? We have one that has a pusher on the top that makes a little grabber pop out of the bottom of the wire so you could try go grab it if it is just hiding out of sight.

 

Yup, take the toilet off, it is really pretty easy, just some screws and maybe caulk. While you are at it, change the wax ring - like $5 at the hardware store, but they always seem to leak after the toilet has been taken off.

 

I'm assuming you've already plunged it to your hearts content, right? Next you can get a plumbing snake, a coil of wire, at the hardware store for less than ten bucks. I'd fish the heck out of the pot before pulling it off the floor.

It seems obvious, but be sure you've shut off the water intake at the floor to the toilet and flush, then plunge all the water out of the toilet before you take it off, if you decide to do that, so you don't flood your house. have an old towel, one you're ready to throw out handy to set the toilet on since the old wax and probably mold underneath will ruin a rug or nice towel. And you will need to scrape off the old wax ring and replace it with a new one (wear gloves for this job). If a toy is stuck in the toilet you may be able to reach it from underneath if you can't stick your hand inside the bowl far enough.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessmcg Yup, take the toilet off, it is really pretty easy, just some screws and maybe caulk. While you are at it, change the wax ring - like $5 at the hardware store, but they always seem to leak after the toilet has been taken off.

You are actually not supposed to re-use a wax ring - if you lift your toilet off the ring, you need a new one.

 

Unfortunately I have some experience with this. We had a little one that loved the toliet. Ours would work great for a few flushes even up to a day. We used the plumbers snake and it would work for awhile. Then we had the linolem(sp?) replaced and checked underneath, nothing. I even have to admit to gloing up and checking from inside and underneath. I know, gross, but I was desperate. Yes you have to replace the beeswax seal if you move the toliet. The pressure is what seals it. If you move it the water tight seal is compromised. Anyway we finally repaced the toliet. When we chucked it in the dumpster we broke the neck of the toliet and wedged in there was a baby toy. It wouldn't go up or down. We had tryed everything. it was the paper clogging it. That is why it would work after we snaked it. It forced the paper down,but it kept accumulateing. It might be easier to just buy a new toliet and set it and be done with it. IMHO ethier way, have fun.

 

I, too, would suggest snaking the toilet before taking it off the floor. We've had bad luck with getting the wax rings to seal properly (and yes, a slow leak will ruin the subfloor!).

 

another vote for snake first.

 

ds flushed thomas the train down, we couldn't even flush/plunge without an overflow so we called a plumber and he snaked it but it went out down into the sewer, poor thomas

 

You know, this is a really interesting thread.
Kinda makes me want to take the toilet off just for the sake of doing it and maybe painting behind it too. That would be satisfying.

 

rofl.

We've had a variety of objects go down the toilet over the years. We did, once, need a plumber to come out with a super long snake (washrags!)....but for the most part (dinosaurs, bath toys, hair brush, etc), the kind you can rent at home depot has done the trick. The only time I've ever had to pull up the whole toilet was when the project was "replace the toilet" as part of "remodel the bathroom."

 

DH tried to snake it but only succeeded in scratching the heck out of the inside of the toilet. However, he insists that the marks are 'not scratches'.

Anyway. My to-do list for the past 3 weekends has said "take toilet off and fix" so maybe this weekend we'll actually do it. It's still flushing perfectly every second flush, which totally baffles me. The first flush doesn't go down and the second flush - perfect. Every single time.

I tried reaching my arm down there but I was afraid of getting stuck