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When I was lifting off the old toilet a large chunk of plumbers putty/clay fell in the opening. (There was a huge amount under the toilet, and no wax that I could see.)

I tried using a vacuum to get it out and that just pushed it in deeper. I tried a "claw" extension grabber thingy, but it couldn't hold it.

Now it's deep enough I can barely see it.

What should I do?

Tester101
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Ariel
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    Your toilet drain can take pretty large piece of crap... how much putty could you have dropped in there? – DMoore Feb 06 '14 at 03:28
  • I know that this will probably get removed and it is a good question, but that was pretty funny... – Jack Feb 06 '14 at 03:37
  • Well I buy the normal container of plumber's putty at big box for 1.75 and it lasts like a couple years - and I do a lot of kitchen and bath stuff. I am thinking it would take 3-4 of said containers to have a putty turd big enough to get stuck. I need to see a pic here. – DMoore Feb 06 '14 at 03:44
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    @DMoore Whoever installed the toilet used probably an entire 5lb tub of putty. But I managed to get the piece out using a long rod to slide it up (and then my hand), so I guess this question is moot. The reason I was concerned is that normal waste is all water soluble, but the putty is not, so I was worried it would just stay there (or lower down in the pipes). Same reason as not to flush wipes - they don't dissolve. – Ariel Feb 06 '14 at 06:33
  • Well you chose the easiest way. Only other way is to open a large cleanout... or resort to cutting out a section. Hope it was putty. – DMoore Feb 06 '14 at 07:20
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    now can someone tell me if my kids' matchbox cars will dissolve in water. ;) – Evil Elf Feb 11 '14 at 19:22
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    Please in the future don't try to vacuum things from you sewer lines. You could very easily suck up sewer gas. This not only smells terrible but it could possibly be flammable. – DBerend Aug 03 '15 at 10:51

2 Answers2

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Try a bent wire coat hanger to pierce and hook the putty. If you can't, does water still seem to drain? I would pour some water down there slowly to see if it's draining properly. You could even try boiling water which might make the putty more malleable and help flush it down.

Ultimately, if it's draining I don't think you need to worry about it. Just think about all the other things that get flushed down the toilet.

Jeff Walden
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  • This is a very old question, I've long since gotten the putty out and everything works fine. Only small pieces were left and I assume they were flushed away. – Ariel Aug 14 '15 at 22:29
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If the toilet was plumbed correctly, the pipe under the toilet should have a p-trap and a 3" pipe running off of that. You can get a cheap drain cleaner at Harbor Freight for $10. Run that down the drain and you should be golden. I assume you started with a plunger?

Warren Benson
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