From: "Clark Griswold" 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Toilet flushing problem [difficult flushing-possible vent problem]
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 11:26:12 -0500

 wrote in message 
news:1111058707.670058.244420@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> Al,
>
> Thanks for your response. I neglected to provide the following
> additional information:
>
> 1] This toilet is at least 45 years old.
>
> 2] The tank is full at the start of the flush cycle, and there are no
> water saver devices.
>
> 3] The tenant reports that the problem with flushing started abruptly
> one day, after flushing an especially large amount of toilet paper and
> solid matter.
>
> I'll try to find a toilet auger like the one you pointed to. I was
> using a real old snake that wasn't like that at all.
>
> I will definitely try to get the more expensive toilet auger, as you
> suggest [the one with the "drop head"] but I'm curious to know what the
> difference is between the "regular head" on the cheaper toilet auger
> and the "drop head" on the more expensive model.
>
> Pointing me to those URLs was *very* useful, Al. Thanks again.
>
I had the same problem where water would flush, but, if you flushed anymore 
than 3 or 4 squares of paper the toilet would clog. Closet auger didn't 
work. Pulled the toilet and found a pen lodged across the bottom of the 
opening.