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Mud in the Toilet?


Bonnie
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My loo is flushing well but the water is dark.   I took out the bloc hanging over the edge to stop the frothy water and there seems to be a layer of mud on the bottom.

I've had a lot of problems before with my fosse - is this a sign that it's about to back up?

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Have you had a lot of rain lately?
Our water (Gers) used to be brown sometimes after heavy rain. It came from a nearby river where the clay mud gets churned up by heavy rain, then leaves a deposit.

In fact one small river was called Le Boues. At Marciac.

I think you've got clay in Lot and Garonne.

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Bonnie .......

If the cistern water is clean, then there’s only one place it can be coming from I’d say. Not good news of course, but you presumably have an idea as to whether its mud or you-know-what !

Others may have a better idea, but you may have a minor blockage which is causing a slight backup, but the likelihood / almost certainty is that it will get worse. Not much you can do just now, except hope that any blockage doesn’t deteriorate over the next few days.

You can of course inspect the fosse tank, which isn’t the greatest of jobs, but it’ll tell you whether its full and if not, give you an idea as to whether there’s a blockage (by getting somebody to flush the loo whilst another watches for a strong stream rather than a trickle in to the tank.)

We had the very same problem a couple of years ago and there was an ‘accumulation’ at the tank inlet, which was fairly quickly remedied. A pick-axe worked a treat !

Bonne chance.
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Thanks for all your replies.

I'm sure it is mud as it is gritty and has collected in the "brush" that I use and doesn't smell.

My fosse is buried in the front lawn about 15 metres away.   It was uncovered for 3 months over the Xmas/NY period about 3 years ago and was not at all pleasant - useless local plumbers!  But he did use something like a pick axe and it flowed so wonderfully.   The 2 holes were eventually covered and earth replaced along with grass seed.

This was the first time the fosse had been emptied in 40 or so years - I bought the property 15 years ago.

Not residue from Eparcyl either.

I'll just have to keep an eye on it.

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This is the work of the fantom septic tank watcher Monsieur Fosse Yoyeur or the Chinese equivalent WooFlung Dung!

Seriously though, could be a blockage building unless exceptional usage corresponding to visitors over Xmas period. Has happened to me.

Whichever, will need watching and probably some work. Which stinks!
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[quote user="Bonnie"]it is gritty…[/quote]

Aaaah.  I think that this might be the crucial detail. 

The first time I had Gritty Lavatory Syndrome I was totally baffled for a couple of days  -  until I finally worked out what had occurred.

There was no one in the house at the time whose digestive products were likely to be composed of grit to any significant extent, neither could it reasonably be attributed to 'backing up'.

But, a painter and decorator had been doing a bit of work in a room not far away.  He was an impeccably tidy worker but, having left for another chantier he entrusted the final sweeping up to his young assistant.

The said assistant decided that these insignificant sweepings  -  dust, dirt, fragments of paper and other debris  -  would make a worthy offering to Cloacina and consigned it to the lav, neglecting to notice that it also contained a quantity of brick-dust, decomposed mortar etc.

Everything else duly disappeared, leaving only a puzzling sandy and gritty residue which I didn't in fact notice until several days later.

I wondered briefly what to do about it, and concluded that the best thing was to ignore it in the hope that it would go away spontaneously  -  which it did (until the next time it happened).

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Hello everyone and thanks for spending time on my problem on Xmas Eve!

Tancrède (beautiful cat!) I live alone but have a visitor over the Xmas period.   It's a big house and 8 people could live here, so don't think it's a problem of too much poo!   I have been doing DIY but only painting.

Guardian - you're right Sad [:(]   I have a number of other problems to deal with - don't know which is worse but I'll post another soon................

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[quote user="Tancrède"]

[quote user="Bonnie"]it is gritty…[/quote]

Aaaah.  I think that this might be the crucial detail. 

The first time I had Gritty Lavatory Syndrome I was totally baffled for a couple of days  -  until I finally worked out what had occurred.

There was no one in the house at the time whose digestive products were likely to be composed of grit to any significant extent, neither could it reasonably be attributed to 'backing up'.

But, a painter and decorator had been doing a bit of work in a room not far away.  He was an impeccably tidy worker but, having left for another chantier he entrusted the final sweeping up to his young assistant.

The said assistant decided that these insignificant sweepings  -  dust, dirt, fragments of paper and other debris  -  would make a worthy offering to Cloacina and consigned it to the lav, neglecting to notice that it also contained a quantity of brick-dust, decomposed mortar etc.

Everything else duly disappeared, leaving only a puzzling sandy and gritty residue which I didn't in fact notice until several days later.

I wondered briefly what to do about it, and concluded that the best thing was to ignore it in the hope that it would go away spontaneously  -  which it did (until the next time it happened).

[/quote]so you employed wankers, has the OP employed similar in the previous month's?
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Theirere, - I've worked out what you said above!   I can't remember what I put down the loo last that wasn't the obvious.   Believe it was sick from the dog!

Perhaps I should empty it, stop it from re-filling, clean it and start again?

Happy Xmas to anyone reading this today!

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It will not be coming back up from the drains point barre.

 

If it was you would have had problems flushing the loo.

 

The sandy particles at the bottom are too heavy to be swept away by the flush so there is zero chance that they will have lifted themselves uphill and around the U-bend without a lot of assistance.

 

If there are no similar accumulations at the bottom of the cistern (doesnt matter if the water is clear its what has settled out that will tell you) then it can only have been placed in the toilet bowl either by natural or physical means.

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OK - now sorted........... have cleaned it all out.   The water in the cistern is clear, the bowl is clean and no grit or colour can be seen.   It's been fine for 2 days now.   It will always be a mystery now but I'll keep an eye on it.

Thanks to every one for helping with suggestions.

Happy New Year!

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