Toilet would not fill, so I looked it over and it had about 2" long plug of organic stuff in the 1/2" inlet pipe, jammed against the valve. Like tiny roots, all broken up. And a few old bright blue copper oxide particles.
The rest of the faucet filters have a few fine pieces of the same stuff stuck on them.
background info- the house is 18 years old, has a 35 year old 50' well and pump-the usual set up, the submersible pump fills a pressure tank, then goes to the house. 18 years ago, we cut into the system to run a 1" line to the new house. The line is 1" flexible black plastic, about 3/32 wall thickness IIRC.
The question- where did the organic stuff come from? Was it something in the line when the plumbers connected up the "new " house, and has been working it's way to the valve? over 18 years? The roots did not seem "new" and tough, but they were not completely rotted to mush either.
Or, do I have a break in the water line somewhere where roots are getting in?
Or, is it something the pump picked up in the well, and managed to find it's way past the sand filter on the pump inlet, and up into and past the pressure tank? that one seems unlikely??..
There is one clue- the toilet tank filled the last time with red iron water-which would be the case if the plug had slipped past an obstruction and slid down the pipe, scouring off the iron in front of it like a bore brush.
So I think the plug slipped some distance all at once.
This toilet is pretty close to the main inlet to the house, and it is on the first floor. only one other branch in front of it.
Any experience with this sort of thing?
