I flush the toilet, the water swirls like usual, but the contents of the bowl do not go down the drain (perhaps more accurately, the level of the water in the bowl remains constant, and a square of TP placed in the water remains in the bowl during the flush). I've tried using the plunger and a snake to clear any obstructions. Several times, I've flushed the toilet with the snake in place, and the toilet appeared to flush just fine. Pull out the snake, and the same non-draining behavior returns. The last time I flushed with the snake in place, the water didn't drain.

Any thoughts on what's going on, and how to solve the problem.

Thanks in advance,

Dave

 

Try pulling the toilet from the floor and looking into the drain and see if there is something lodged there. Also look up into the bottom of the toilet and see if there is something there. From your description it sounds like you have an obstruction that you are temporarily moving with the snake. You may try using a closet auger(larger diameter than the snake) to remove the obstruction.These can be rented since you may never need it again.