Finding your toilet out of use due to a blockage can be infuriating and embarassing.
Depending on the circumstances and how you deal with potentially unpleasant things, there are several options before you end up calling a professional.
How to Deal with a Blocked Toilet
Some of the easist ways to quickly unblock a toilet with minimal expense and effort are as follows:
- Fill the Toilet so it has a weight of water on the blockage.
By flushing the toilet and allowing it to fill to a high level, sometimes blockages that are within the toilet itself can be persuaded to shift. This is because when a blockage is this close and has water pushing against it from one side, it could be enough for the solid mass to move and then the water that was on top of it will now help it to flow through the rest of the drainage system as it should.
- Fill the Toilet with hot, soapy water
Whether you’ve tried the first option or not, using hot (not boiling) water and leaving it for some time could help soften the blockage as the water presses down on the blockage like above. It will have the same effect as the first option but the heat and soap could make all the difference.
- Toilet Brush – How to clear a toilet without a plunger
Your toilet brush is used in the toilet anyway, so it’s not like you’re using kitchenware on it. Use the toilet brush like you would a plunger, only twist it whilst pushing down. Be careful though as it could disconnect the handle from the brush depending on the design!
Like the above options, if the blockage is close enough, such as in the U bend, the toilet brush could be enough to push against it and clear the toilet.
- Remove the blockage
This is probably the worst of the options, but effective if you’re sure the blockage is in the toilet itself.
Make sure the water level has dropped, or suck it out with a wetvac/empty with a container to minimise mess. Once the mass at the bottom has been removed, flush as normal to test.
If the water level is still a bit high, flush again to help persuade the remaining blockage to go.
How to Tell where the Blockage is
There are some quick and easy observations you can make to determine where the blockage is. Although it’s affecting your toilet, it could be quite far away and you need to be as close as possible to the blockage to stand a chance of clearing it.
Test Nearby Facilities
If you have a sink next to your toilet, run the sink and check the following:
If the water from the sink flows away but the toilet water level rises, then the blockage is beyond the toilet and after where the sink joins. If the sink waste pipe runs into the floor, then this tells you where to look next.
If the sink runs fine and nothing happens, chances are the blockage is betweeen toilet and sink.
Sometimes sinks can appear to be running fine and not affecting blocked toilets but it could simply be much further down the system and causing the water to rise elsewhere, such as within a manhole chamber. It isn’t an exact science and experience is often a factor.
Baths and showers can be tested in the same way, but just be careful with showers in case the water rises uncontrollably when you’re testing what’s affected.
If your Sink and Shower or Bath are Affecting your Blocked Toilet
Sometimes if your toilet is blocked and other facilities are affected, closing the other outlets can be an effective way of putting pressure on the blockage without making a mess.
Quite simply, plug the sink or bath, obstruct the shower outlet, and try the options laid out at the top of this page. By plugging the other facilities, you’re stopping the pressure you’re putting on the blockage from escaping from the plugholes. You may have to cover the overflows at the same time with tape or another pair of hands and a flannel/kitchen towel.
If None of the Above Unblock Your Toilet Quickly or Easily
If you’ve had no luck so far, we showcase various cost effective products and tools that should solve your problem. If you’re still stuck, check out our guide on how to find a decent contractor here
We aim to always update and improve our site so may add to this page if we find more useful methods of solving drainage issues. If you have any suggestions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below.