Check our earlier blogs for great advice on what not to flush down the toilet! But often a blocked toilet is caused by the simplest of reasons – using too much toilet paper. You’re then left with a rather unpleasant job in trying to unblock it.
Start by checking whether it is the toilet and not the drain that’s blocked. You may be able to lift the manhole cover outside to see if the drain is flowing freely. If it is the drain that’s clogged, that could be a bigger problem… so give us a call! If it’s just the toilet though you may still be able to unblock it yourself.
Assuming you have tried with your toilet brush first, and this hasn’t worked, you’ll need to change tactics.
Top Tip 1
Plain old washing up liquid or washing powder followed by very hot water is sometimes enough to soften and dissolve the blockage.
If not, get yourself prepared with long rubber gloves and a face mask, and get some newspaper, dust sheets or old towels to mop up any spillages. Then turn off the water supply to the cistern just in case it overflows. Either disconnect the ballcock or turn the water off at the stopcock. If the cistern is full then the blockage is probably deep in the waste pipe. If it’s empty then the blockage may be closer, between the waste pipe and the toilet. In either case get a toilet plunger and put the rubber end down over the toilet bowl to form a seal, and then pump it up and down vigorously but carefully so you don’t splash too much.
Top Tip 2
If you don’t have a toilet plunger – which is usually larger than a sink plunger – you could use an old mop with a couple of plastic bags fastened around the mop head with rubber bands. It won’t be as effective but it may just do the trick!
If this method doesn’t work then you could try using a drain rod or if you don’t have one, a wire coat hanger bent so it goes around the bend and into the waste pipe – but be careful not to scratch your toilet bowl!
If it’s still blocked you can buy some commercial drain unblocker – but follow the instructions carefully. Unblockers that you could make yourself from household items include soda crystals (or baking soda) and vinegar, followed after a few minutes by hot water.
And if none of this works, don’t be embarrassed. Give us a call at Happy Drains and we’ll come and see to the problem – it’s all in a day’s work to us!