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Blocked Toilets

If your toilet is very slow in going down, or it won't flush at all anymore you may have a bad clog. You can start fixing this clog by using your trusty plunger. Plunging down the water forces the clog to move a bit and if it isn't really that bad you will see the water go back to normal.

Sometimes you may need more help, a snake is going to do the job. A snake is just a fancy name for a long metal piece, that will snake its way down your drain and loosen any clogs!

There are many fancy plungers on the market at the moment. Even the most expensive of these plungers is a fraction of what it would cost to call out a plumber so it is well worth you having a go. You will find your local plumbing store stocks all of these.

Blocked toilets are dreadful. At the very least a blocked toilet is inconvenient. At worst, it's smelly, unsightly and messy ... and most unpleasant.

A blocked toilet could be a symptom of a sewer system blockage. But it could be something much simpler.

When small children use a toilet, they can sometimes use too much paper, inadvertently flush fresheners down the bowl, even use the toilet to flush away ... Well, who knows! Or they could simply not flush the toilet properly.

Show your children how to use the toilet properly and safely. You could ask your plumber to show them.

And it's not always children who flush the "wrong things" down the bowl...!

No paper thicker than toilet paper should ever be flushed down a toilet.

You can check to see if your toilet blockage is major or minor by checking the "S" bend yourself. Use a plunger in the bottom of the bowl to try to clear the blockage. Ask your plumber to show you how next time he visits your place.

Before we give you some DIY info to help in that awful moment when water rises up and over the edge of the toilet bowl, here's the first useful hint - do not flush the toilet if the water level is higher than usual.

That may seem obvious, but when a toilet hasn't flushed properly it's a normal reaction to keep trying.

While most toilets are designed to hold a vast volume of water, if there's a block - flushing will only cause a flood.

So let everyone in the house know that the water should always return to normal before you flush again. If it doesn't - you've got a block to remove:

In an overflow - stage 1 - turn off the water supply

• Turn off the handle or stop tap under the tank if water starts to overflow

If that doesn't work -

• Lift the tank lid and pull the float ball or cup upwards
• Turn off the main stop tap next- you should find this under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe enters your home

In an overflow - stage 2 - what's the obstruction?

• Look around or check with others to see if something could have fallen into the toilet and blocked it
• Retrieve the object, if you think that's what the block is, by using a black plastic bag to protect your hand and arm

In an overflow - stage 3 - unblocking the toilet

• Bale out any excess water
• Use a plunger. Position your plunger around the bottom of the bowl, push down and pull up strongly as many times as necessary

If that doesn't work and if you have the required skills and can do so safely -

• Use a toilet auger or plumbing snake. Pull out a section of the auger pipe, tighten the retaining nut, insert the pipe end into the toilet bowl and rotate the drum so it burrows into the system and dislodges the block.
• Pour water from a bucket into the toilet before using the flush, just to be sure the blockage has gone

If this hasn't worked -

In an overflow - stage 4 - get expert help!

• Call Dr.DRiP on 1800 552 758 to get a fast professional drainage expert to you.

Note that if the problem is a blocked sewer, these measures may not help. If it's in the public sewer, you should call your water company; if it's in a private sewer it will be your responsibility to find a drainage engineer.

Next Article: What to do when you have a blocked sewer