We've all had a blocked toilet at some time in our lives. It's messy, inconvenient, often smelly and can cause other issues. A blocked toilet pipe is a sewer issue as all your toilets connect to the sewer system of your property. It can become a serious issue if not dealt with quickly. A toilet blockage is not a problem that will go away on its own. If left the problem will become worse over a period of time, leading to possible health concerns, property damage and an expensive bill to fix.
Causes of a Blocked Toilet
Blockages in toilet waste pipes (sewer pipes) can be caused by lots of reasons, but you can easily avoid most of them. Commonly, a blocked toilet is the result of one or more of the following:
● Using way too much toilet paper.
● Flushing baby wipes or other non-flushable items (such as menstrual products) down the drain.
● Food being flushed down the toilet.
● Children dropping toys or other small items into the toilet.
● Tree roots invading your plumbing system.
● A low-flow toilet, often found in older homes.
● Blocked toilet vent (often located outside your property).
Clearing a Blocked Toilet
If you have a relatively minor blockage in your toilet, especially one that hasn’t made its way too far down into the sewer system, you may be able to tackle the job yourself. IMPORTANT: if your toilet is blocked, DO NOT repeatedly flush the toilet in an attempt to clear the clog - it will most likely overflow and that can be nasty to clean up.
If you can see the blockage in the toilet, you can usually remove it by hand - but put rubber gloves on first! If you can’t see the blockage, try a simple homemade drain cleaner. Put a small amount of dishwashing liquid into half a bucket of VERY HOT water. Pour the soapy water into the toilet bowl from waist height and then leave it to sit for a few minutes before flushing. If that doesn't work, try a mix of vinegar and a cup of baking soda (bicarb soda). This can unblock your toilet drain pipes. Pour the baking soda into the toilet and let it sit for several minutes. Slowly pour 2 cups of vinegar in so that it reacts and once it stops bubbling, give it a flush to see if it has cleared. You can also buy a commercial drain cleaning product from your supermarket.
If the above solutions don't work, you can try a plunger but be sure to choose one that is heavy-duty and has a flange on the base. Place it completely over the hole of the toilet bowl until it is submerged in water and press down firmly but slowly. Repeat as necessary and see if that helps unblock your toilet.
Using Professional Toilet Drain Unblockers
If all this fails, it is best to call an expert to deal with problems with your plumbing and sewer systems. If your toilet keeps blocking up on a regular basis, then obviously you have a recurring issue and professional advice is recommended.
The team at The Drain Man are highly qualified and very experienced, with over 35 years experience in clearing blocked toilets. We will solve the problems with your blocked toilet as quickly as possible. Our process is open and honest, and you will be kept informed of progress on your job from start to finish.
First, we get a detailed understanding of your problems when you first call us. We gather all the details we need about your blocked toilet or blocked drain pipe. We then have a clear idea of what the problem may be. On arrival at your property, your drain clearing, specialist plumber will assess the situation and decide on the best steps for unblocking your toilet. Up to this point in the consultation, there is no charge to you.
Before we begin any clearing work, we ALWAYS use a CCTV drain inspection camera to film inside your blocked drain to identify the cause of the blockage. Once the exact problem area of the pipe is located, high-pressure water jet equipment is used to flush out the drain and clear the blockage. We then use the camera again to confirm the drain is clear. We provide you with the recorded camera footage, so you can see for yourself exactly what the problem was and what we did to clear it.
When the job is complete and you have an unblocked toilet, we will advise you on any recommendations we have for preventing future drain blockages. This will depend on what caused the blockage and how likely your drain pipes are to have the same problems reoccur.
Remember the only thing that should go in your toilet are the 3 P's - pee, poo and paper! Never put ANY other objects down your loo. Or your problem may be caused by invasive tree roots or low water pressure. If you find your toilet clogged for days or longer, contact us immediately to have a look and get your toilet unblocked!
If you have any questions about pipeline inspections, drain clearing or pipe relining at your premises, contact our friendly team. We’ll be happy to help in any way we can.
Drains relined by The Drain Man carry a Lifetime Warranty.
