Help! I can't unblock the toilet!!?
Question:I flushed the toilet this morning and the water came right to the top (and it's pretty gross!) so I've spent ages since coming home from work, trying to unblock it. I've tried a plunger and soda crystals with hot water. It isn't shifting! Could it be the drains in our flats? There was a blocked drain a few months ago...or if it's just our toilet how else can I get rid of it? How much would a plumber charge?
Answers:
OK. If it's just your toilet and all the other drains in your flat (apartment) are working, then it's NOT a problem common to the other units in your building.
Since you said "flat" instead of "apartment" I assume you're over in England (or at least Europe). I'm over across "the pond" in the USA but I'm sure plumbing is similar.
If it's just the toilet, then the blockage is most like around the bend in the toilet.
Use something called a "closet auger". It's a wire cable (snake) in a pre-formed bent tube that will thread itself around the bend in the toilet and reach the blockage.
I do NOT recommend throwing any bleach or other types of chemical unblockers in there. Anything tough enough to block a toilet isn't going to be broken down by some over-the-counter chemicals. Throwing chemicals down into the toilet only magnifies your problem. You now have a blocked toilet with waste AND chemicals.
My father, god rest him, rammed an old mop down ours to unblock it once, and it worked a treat.
You could try getting a long tube and poking out the bath room window start to syphon, but remember to spit...
You've done all you can. Get a plumber in. Whatever they charge will be worth it next time you need use the loo.
if you have a septic system it is time to get it pumped
What happened did you eat at Taco Bell or something? Get a metal coat hanger and un-twist it. Stick it down in the hole and unclog it.
I plumber is probably gonna get $100 bucks out of you easy.
poor some bleach down there and leave for half hour!
Plumber will stitch you up about £60. You can get a DIY flexible rod device from most hardware stores for unblocking toilets. Can't find mine so I can't give you the commercial name but it's around £20.
You can try bending a metal coathanger and shoving it in and out of the toilet to see if anything got hung up in the toilet itself.
Do you have pets or small children? I once was called to a customer's house with a plugged toilet and found a barbie doll shoved into the toilet.
Another time, one of my puppies stuffed her bone into the toilet and managed to wedge it so deep that I actually had to remove the whole toilet, turn it upside down and push the gone back out from the bottom.
Ask your flat neighbors to see if they, too have a drainage problem. If they do, then obviously it's the whole building.
If not, work on your toilet. The coat hanger may work. If you feel any obstruction in there and the coat hanger does not wedge it loose, you can get a 'snake' from a hardware store and try that.
Good luck!
well the only way is drain rods as it seems there is something lodged hope that helps
mop head as stated works well. If the flat below you is ok then the drain is ok, that would mean that its your end. Try again with the plunger, plumber will do just that
You have done everything you can. I know you were lookign for a better answere (sorry) but the best thing to do is get a plumber or drains specialist. If it is yours alone then you will have to pay, but if the blockage is communal at least you can share the bill with the rest of the people in y our apartment building. A wil charge by the hour maybe £30 ($60) an hour and its open ended depending on the blockage. Try something like Mr Muscle or another product. DO not stick a mop or something down there, you could do more damage to the pipes behind the wall and cause a leak or weaken the pipe.
Just brace yourself, put a peg on your nose, and ram your hand down there. Its only a lot of sh*t & paper, it aint gonna kill you!
use a set of drain rods but ask the neighbours if youre friendly enough you will need to put down some old towels etc to mop up the mess oh and remember always turn clockwise when going back and forth or you will end up loosing the drain rods too local diy store for around £30
dont forget your marigolds!
There is a u-shaped bend in the waterway at the bottom of your toilet. That is the first place that might be clogged. You could poke a flexible rod or tube down the toilet to clean this out. If the end of the tube dissapears and travels about 12 inches or so it should be through this trap. If this doesn't help the clog is farther down in the plumbing. Chances are if your sink and tub drain well that is where the clog is in the bottom of the toilet. Hope this helps
Before you do anything check the flats below to see if they have the same problem. If they have then it will be a waste of money for you to try to clear it. You will need to contact the Landlord or Agent of the premises. However, if the other flats are clear then the mop is a good idea but makes sure the head does not come off. If it does you could have a more serious situation.
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