The last thing you want to do is panic when your toilet is blocked. It’s never a great time to have a blocked toilet but there are things you can do about it before calling in the professionals. Today we’re going to be looking at some DIY ideas to unclog your toilet and hopefully this should help. Don’t continue flushing if it isn’t working.
Don’t keep flushing.
If there’s a toilet blockage and you persist with flushing the toilet there’s a good chance your toilet will overflow if you do. Check your toilet tank, there should be a drain stopper that’s attached to a chain. By closing this you will stop any more water going in the bowl until you’ve solved the blockage.
Prepare the area and yourself before you start.
Make sure the area is protected with either old towels, newspaper or toilet paper. It is also a good idea to open a window and if you have an extractor fan, switch that on too and have a bucket handy. There may be some rather unpleasant smells, so be prepared! Put on a pair of strong rubber gloves for your hands and preferably ones which go up to your elbow. Old clothing is a good idea in case you get covered in something.
Try to unclog the toilet manually first.
Try to retrieve whatever is stuck in your toilet with your hands, this is a good idea if it’s something you can see, something solid, like a hairbrush, a packet or jar of something, or a child’s toy. If you use a plunger too soon, it could wind up going further down into the toilet.
Unblock the toilet using a plunger if the manual method doesn’t work.
If this doesn’t work and you can’t see any object that you could pull out manually, then it’s time for a plunger. Plungers can vary in quality, size and function. You could get a regular small one or a larger heavy duty one that will work on just about anything. Cover the hole and then push and pull it over the hole you’ve covered, pull up sharp and hopefully this should dislodge whatever’s blocking the toilet. Hopefully, if you’ve been successful, you will see the water start to drain.
Flush now – is it clear?
It’s now time to finally flush the toilet to see whether it’s drained the blockage. If the clog is still there plunge again, refill the toilet bowl with water to the usual level if this is necessary. You may need to do this more than once before the plunger finally helps dislodge whatever’s blocking the toilet.
East of Scotland Drainage – for blocked toilets and drains.
If this still hasn’t worked, don’t continue, stop and call a professional drain expert. Hopefully, that will be us here at East of Scotland Drainage. We can help you unclog your toilet or your drains successfully, so you can get on with your life. Don’t let something like this beat you, if you’ve tried everything and to no avail, pick up the phone or get in touch online. We’re here to help.