How to Unblock a Toilet Without Making It Worse
In short
Do not flush again if the pan is full. Stop water entering the pan, let the level drop, bail it to half full, then plunge with a flange plunger so the head is submerged. A closet auger will reach anything the plunger cannot. If the bath or shower is also slow, or water rises when you flush, the blockage is in the underground drain.
A blocked toilet is unpleasant but usually simple. The trap in the pan is a narrow bend designed to hold water, and anything that does not break down — wet wipes, cotton buds, sanitary products, too much paper at once — will lodge there before it reaches the drain.
The one rule to remember: if the pan is full, do not flush again. A second flush is what turns a blockage into a flooded bathroom.
If the pan is full or rising
Take the lid off the cistern and push the flush valve or flapper down to stop water entering the pan, or turn off the isolation valve on the supply pipe behind the toilet with a flat screwdriver. Then wait — the level will usually drop over 10 to 20 minutes as water seeps past the obstruction.
Bail the pan down to about half full before you start work, so you have room to plunge without splashing.
Plunging properly
Use a flange plunger — the type with a soft rubber sleeve that folds out — not a flat cup plunger, which cannot seal against a curved pan. Insert it so the flange sits inside the outlet and the head is submerged; you need water, not air, to transmit the pressure.
Push down gently first to expel air, then pump firmly 10 to 15 times keeping the seal, and pull sharply on the last stroke. Repeat a few cycles. When the water suddenly drains away, flush once to check it is clear.
Other things that work
If plunging alone will not do it, these are worth trying before calling anyone out.
- A bucket of warm water and washing-up liquid poured from waist height — the weight of the water plus lubrication shifts paper blockages surprisingly often. Leave it 20 minutes first.
- A toilet auger (closet auger) — a purpose-made flexible rod with a protective sleeve so it does not scratch the porcelain. Wind it in gently until it meets resistance.
- Rubber gloves and a hand — if you can see the item, removing it is faster than everything else on this list.
What not to flush
Almost every toilet blockage we attend involves items that were never meant to go down. "Flushable" wipes are the biggest single cause — they pass the pan but do not break down, and they knit together with fat in the drain.
- Wet wipes and baby wipes, including ones sold as flushable
- Cotton buds, cotton wool and make-up pads
- Sanitary products and nappies
- Dental floss and hair — both catch on anything else passing through
- Kitchen roll and tissues, which are far stronger than toilet paper
When the toilet is not the problem
If the toilet is blocked and the bath or shower is also slow, or water rises in the shower tray when you flush, the blockage is in the underground drain. The same applies if you can hear gurgling from other appliances, or if there is a smell outside near a gully.
Check the external inspection chamber. Standing sewage in the chamber means the blockage is downstream and needs jetting or rodding by an engineer. If the chamber is empty but the toilet backs up, the blockage is between the pan and the chamber.
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