A blocked toilet can be frustrating and that you can’t wait to have it fixed immediately. Clogged-up toilets are the type of home emergency that continues getting worse thereby making a home unliveable.
You can quickly get your toilet fixed as quick as possible. But with a bit of hard work and elbow-grease, you might be able to unblock the toilet yourself.
You may need:
- A toilet plunger
- A pair of rubber gloves
- A stick or toilet brush
- A plumbing snake
Does the toilet flush?
If you suspect your toilet is blocked, ensure that you don’t flush it more than once to prevent the system from overflowing. Flushing more than once will make the task of unclogging more difficult and frustrating.
If you find that the water is not draining out of the toilet at all, have it in mind that it is totally blocked. However, if it drains out slowly, but does not get rid of all the waste in the toilet, then it is partially blocked.
Put some newspapers or towels down
Prepare for post repair clean up because, no matter how careful you are, you will spill some toilet water on the floor when unclogging a toilet.
Put on your rubber gloves
When unclogging a toilet, your skin will be susceptible to irritating substances that cause germs. In order to prevent these substances from touching your skin, it is necessary you put on marigolds to protect yourself.
If you are able to identify the cause of the blockage, and you think you can get it fixed yourself, go ahead and fix it. You can use implements like stick, toilet brush and so on to unclog your toilet. After you must have finished, throw the implements in the bin. Use a plunger if you are no able to see the blockage.
Turn off the water supply
Turn off the water supply to your toilet to prevent the risk of flooding. There is always a faucet behind the toilet that enables you to shut down the water supply. If you are unable to find it, turn off the water in the whole house at the stopcock.
Start plunging
You can use a sink plunger to unblock a toilet. However, it is advisable to use plungers that are specifically designed for block toilets.
The Major difference between a regular plunger and a toilet plunger is the existence of an extension collar, which is made to fit inside the toilet. This collar creates a tight seal in the toilet and increases the suction power of the plunger.
Plunge the toilet gently to prevent the vacuum from spraying out of the toilet. You can start plunging strongly when you have forced all of the air out of the plunger.
To make things easier and simpler, submerge the plunger completely. Water will create a lot more pressure in the pipes than air bubbles. Then plunge water down the toilet.
Use a plumbing snake
If you have been having a tough time plunging, you may need to change tactics. Get a plumbing snake from DIY, home improvement stores and some supermarkets. A plumbing snake is a long coil that you feed down your toilet until it reaches the blockage. Then uncoil the plumbing snake until you breach through the blockage. If you can’t do this, coil the snake back up and you may bring the blockage up with it.
Should you use chemicals?
You may be tempted to use the technique some people use. A technique like using drain un-blocker, a vinegar and baking soda combination, bleach, dishwashing soap or a range of other chemicals to remove the blockage doesn’t work out all the time. The blockage might get worse because the chemicals might end up making the whole thing worse. Peradventure this technique doesn’t work out, you will spend huge sum of money to get the problem fixed. On an attempt to clean up the mess after blocking the toilet with chemicals yourself, wear protective clothing and safety goggles.
Call out the plumbers
If you have tried your best to unclog your toilet and couldn’t get any positive result, then hire an experienced plumber to help you out with it. It might be that the blockage is far down the pipe for you to fix yourself, or may be within the mechanics of the toilet.
Although getting a professional plumber is expensive, they provide you with excellent services and get your toilet fixed easily and quickly. They also attend to you immediately in the case of emergency. We can get an emergency plumber to you every day of the year. You will be able to flush your toilet in no time.