Blocked Toilet in the Blue Mountains

What to do first

Then look at the other drains. Run the basin tap. Does it drain slowly? Does the shower gurgle? One toilet on its own is usually a local blockage. Several fixtures slow at once points to the main line.

Do not keep flushing hoping it will clear. Each flush adds more water with nowhere to go.

Common causes in Mountains homes

• Too much paper, or products that do not break down, such as wipes, cotton buds and nappy liners
• A toy or small object that has gone round the bend of the toilet trap
• Tree roots in the outside sewer line, common where big gums sit near older clay pipes
• A low-flow cistern that lacks the push to carry waste down a long, flat run of pipe
• A cracked or sagging pipe under the floor of an older cottage

In an older cottage, a bathroom moved during a renovation can end up on a long, shallow run of pipe. Shallow runs slow waste down, and slow waste is how paper and roots settle in.

Can I clear it myself?

A plunger with a good seal clears a simple paper blockage. Use a flange plunger made for toilets, push slowly and keep the bowl partly full of water.

Skip chemical drain cleaners. They rarely shift a toilet blockage, they sit in the bowl, and they are harsh on a plumber's skin and on older pipes. A plumber then has to work around them.

If a plunger does nothing after a few tries, or the toilet blocks again within days, stop and call. A repeat blockage is a sign that the cause is further along the pipe.

How a plumber clears a toilet blockage

The plumber starts with the simplest tool that could work. That may be a toilet auger, which is a flexible cable made for the bend in the bowl. If the blockage is past the toilet, the next step is to reach the line from an outside access point.

If roots or a damaged pipe are suspected, a drain camera can show what is in the line. Ask whether it's needed for your job. It is not needed for every blocked toilet.

Sometimes a toilet has to be lifted off its floor flange to reach an object. A good plumber refits it with a new seal and checks for leaks.

Holiday rentals and guesthouses

Toilets in holiday rentals take hard use from guests who do not know the house. A sign inside the bathroom about wipes and paper helps. A call early beats a flooded floor between check-out and check-in.

If you manage a rental, tell the plumber when you call so the visit can fit around bookings. Do not promise a guest a time until the plumber has given you one.

What it costs

The price depends on where the blockage is, how easy the access is and what tools the job needs. A toilet blocked in the bowl is a smaller job than a blockage in a sewer line under the garden. Ask for a quote before work starts. You can then decide before anything is done.

Stopping it coming back

• Flush only toilet paper and human waste
• Put wipes, even those labelled flushable, in the bin
• Keep a small bin in the bathroom so guests have somewhere to put things
• Have the sewer line checked if blockages repeat, especially if you have a large tree near the pipe

Related

• Blocked sink or shower
• Tree roots in drains
• Signs of a blocked drain

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