how to clear a BLOCKED TOILET???

foggy1

Have a blocked toilet that fills near to the brim with water & takes all day to empty. The sink in the bathroom is blocked too, but the bath tub is not (all are in the same room). Have read heaps of tips on this site. Am keen to try Caustic Soda, but have an in-cistern-toilet-cleaner in there. I noticed that you mustn't mix caustic soda & bleach. Does anyone know if the in-cistern-toilet-cleaners contain bleach?

Ebe_Scrooge

Before you start on the chemicals, have a look at the drain itself. Hopefully you should be able to get to the manhole cover in your garden or driveway. Lift it off and have a look. Everything should be clear, but you may find that either the main sewer or one of the smaller pipes that feeds into it is blocked. If so, start off by trying to wash away the blockage with a hose, if that doesn't work then have a poke around with a garden cane. Be a bit gentle, as you don't want to go making holes in things ! Quite often this approach can loosen the blockage - and if it is blocked up in the drain, then caustic soda is not going to work anyway.

Be warned, this is going to be a bit yukky and smelly to say the least, but if you manage to free the blockage yourself it's cost you nowt.

Volcano

foggy1 wrote: »

Have a blocked toilet that fills near to the brim with water & takes all day to empty. The sink in the bathroom is blocked too, but the bath tub is not (all are in the same room). Have read heaps of tips on this site. Am keen to try Caustic Soda, but have an in-cistern-toilet-cleaner in there. I noticed that you mustn't mix caustic soda & bleach. Does anyone know if the in-cistern-toilet-cleaners contain bleach?

That probably refers to sticking a load of bleach + caustic soda in together (even then I'm not convinced, normally the warnings are against bleach and "other toilet cleaners" which tends to refer to the acidic ones like toilet duck etc). If your in-cistern cleaner does contain bleach, it'll still be in a very dilute form when you flush so this won't be a problem.

AdrianW2

I second Ebe's advice, although the bath being OK suggests a blockage earlier on - does the bath join the stack in a different place to the other two?

My chemistry is a bit rusty now but I don't see why you can't mix sodium hydroxide and bleach, if anything I'd expect it to push the equilibrium away from making chlorine gas.

The packaging should have some warning labels.

foggy1

Hi Ebe & Volcano

It's definitely a blockage in the pipes between the toilet/bathroom & the next port of call. Far from the manhole/pit. I'll try to phyically unblock it as you say Ebe. I wonder if caustic soda will clear the blockage in the pipes?

headcoat

If its in the ubend try a wire coat hanger....worked for me!!!

jblack_2

If the sink is blocked too then it won't be in the u-bend. It has to be past the point that the sink and toilet meet the soil stack.

mikey72

You could try a plunger, if you can find a large one, or a mop. Fill the sink full of water as well. Start gently though.

greyteam1959

Get a bag of soda crystals .....75p......tip them in sink / washbasin whatever wash them down with some water.....leave a bit then put some water in sink / washbasin plunge with plunger gently.......and hey presto.....never believed something so cheap and simple could work so well...........

foggy1

I think the blockage must be as Jblack says; between the toilet & the bath tub (the basin being the end of the pipeline).

Adrian the pack has no warning labels or ingredients.

foggy1

Many thanx 4 ur help Gang. In the end it was a root that got lodged into the pipework, way down the other end. Damned thirsty critter caused me a nightmare.

Thanx again All