Blocked Toilets

Have you discovered that, instead of disappearing down the pan, the contents of your toilet are moving up the bowl when you flush? A common yet unpleasant problem, a blocked toilet can be challenging and messy to fix. Usually, a blocked toilet is caused by an unsuitable object being flushed down. Large amounts of toilet paper or sanitary towels, as well as toys or similar, can all form a mass that wedges somewhere along the U-bend, creating the blockage. If this has happened to you, there are a number of things you can try before calling a blocked toilet plumber.

DIY blocked toilet solutions

We offer a 24-hour service, including holidays and weekends, so if you can’t fix the issue yourself, our time-served plumbers are available to clear your blocked toilet Melbourne wide. That said, before calling us out, we suggest trying the following:

• Don’t keep flushing the toilet! This won’t clear the blockage, but will cause the toilet bowl to overflow, which is probably the last thing you want.
• In the first instance, adding a decent squirt of washing-up liquid (dish soap) to the toilet bowl, followed by a couple of litres of hot (not boiling) water. This may loosen an organic blockage.
• If dish soap doesn’t solve the problem, add a combination of baking soda and vinegar to the toilet bowl (we suggest in the ration of 1:”), along with a litre of hot (but not boiling) water. The toilet should then be left undisturbed until the next day, to give the solution a chance to work. The reaction of the bicarb and the vinegar, along with the warmth the water provides, may be enough to dislodge organic matter. This method won’t usually work if the blockage is an object rather than waste matter.
• Bicarb and vinegar don’t work, you may wish to try a plumbing snake: a tightly coiled length of highly flexible metal, the plumbing snake is inserted into the toilet bowl and up into the U-bend. The idea is that the head of the snake will break up the mass, causing pieces to dislodge and eventual total dispersal. Whilst this may not work on tightly lodged objects, it may be enough to dislodge them.

If neither of these tactics works, you do have the option of purchasing a commercial drain cleaner. Like the other two methods, this won’t remove objects, only waste and other degradable blockages. In addition, commercial cleaners contain harsh, dangerous chemicals that need to be handled with care.

In most cases, a little additional attention to what’s flushed down the toilet should be enough to prevent the problem re-occurring. Ensuring that only moderate amounts of toilet paper are flushed down the toilet and disposing of other items elsewhere, as well as keeping an eye on the location of toys, is usually enough to prevent a repeat blockage. Occasionally, repeated blockages may be due to problems with the inside of the U-bend. In those circumstances, we will be able to carry out a suitable repair or replacement to minimise the risk of continued issues.

Professional assistance for blocked toilets

With more than thirty years of experience behind us, we’re the blocked toilet plumber of choice for a large number of commercial and residential properties in and around Melbourne. Offering a combination of high-quality workmanship and treating our customers as we would like to be treated ourselves, we are fully certified and licensed. When you use us, you can expect a no-obligation quote before we start, so you always know in advance what you’ll be paying. We don’t have any hidden costs and aim to provide a good service for a fair price. Get in touch to take advantage of our toilet block cleaner.