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Clearing a blocked toilet

A blocked toilet is a real pain. Read on to find out what you can do about it.

Content

  • How to clear a blocked toilet
  • What to do when you don’t have a plunger
  • If nothing helps, you will have to call in a specialist

At a glance

  • Pour hot water into the toilet to dissolve the blockage

  • Toilet cleaner can help with minor toilet blockages

  • Leave vinegar and baking soda to work overnight

  • Food scraps are the most common cause of a blocked toilet

  • If household remedies don’t help, call a specialist

How to clear a blocked toilet

Food scraps, wet wipes and other foreign objects can block a toilet in no time at all. It is imperative that you stop using a blocked toilet to prevent making the blockage worse. If your toilet is blocked, a number of household remedies are great at dislodging the blockage and letting the water drain away again.

A toilet brush and hot water

If the blockage is clearly visible and not too far down the pipe, you can usually clear the blocked toilet using a toilet brush. Push the brush as far as you can into the drain – wear household gloves to make the job more manageable – and move it vigorously back and forth. This will loosen any fresh blockages.

If this method fails, hot water will help to dislodge stubborn blockages. Caution: do not use boiling hot water! If the water is too hot, it can damage your toilet’s ceramic or the CeramicPlus coating. Instead, boil several litres of water and then allow it to cool briefly. Next, pour it quickly into the toilet. Let the water sit for a few moments so that the heat has time to dissolve any foreign substances. Then flush once or twice.

Use pressure to clear obstructions: the plunger

The force cup - more commonly known as a plunger - is often the go-to tool when the toilet is blocked. It is also frequently used to clear blocked pipes or drains, even by professionals.

Place the plunger directly over the outlet, preferably so that the plunger itself is under water. Now exert a powerful downward force on the handle and then pull it up again. This will first create underpressure and then overpressure. This has a mechanical effect on the blockage in the toilet and dislodges any foreign materials. However, the plunger will then pull the solids upwards. You will have to wear gloves and remove these solids from the water by hand to prevent them from clogging the system again.

Household remedies for blocked toilets

If the toilet is blocked, household remedies can be an effective way to solve the problem yourself. There are numerous household remedies recommended for a blocked toilet. At the top of the list: acid. Both citric acid and cola are useful for unblocking toilets. Pour two to three tablespoons of citric acid or a litre of cola down the toilet drain and leave the acid to work for at least an hour. Then clean the toilet using a toilet brush.

While conventional toilet cleaners are helpful for removing limescale and urine scale, standard household cleaners can also work wonders for minor blockages. Do not pour these cleaners under the rim of the toilet: instead pour them directly into the drain. Leave the cleaner to work for a few minutes.

What to do when you don’t have a plunger

If you don't have a plunger, there are other methods you can use. We will also present a number of alternatives for clearing a blocked toilet. For example, you can use vinegar and baking soda or baking powder to clear a deep blockage in the toilet in a matter of hours.

A PET bottle to replace a plunger

Large, pliable PET bottles with a minimum capacity of two litres can serve as a simple substitute for a force cup or plunger. However, the bottle’s diameter must be at least as wide as your drain. You’ll need to do a little preparatory work to make this trick work: first screw the lid onto the bottle as tightly as possible. Then cut the bottom of the bottle off, making an even cut all the way around using a sharp box cutter. Now place the bottle with the open base over the drain hole at the bottom of the toilet bowl. Squeeze the bottle firmly and repeatedly, releasing it to create overpressure and underpressure, as you would with a plunger. The pressure will mechanically remove the obstruction and pump it up into the bottle.

Use vinegar and baking soda to dissolve blockages overnight

Are you looking for a solution to unblock your toilet that doesn't involve DIY tools or excessive force? Then vinegar and baking soda are your friends! Baking soda is one of the main ingredients in baking powder, so both products work equally well and should become your go-to product when you have a blocked toilet.

Start by adding baking soda or baking powder directly to the drain. Depending on the extent of the blockage, one or two boxes will usually suffice. Then pour a whole bottle of standard household vinegar down the drain. You will see how the water starts to foam. If you add three litres of hot – not boiling – water, you will further amplify the chemical reaction.

Leave the mixture to work overnight. The next morning, the blockage will have dissolved and you can clean your toilet as usual. Make sure that the room is well ventilated during the chemical reaction phase, as it may produce gases that irritate the mucous membranes.

A tool used by the pros: the drain snake

Your toilet is blocked! What can you do? Many professionals use what they call a drain snake as a manual, mechanical means of clearing the obstruction. This method is especially useful if the blockage is a long way down the pipe, virtually behind the drain. Special drain snakes are available from DIY stores and specialist plumbing supply stores.

With washdown toilets such as those in the Architectura or Subway 3.0 collection, it is relatively easy to insert the drain snake into the drain yourself. Just be careful not to damage the ceramic or surface coating.

Insert the drain snake until you encounter some resistance, then operate the handle at the other end to turn the snake. Apply slight pressure against the blockage. Once the water slowly starts to flow, carefully pull the drain snake back out of the drain.

Blocked toilets cannot always be flushed clear

If the water doesn’t drain away as usual after using the toilet, you shouldn’t flush it. If the toilet is blocked, frequent flushing usually doesn't help and only makes the situation worse. The water may begin to flow upwards and flood the entire room.
Basically, prevention is the best way to avoid blockages. Here are some tips to prevent a blocked toilet: Don't put any food scraps down the drain! Wet wipes, cotton swabs etc. should also be disposed of in the household waste and not in the toilet. The same applies to old oil or grease. These are the main causes of blocked toilets. In other words, you can easily prevent blockages by only using the toilet for its intended purpose! Toilet paper, on the other hand, is harmless because it breaks down very quickly.
 

A white ViClean-I 100 shower toilet in a grey bathroom.



If nothing helps, you will have to call in a specialist

The toilet is still blocked, you have used various household remedies and nothing has worked? Then it's time to call your trusted specialist. If you’re a tenant, it’s best to call the landlord. Specialist companies have various other means of clearing blockages in all types of toilets. It doesn't matter whether it's a washdown toilet like the Venticello or Architectura or a rimless-flushing toilet like those in the Subway or O.novo collections. Professionals will use their special tools to quickly remove deposits and blockages from your toilet, putting an end to the disruption of your daily routine.

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