Why does a toilet get blocked
A toilet is designed for waste, urine and toilet paper. Anything else can get caught in the trap bend of the pan or in the waste pipe. The best-known cause is wet wipes: even when the packaging says they are flushable, in practice they often do not break down. Engineers also regularly find kitchen roll, tampons, sanitary towels, cotton buds, cat litter and children's toys.
In older homes, urine scale also plays a part. This is a hard, chalky deposit that builds up on the inside of the waste pipe and gradually narrows it. A generous amount of paper then gets caught more easily. With water-saving toilets that use a small flush, paper may also not be carried as far, especially if the horizontal pipe has little fall.
Floor-standing or wall-hung: a different approach
With a floor-standing toilet, the waste pipe runs visibly from behind or under the pan to the wall or floor. That makes the connection easier to reach. With a wall-hung toilet, the cistern and the waste bend sit in a frame behind the wall. The engineer then works through the pan itself or through a rodding eye in the soil stack or the pipe under the floor.
A good professional only removes a wall-hung toilet when it is really necessary, for example if a hard object is stuck that cannot be reached with an auger. He always agrees this with you beforehand, including the extra time it takes. After refitting, he checks the connection and the concealed cistern for leaks, so your bathroom stays dry and tidy.
What you can do yourself with a blocked toilet
- Do not keep flushing if the water is already high
- Use a flanged plunger and pump calmly ten to fifteen times
- Pour a bucket of warm (not boiling) water with a little washing-up liquid into the pan
- Do not use a chemical drain cleaner: it damages seals and does not dissolve wipes
- If it has not worked within fifteen minutes, or other drains are slow too, call an engineer
- Put towels around the pan and keep a bucket to hand
Boiling water can crack the porcelain of a toilet pan, especially a cold pan in winter. Warm tap water is safe and helps with soft plugs of paper. Let the water work for a few minutes before you try plunging again. If the water then drains away steadily, rinse first with half a bucket before flushing normally again.
Toilet unblocking for offices, restaurants and rentals
In places where many people use the same toilets, such as offices, restaurants, sports clubhouses and holiday homes, a toilet blocks more quickly. Guests are more likely to throw in something that does not belong there, and a block of toilets often sits on one shared pipe. Bosmans also unblocks these toilet blocks and, if it keeps happening, checks the horizontal pipe with the camera. For landlords and businesses we recommend clear signs, a bin in every toilet and, where needed, preventive jetting, so your toilets stay available for everyone.