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 Clogged Toilet Repair Guide - How to Diagnose & Repair Stopped Up Toilets
- TOILET CLOGGED - CONTENTS:
- Clogged toilet repair guide: toilet overflow - repair and prevention
- How to diagnose and fix a clogged toilet drain
- How to fix a toilet that is overflowing when flushed - in an emergency
- TOILET FLUSHES POORLY - separate article
- Questions & Answers about how to fix a toilet that is clogged, flushes poorly, leaks, runs etc.
- References
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
How to fix a clogged toilet: here we explain how to accurately determine the cause of a clogged, stopped-up toilet or slow toilet drainage. Understanding the cause of a blocked toilet helps assure that the right repair is made at the lowest cost. This article series TOILET REPAIR GUIDE discusses the cause, diagnosis, and repair of toilet problems (water closet problems) such as a toilet that does not flush well, clogged toilets, slow-filling toilets, running toilets, loose wobbly toilets, and odors at leaky toilets. Here we explain how to diagnose and repair problems with toilets, leaks, flushes, odors, noises, running and wasted water.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Toilet Flushes Slowly or Backs Up - How do I Fix a Clogged Toilet or Sewer Drain?
All modern toilets receive human waste, urine, feces, and are intended to dispose of that matter in a sanitary fashion.
Before launching into our series of articles on diagnosing and repairing toilet problems such as clogged toilets, toilets that don't flush properly, running or leaky or noisy toilets, toilet odors, and loose toilets, take a look at the simple connection between a typical reservoir-tank toilet and the soil stack (waste piping) in the Carson Dunlop Associates sketch (above left), and review our description of basic types of toilets at TOILET TYPES.
If your toilet is backing up, here we give some advice on how to proceed. For added details on alternative methods to un-clog a blocked drain, also see BLOCKED DRAIN REPAIR METHODS for details of methods used to un-block a clogged drain line. |
Also see CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR and see BLOCKED DRAIN REPAIR METHODS for details of methods used to un-block a clogged drain line. We discuss slow drains and clogged or failing septic systems - onsite waste disposal systems - septic tanks, drainfields, separately at SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR.
If you have had sewage back up and spill out of toilets into the building, cleanup is needed and you may face bacterial hazards. See SEWAGE CONTAMINATION IN buildings for advice.
Is the sewer line or soil stack clogged?
If flushing the toilet leads to a backup, or worse, a toilet overflow, it's possible that the toilet drain pipe has clogged, or there may be a clog right at the base of the toilet itself.
Before going to work with a toilet plunger - (as shown in our photo at page top) which is normally the first thing to try, ask some questions about just when and how the clog occurred. Because if a child or pet has dropped something into the toilet, you do not want to push that blockage further into the piping system where removing it will be more trouble and more expensive.
Our grandson, learning toilet training, flushed his peed-in underpants down the toilet. We have also found child's toys, and once, a dog's bone clogging the waste line just below the toilet. It might have been possible to fish this obstruction out of the toilet drain with a wire, but ultimately the owners simply removed the toilet to retrieve the blocking underwear.
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If other building drains are working fine, but one toilet is flushing poorly, it is possible that there is a local blockage close to the toilet itself.
Brian Gilligan found this drain clog by asking Chase what happened to the missing underpants. He then removed the toilet from the floor, and by luck, the underpants were able to be easily retrieved - unblocking the clogged toilet drain before a backup and toilet overflow catastrophe had occurred.
How to Use a Toilet Plunger to Clear a Blocked Toilet
If no one has thrown any toys, clothes, or objects into the toilet, try using a toilet plunger. If there is sewage in the toilet you might want to wait a bit to see if the water and sewage level lowers before plunging - just to reduce unsanitary splashing.
At BLOCKED DRAIN REPAIR METHODS we discuss alternative methods used to clear a blocked drain. But the toilet plunger, an old stand-by, is often effective if
- The blockage is near the fixture where you are plunging
- The drain line is full or nearly full of water and waste (if the drain is not full - you have a slow drain not one that is totally blocked) try flushing the toilet and as the water begins to flow down the drain, immediately start using the toilet plunger.
- You plug any sink traps, overflow openings, or vents that are close to the drain line you are plunging. This step might not be needed to clear a toilet, but it certainly is if clearing a blocked sink or tub.
- Persist: don't give up too soon.
We have successfully un-blocked recalcitrant clogged toilets that did not respond at first, but that began to work just fine after five minutes of plunging. Plunge! Plunge! Plunge!
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 Watch out: don't flush a toilet if the bowl is already at a high level of water or waste - you're asking for a toilet overflow if you do.
In the unattractive example at left we show sewage backing up into the bowl of a clogged toilet. Flushing this toilet with the wastewater high in the bowl means an almost certain overflow of sewage into the bathroom. That mess wioll require both a mop-up and disinfection of the area.
Watch out: if you get toilet water on your skin, wash with soap and water. Same with clothes. Do not put a dirty finger in your eye, mouth, or in a cut - you are risking an infection.
For advice on using other methods to clear a blocked drain, including mechanical removal of an obstruction, use of drain clearing chemicals, more on using a toilet plunger, using a plumbing snake, using a kinetic water ram - see BLOCKED DRAIN REPAIR METHODS. |
If you cannot immediately un-block a clogged toilet, short of going to the neighbor's to use their bathroom, you might want to use a portable or chemical toilet.
- Call a port-a-john portable toilet company, if all else fails and you have lots of guests who will be in the building over an extended time.
You can rent one or more portable toilets.
In a pinch you may be able to borrow a camping toilet or chemical toilet like this Thetford porta-potty from someone who has that device.
If you have had sewage back up and spill out of toilets into the building, cleanup is needed and you may face bacterial hazards. See SEWAGE CONTAMINATION IN buildings for advice.
At Related Topics is our list of toilet trouble diagnosis and repair articles. You will see that some toilet problems are fixed easily and right at the toilet by a simple adjustment, while others may not be the toilet's fault at all, and may need more thoughtful diagnosis and repair.
Taking off the toilet tank top: Some of these simple toilet diagnosis steps require that you look into the toilet flush tank on the back of the toilet.
Just lift the top off of the toilet tank and set it carefully aside on the floor where you won't break it or trip over it.
If you leave the tank top on the toilet seat (as we did for this photo) you're asking for trouble, and also, it's a bit in the way.
Our sketch below shows the parts you'll see inside the toilet tank. You may want to refer back to this drawing while reading the details of each class if individual toilet problems listed above and how they are detected, diagnosed, and repaired.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about how to diagnose & fix clogged toilets
Question: all of our toilets are overflowing - they take turns, but the problem comes & goes
All three of our toilets are taking turns overflowing if we let them. Some days it's one, another day it's it's another and on and on~ All other house drains are perfect. What is the problem and how do I fix it. Thank you! - Cynthia 7/29/12
Reply:
Cynthia the helpful observation in your note is that all three toilets overflow - telling us that there is a system problem, not a blockage at an individual toilet drain line.
There are some more subtle possible problems to find, but I'd start with these directions of investigation:
- A partial blockage of the main system drain at some point between where all 3 toilets have joined a common drain line, and the ultimate connection to a sewer main or septic tank. The reason that the clog or toilet backup might be intermittent could be due to the combined usage wastewater volume. When you have a partial drain blockage at a distant pretty far down in the main building drain system, you can run water or flush a toilet without backup if the drain line is sitting there empty. The wastewater rushes to the blockage, slows there, but slowly drains past the blockage. But when you are using more water at once, the drain line can fill up enough to back up into the building. The intermittent nature of which toilet overflows depends in this case on which was flushed last.
- If you are connected to a private septic system, a blockage at the septic tank, piping, or failing drainfields - though usually this problem would not intermittent though it might be weather dependent (in wet weather if the drainfield is saturated the system may back up)
- Less likely, a blocked plumbing vent system, as I think the toilet clog problem would not be intermittent in this case, though it might be weather dependent (snow covers the vent exit for example)
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. Mr. Cramer serves on the ASHI Home Inspection Standards. Contact Mark Cramer at: 727-595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com
- John Cranor is an ASHI member and a home inspector (The House Whisperer) is located in Glen Allen, VA 23060. He is also a contributor to InspectApedia.com in several technical areas such as plumbing and appliances (dryer vents). Contact Mr. Cranor at 804-747-7747 or by Email: johncranor@verizon.net
 Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional home inspection services & home inspection education & publications. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides:
- Commercial Building Inspection Courses - protocol ASTM Standard E 2018-08 for Property Condition Assessments
- Home Inspection Education Courses including home study & live classes at eleven colleges & universities.
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Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on these courses: Enter INSPECTAHITP in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
- The Home Reference Book, a reference & inspection report product for building owners & inspectors.
Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
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Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter inspectaehrb in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Illustrated Home illustrates construction details and building components, a reference for owners & inspectors.
Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Illustrated Home purchased as a single order Enter INSPECTAILL in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Horizon Software System manages business operations,scheduling, & inspection report writing using Carson Dunlop's knowledge base & color images. The Horizon system runs on always-available cloud-based software for office computers, laptops, tablets, iPad, Android, & other smartphones.
- Thanks to reader J.D. for discussing troubles getting a toilet to flush properly. The supposition that the toilet flushing problem was due to a defective toilet bowl, versus due to improper fill and flush control setup, was tested ad nauseam by this homeowner, her son, plumbers, and plumbing suppliers. 05/29/2010
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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