Most of us are in the fortunate position to take indoor plumbing for granted. The luxury of running hot water and central heating are there at the flick of a switch or turn of a tap and we don’t give it a second thought. That is until something goes wrong. Another thing we rarely give much consideration to is the convenience of a working toilet. That is until it gets blocked and you suddenly find yourself wondering what on earth to do.
If you want to save pennies on a call-out charge here are our top five tips for getting your toilet flushing again:
The mop and carrier bag method
Unless you live in a home that is 100% carpeted, chances are you are going to have a mop lying around. You can then use this mop as an oversized plunger (which equally saves you from having to get too up close and personal with the actual blockage).
Wrap the mop head in the carrier bag. We know this is essentially going to cost you 5p (depending where you shop of course) but it is vital to ensure you can use the mop for actual cleaning purposes in the future. Then all you have to do is put the mop head in the toilet bowl and jimmy it around. The pressure is likely to force the majority of blockages to disperse (in much the same way a traditional plunger would).
The washing-up liquid and hot water method
While washing-up can be good on dishes they can also be good on toilets (and more specifically blockages) too.
Simply add a few squirts of your chosen liquid in to the bowl of your toilet. Next, pour a large pan of hot water in to the bowl. Ideally do this from waist height as this will increase the pressure of the falling water. Leave it a few minutes before attempting to flush and all things being well you won’t need any other of our tips.
The coat hanger method
Simply unwind a hanger and then bend it in to a curve. You can then feed this down your toilet and in to the u-bend to agitate any blockage that is present. It might be best to wear gloves when doing this, just for hygiene purposes.
The Mr Muscle method
If the above methods don’t work then you may want to use something a little more fit for purpose. A quick trip to the local supermarket or a DIY store and you are bound to find a bottle of Mr Muscle, or some other Drain Unblocker product. These are often brilliant at resolving the majority of blockages. Simply follow the instructions and all should be resolved.
The vacuum method
Don’t get us wrong, we are not suggesting you get your trusty Henry or Dyson on the job, but if you have a wet/dry vacuum then this could be ideal for the most stubborn of blockages. Simply use the vacuum to such the water out of the bowl, then create a seal round the end of the hose using an old towel. You can then use this to try to suck the blockage out.
Hopefully one of these will prove useful, but remember if you are having major problems with unblocking your toilet Bluewater Plumbers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and we are always happy to help!
