How to Unblock a Toilet in 5 Easy Steps

Is your toilet clogged? Before you start searching for emergency plumbers in your area, try these five simple tricks to clear the blockage.

1. Stop the Flow of Water

When a toilet becomes blocked, your instinct might be to keep flushing in the hope that the next flush will clear the blockage. However, sending more water into a blocked toilet is likely to cause it to overflow. Instead, you can stop water flowing into the bowl by lifting up the float arm, which is located in the top of the toilet.

2. Remove the Blockage

If you can see what is blocking your toilet, then your course of action is clear. Don a pair of plastic gloves, reach into the toilet and remove the offending object. You can then try carefully pouring some water into the bowl to make sure the blockage has been completely cleared.

3. Use Hot Water and Dish Soap

A mixture of dish soap and hot water can clear blockages in the toilet bowl or pipe. Simply pour the mixture into the bowl and let it sit for a few minutes before you move onto the next step. The heat and dish soap can break down some clogs, making plunging your toilet much easier.

4. Plunge it

Before plunging your toilet, put layers of newspaper or old towels around the base to protect the floor from splashing water. Take a heavy-duty rubber plunger over the hole in the bowl of the toilet, push down on it to create a seal, and then pull the plunger up sharply to pull the blockage out of the pipe.

5. Use a Plumber's Snake

A plumber's snake is a flexible coil of wire that you can push down into the bend in the toilet's plumbing to dislodge blockages. You can buy this device in hardware stores, or make your own by bending a wire coat hanger into a straight length of wire. Tie a rag around the end of the wire to protect the porcelain toilet bowl from scratches, then push your homemade snake down the hole and bend it around the bowl to seek out the blockage and push it out of place.

If none of the above methods work, then it's time to start searching for emergency plumbers like Sam's Local Plumbing in your area. A plumber can quickly diagnose the cause of the blockage and get your toilet working again.