Blocked Toilet? What You Can Try Before Calling a Plumber.

A blocked toilet can quickly become a messy plumbing problem, particularly if the water level is rising or other drains around your home are also starting to back up.

Before reaching for the plunger, it helps to work out whether the blockage appears to be just in the toilet or further down your sewer drainage system.

Here are some simple checks you can make and what you can safely try yourself.

Richard Moyle, Plumbing since 1983

Signs that you have a blocked toilet

• Common signs of a blocked toilet include:

  • Toilet water rising when you flush

  • Toilet draining more slowly than usual

  • Toilet overflowing or close to overflowing

  • Gurgling noises from the toilet or nearby drains

  • Unpleasant sewer smells

  • Other plumbing fixtures beginning to back up

  • Water or sewage overflowing from your Overflow Relief Gully (ORG) outside

  If several of these are happening at the same time, the problem may be further down the drainage system rather than just inside the toilet.   

Is It Just One Blocked Toilet?

This is an important first check.

Only one toilet affected?
If every other toilet, sink, shower and drain is working normally, the blockage may be isolated to that toilet or the branch drain servicing it.

Toilet and nearby bathroom fixtures affected?
If the toilet, shower or other bathroom fixtures are backing up or draining slowly, the blockage may be within the bathroom branch drain.

Several fixtures around the home affected?
If toilets, sinks, showers or other fixtures in different areas of the home are backing up, there may be a blockage further along the main sewer drain.

At this point, repeatedly flushing the toilet can make matters worse.

What You Can Try to Unblock a Toilet -

If the blockage appears to be isolated to one toilet and the toilet isn't overflowing, you can try using a toilet plunger.

How to Plunge a Blocked Toilet

Use a toilet plunger designed to create a seal around the toilet outlet.

Position the plunger firmly over the outlet and use controlled plunging movements to try to dislodge the blockage.

Be careful not to splash contaminated toilet water onto yourself or surrounding surfaces.

If the water begins draining normally, wait for the water level to settle before carefully testing the toilet again.

Don't continue flushing a toilet if the water level keeps rising.

What Shouldn't You Put Down a Blocked Toilet?

Avoid trying to force objects such as wire, sticks or other makeshift tools through the toilet. These can scratch the porcelain, become lodged in the toilet or potentially push an obstruction further into the drain.

We also recommend avoiding chemical drain cleaners in a blocked toilet. If a plumber subsequently needs to work on the blockage, chemicals remaining in the toilet or drain can present an additional safety hazard.

If plunging doesn't clear the blockage, it's usually time to have the problem professionally investigated.

Why Does My Toilet Keep Blocking?

If your toilet blocks repeatedly, simply clearing it may not solve the underlying problem.

There are many possible causes of recurring toilet blockages, including:

• Excessive toilet paper

• Wipes and sanitary products

• Foreign objects accidentally flushed down the toilet

• Tree root intrusion into sewer pipes

• Cracked, broken or damaged drainage

• Ground movement affecting the pipework

• Incorrectly laid drainage or insufficient fall

• Problems with the toilet installation

• Certain offset pan connector installations

Finding the actual cause is particularly important when the same toilet or drain continues to block.

Can an Offset Pan Connector Cause a Toilet to Block?

In some installations, an offset pan connector is used to connect the toilet pan to the drainage when the toilet outlet and drain don't line up directly.

Depending on the type of connector and installation, the internal opening can be restricted and may contribute to recurring toilet blockages.

If the same toilet keeps blocking while your other drains are working normally, read our guide to why a toilet may keep blocking.

Watch Plumber Richard explain the different types of offset pan connectors and why some installations can contribute to blocked toilets.

Plumber Richard, demonstrating the different types of OFF SET pan connectors, explaining why some of them can cause the toilet to block.

What Can Be Found Inside a Blocked Toilet?

Over the years, our plumbers have found plenty of things that shouldn't have been flushed down toilets.

These have included:

• Toys and small balls

• Toilet fresheners

• Toothbrushes

• Cotton buds

• Sanitary products

• Wipes

• Cat litter

• Fish tank stones and pebbles

• Other foreign objects

A Real Blocked Toilet

Not for the faint-hearted!

In this short video, Plumber David reveals the cause of a blocked toilet associated with an offset pan connector.

Not for the faint at heart.

This is a very short video by Plumber David revealing a blocked toilet which was caused by an off set pan connector.

When Should You Call a Plumber for a Blocked Toilet?

It's time to call a plumber if:

• Plunging doesn't clear the blockage

• The toilet keeps blocking

• The toilet is overflowing

• More than one fixture is backing up

• You can see sewage overflowing outside

• You suspect tree roots or damaged drainage

• The blockage clears but quickly returns

• You're simply not comfortable trying to clear it yourself

A recurring blockage is particularly worth investigating because there may be an underlying drainage problem that needs to be identified rather than repeatedly cleared.

How Does a Plumber Clear a Blocked Toilet?

The method will depend on where the blockage is located and what's causing it.

For stubborn or recurring blockages, our blocked drain plumbers have professional equipment to locate and clear the problem.

Depending on the cause and location of the blockage, we may use high-pressure water jetting to clear the drain. A CCTV drain inspection can also help identify problems such as tree root intrusion, damaged or broken pipes, foreign objects and other issues contributing to recurring blockages.

Plumber Richard using our high-pressure water jetter to clear a blocked drain:

Plumber Richard using the Hi Pressure Jetter to unblock a toilet.

CCTV inspection can also help identify problems such as tree root intrusion, damaged drainage or other issues contributing to recurring blockages.

Blocked Drain Plumbing Service

Need a Plumber for a Blocked Toilet?

If you've tried plunging and your toilet is still blocked, or other drains around your home are beginning to back up, it may be time to call a blocked drain plumber.

Moyle Plumbing & Gasfitting provides professional blocked toilet and drain clearing, including high-pressure water jetting and CCTV drain inspections where required.

We Service Logan City, Gold Coast North, Brisbane Southside and surrounding areas, including Beenleigh, Yatala, Ormeau, Pimpama, Coomera, Eagleby and Waterford.

After Hours and Weekend Emergency plumber available.

📞 Call Moyle Plumbing & Gasfitting on 0447 671 095

“Get Moyle’s to do it.”

More Helpful Plumbing Guides

If you're experiencing other drainage or plumbing problems, you may also find these guides helpful:

🚽How to Check if Your Toilet Is Leaking

🚽Water Leaking Around Your Toilet – What to Check & What to Do

💧How to Isolate Your Water Meter

Phone us today for help - 0447 671 095

Brisbane Southside - Gold Coast North - Logan - Ipswich

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Below are photos of actual blocked toilets that we have cleared and repaired.

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