Blocked toilet won't unblock with a plunger — what to try next
Tried the plunger and the toilet still won't flush properly? Here's the next four things to try before calling an engineer.
A plunger clears most toilet blockages, but not all. If you've plunged hard for 5+ minutes and the bowl still doesn't drain properly, try these in order before calling someone out.
1. Hot (not boiling) water + washing-up liquid
Boiling water can crack the porcelain. Hot tap water with a generous squirt of washing-up liquid, poured from waist-height, often shifts soft blockages caused by toilet paper or wipes.
Wait 20 minutes, then try flushing. Repeat once.
2. A toilet auger (closet auger)
Different from a kitchen sink snake — a toilet auger has a protective rubber sleeve that won't scratch the porcelain. Around £20 from a DIY shop. Feed it down, crank as you push, then withdraw slowly.
3. Check the outside chamber
Lift the nearest outside manhole cover. If you see standing waste water, the blockage isn't in your toilet — it's in the drain run outside. Plunging more will do nothing.
If the chamber is empty, the blockage is between the toilet and the chamber — usually in the soil pipe.
4. Don't pour bleach or caustic soda
They rarely shift solid blockages, can damage older porcelain glaze, and they make the job dangerous for whoever has to dismantle the pan or work in the chamber.
When to call us
- Outside chamber is full of waste water → call. This is a main drain blockage.
- Multiple fittings are slow at the same time → call. It's downstream of all of them.
- The toilet has been blocked for more than 24 hours → call. You're at risk of overflow.
We carry small augers, drain machines and jetters — most jobs are cleared on the first visit.