We are Your Blocked Toilet Specialists
The prospect of a blocked toilet in your home is never a welcome one, but when it does happen it’s something you want to have fixed as soon as possible.
Though some can be resolved relatively quickly and easily with a toilet plunger, some blocked toilets need a little more work to get sorted out. A specialist in blocked toilet repair can provide you with the best course of action to fix your issue.
After Hours Plumbing technicians specialise in toilet plumbing. If you need a clogged toilet unblocked, or some form of other repair, we have your needs covered.
Causes of a Clogged Toilet
A badly clogged toilet can occur for a number of reasons. After Hours Plumbing offers toilet repair services that can help to unclog the blockage and get everything back in peak working order.
Among the most common causes of a blocked toilet are:
- People flushing non-flushable items down the toilet bowl – Only two things should be flushed down the toilet – human waste and toilet paper. Anything else, from paper towels to feminine sanitary products and – yes – even “flushable” wipes should be disposed of in the bin. Flushing them increases the likelihood of seeing your toilet blocked and needing to call a plumber.
- Low-flow toilet not providing enough power – As much as a low-flow toilet is helpful in reducing water usage in your home, older models aren’t always capable of delivering the pressure needed to push toilet paper and solid human waste through the drain. This can negatively affect your system’s flushing ability and lead to potential toilet blockage. If you have an older low-flow toilet you might want to consider upgrading to a newer model.
- Overuse of toilet paper – Though toilet paper is specifically designed to break down when it makes its way through the drain, it’s only capable of doing so when a person uses the proper amount. Overuse of toilet paper reduces its degradation capabilities, and increases the potential for it to remain in the toilet pipes and cause a blockage.
- Tree roots in the main sewer line – The primary sewer line that connects your home to the sewer system in your city is largely safeguarded from potential damage from the elements. However, they can be highly vulnerable to tree roots growing underground. As tree roots seek moisture for their survival, and sewer pipes are an available source of moisture, they will either grow around the pipe or into the pipe to access that moisture. In doing so, the tree root prevents free-flowing movement through the pipes and causes a possible blocked toilet.
- Plumbing vents are blocked – Plumbing ventilation pipes serve a specific purpose, which is to prevent sewer gases accumulating in the drainpipes and instead redirecting them to be released through your house roof. They also enable fresh, clean air to pass through your plumbing system from outside. This generates a suction effect which enhances your toilet’s flushing capabilities. If your plumbing ventilation system is clogged or there is a significant blockage in the vents, it can diminish the flushing capabilities of your toilet.
An experienced toilet plumber will be able to determine the cause of your blocked toilet, the extent of the blockage and the best course of action to tackle the problem.
Effective Blocked Toilet Repair Methods
If you want to attempt to fix your blocked toilet yourself before needing to call a professional toilet plumber, there are numerous DIY options available.
There are several items that will make toilet repairs significantly easier. Have these handy items on hand:
- An effective toilet plunger
- A bucket
- Rubber gloves
- A drain cleaning product (usually available from a supermarket or hardware store)
- Towels or old newspaper to lay on the ground
- A wire coat hanger or drain snake
With these products within arms reach, you’ll have everything you need to attempt to resolve your blocked toilet problem. Among the DIY methods are:
- Using the toilet plunger – The plunger is typically one of the easiest methods of fixing many types of toilet blockage. Be sure to lay out any towels or newspaper around the base of the toilet, and that you’re wearing rubber gloves. If the bowl is too full that moving a plunger up and down will cause an overflowing toilet, empty some of that water into your bucket. It’s important to note that you will need a specific toilet plunger for the most effective results. A standard plunger with just the rubber suction cup at the end is not designed to fit in the opening and so will not work. A toilet plunger has an additional component that fits in the opening of the toilet bowl to make plunging possible and effective.
- Inserting a wire hanger or toilet snake in the toilet drain – Some blockages simply need to be dislodged with the use of a wire coat hanger or a drain snake. All you need to do is to straighten out the wire hanger and push it through your toilet’s U-bend or S-bend. Move the unravelled hanger around until you locate the clog, then keep moving the hanger until you dislodge the blockage. You should then be able to flush the toilet without it filling up. If you don’t have a wire coat hanger in your home or want a similar solution you can use more than once, you may want to consider purchasing a drain snake from a hardware store.
- Using drain cleaner products – There are numerous drain cleaning products available on the market. Some are chemical based, others are organic, and both claim to be able to unclog your blocked toilet. Be sure to follow the instructions; pour a generous amount of cleaner in your toilet bowl. Wait half an hour to allow the cleaner to take effect, and pour boiling water down the toilet drain to flush the cleaner away. Personal safety is paramount, so be sure also to have sufficient ventilation in the room.
Once you’ve tried any or all of these approaches, if you’re still having no luck fixing your clogged toilet, it may be time to get an experienced blocked toilet plumber in to unclog your toilet drain. Luckily there’s almost certainly an After Hours Plumbing technician in your area.
Why Call After Hours for a Blocked Toilet?
After Hours Plumbing applies cutting edge technology and the most up-to-date best practices to deliver the gold standard in toilet plumbing services.
There are many reasons why After Hours Plumbing should be your first port of call when you have a clogged toilet that needs immediate attention. These reasons include:
- Same rates on any day, at any time of the day – whether your blocked toilet emergency occurs in the middle of the day in the work week, or in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve, the quoted price will be the same. We charge the same rates for weekend, public holiday or after-hours callouts as we do during standard business hours.
- 24/7 availability – blocked toilets don’t work to a schedule; they can happen any time of the day or night. Which is why we’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We don’t stop working, even if your clogged toilet does.
- Rapid response service – we understand the gravity of a blocked toilet emergency, which is why our plumbing contractors will aim to be at your home within 30 minutes* of your call.
- Fully licensed and experienced toilet plumbers – our plumbing contractors are fully certified and come with a wealth of experience. They maintain their skills with regular training and development to ensure their expertise is as current as possible.
- Upfront fixed-price quotes – You know what you’ll be paying before we start work, so there are no nasty surprises on the final bill.
- A range of finance options** payment plans – convenient and flexible payment options available.
- 12-month workmanship warranty – enjoy complete peace of mind knowing the work done on your blocked toilet is backed by us for 12 months.
As per Australian Government regulations, we’ll supply you a Certificate of Compliance. This states that your work was completed by a licensed and qualified plumber.
Finance Options** Blocked Toilet Solutions
Plumbing emergencies such as blocked toilets never occur at a convenient time, and can certainly put a dent in the household budget when they occur. After Hours Plumbing aims to help relieve the potential financial burden that comes with an unexpected plumbing callout.
After Hours Plumbing offers a range of finance options** payment options for eligible customers. Your on site plumber will assist with your application and approval takes just minutes for many of our customers.
Choose a plan with one of our providers, Humm or Zip, and you will then have the flexibility of weekly, fortnightly or monthly instalments, depending on your choice of provider. Some plans even accept a $0 deposit, so you pay nothing upfront.
It’s payment on your terms, meaning you can get your blocked toilet fixed with maximum ease and minimal stress. We also accept payment by cash, cheque or credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express).
Call Us Any Time Day or Night
No matter what time you discover your clogged toilet problem, After Hours Plumbing is here to help. To get a blocked toilet plumber to your home day or night, week day or weekend, give us a call or contact us online and one of our friendly customer service representatives will be happy to help.