How to Unclog a Clogged Toilet in Mount Laurel, NJ
Most clogged toilets clear with the right plunger and a calm approach. Here is the order to try things in, and the signs that the clog is not in the toilet at all.
Do these two things before you plunge
A toilet that is filling toward the rim needs to stop first, and it does not need another flush. Lift the tank lid and push the flapper down, or close the shutoff valve on the wall behind the bowl by turning it clockwise. This keeps the bowl from overflowing while you work.
Then lay towels on the floor and put on gloves. If the water level is low, you have time. If it is rising, act fast and take your time with the plunger, because rushing makes splashes.
Try these in this order and stop as soon as it drains
Each step is gentler than the next, so work down the list.
- Use a flange plunger, the kind with a rubber lip that fits the drain opening, not a flat sink plunger.
- Seat it fully, push down gently first to push out the air, then pull and push firmly for about 20 seconds.
- Pour a cup of dish soap into the bowl, add hot (not boiling) tap water, and wait 15 minutes before plunging again.
- Run a closet auger, which is a short toilet snake with a protective sleeve, and turn the handle as you feed it in.
- Retrieve any visible object, such as a toy, if you can see it near the opening.
- Stop and call if three or four tries leave the water level unchanged.
Boiling water can crack porcelain, so use hot tap water only.
Water rising or the plunger not working? Call the 24/7 line.
Call (609) 547-1417What each tool is good for, and where it fails
| Tool | Best for | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Flange plunger. | Paper and waste clogs. | Does little against a solid object. |
| Closet auger. | Deeper clogs and stuck toys. | Can scratch porcelain if forced. |
| Dish soap and hot water. | Greasy or slow drains. | Slow, and not for a full bowl. |
| Chemical drain cleaner. | Nothing we would suggest. | Can damage the bowl, burn skin and endanger the next person who works on it. |
| Professional camera and cable. | Repeat clogs and deep blockages. | Needs a plumber and some time. |
Wipes marked flushable usually do not break down the way toilet paper does, so they are a frequent cause of repeat clogs.
When it is not just the toilet
If the bathtub gurgles when you flush, the sink drains slowly at the same time, or water rises in a basement floor drain, the clog is likely farther down the line. Stop using water in the house and call. More plunging will not help, and extra flushing can send waste into the lowest fixture.
Why a municipal sewer problem shows up in your lowest drain
Local note
On May 31, 2016, a sanitary sewer force main on Hartford Road between Route 38 and Union Mill Road leaked, and residents with backups were asked to call the Mount Laurel MUA. A January 2016 sewer main break also caused a spill in the Ramblewood section. When a municipal main fails, sewage surfaces at the lowest fixture in a home first, which is often a basement drain.
For you, that means one thing. If several drains misbehave at once and your neighbors have the same trouble, report it to the MUA and then call us. If only one toilet is slow, it is almost certainly a local clog, and the plunger is the right start.
What a plumber does that a plunger cannot
A plumber can pull the toilet off its flange to clear a stuck object, run a sewer cable through the main line, or send a camera down to see the pipe itself. Roots, a belly in the line or a cracked pipe will keep bringing the clog back until the cause is fixed. We cannot know which it is until the camera goes in.
Persistent trouble with one toilet is a job for toilet repair, while a backup that affects several drains calls for drain cleaning on the main line. If roots or a belly are suspected, sewer line cleaning is the next step. The same applies in Cherry Hill and Mount Holly.
Stopping the next clog before it starts
Flush only toilet paper and human waste. Keep a small wastebasket by the toilet for wipes, cotton swabs and feminine products. Teach children that toys and extra paper do not belong in the bowl.
If the toilet is older, a weak flush can be a design problem, not a habit problem. A plumber can check the fill valve, the flapper and the rim jets to see whether the toilet itself is the cause.
Getting a number for a stubborn clog
Cost depends on whether the toilet must come off the floor, how far the clog sits, and whether a camera or cable is needed. If the bowl keeps rising or a second drain gurgles, call the 24/7 line, which works nights, weekends and holidays. Call (609) 547-1417 and say whether other drains are slow too.
Clogged toilet questions people ask us
We advise against it. Caustic cleaners can damage porcelain and seals, and the standing liquid is hazardous to whoever has to open the line next. A plunger or auger is safer.
A repeat clog usually points to something deeper, such as roots, a partial blockage or a weak flush. A camera inspection will show what a plunger cannot.
Stop the flush and lift the tank lid to push the flapper down, or close the shutoff valve behind the toilet. Do not flush again. If it will not stop, call.
An overflow can stain flooring and soak subfloor. Insurance for overflow damage depends on your policy, so ask your agent before assuming.
It could. A force main on Hartford Road leaked in 2016. If several drains back up and neighbors report the same, call the Mount Laurel MUA, then call us to check your own lines. If the toilet itself must come out, the reset follows the National Standard Plumbing Code that New Jersey adopts, including a sound flange and wax seal.