A blocked toilet is one of the more urgent drainage issues, since it usually means the toilet cannot be used until it is cleared. We deal with blocked toilets across Cheam and Sutton, from a straightforward blockage close to the pan to a deeper obstruction further down the soil pipe.
The most common cause is too much toilet paper or an item that should not have been flushed, such as wipes, cotton wool or sanitary products, none of which break down the way toilet paper does. Occasionally a blockage is further down the drain run rather than in the toilet itself, particularly if more than one fixture in the property is also draining slowly.
If plunging does not clear it, or the blockage keeps recurring, it is worth having an engineer look at the wider drain run rather than repeatedly plunging the same toilet.
Common causes of a blocked toilet
- Excess toilet paper
- Wipes, cotton wool or sanitary products that do not break down
- Nappies or other unsuitable items flushed by mistake
- A blockage further down the shared drain run
- An old or low-flow toilet with weak flushing performance
What you can safely try first
A standard toilet plunger, used with a good seal over the outlet, clears many blockages close to the pan. Avoid repeatedly flushing if the water is already high, as this risks overflowing.
What an engineer does
If plunging does not work, an engineer can use drain rods or a specialist toilet auger to clear the blockage, and will check whether the issue is isolated to the toilet or connected to a wider drainage problem if other fixtures are also affected.
How charging works
Blocked toilet clearance is charged at our daytime drainage rate, with a one hour minimum and 30 minute increments after that. See /our-rates for current pricing.
