Follow our top tips and keep those drains moving!
- Love your loo: Make sure that only wastewater, toilet tissue and human waste goes down your drains and into the sewer.
- Bin it – don’t block it: Wrap up sanitary products, nappies, wet wipes and condoms and put them in the bin.
- Think – not in the sink! After cooking, fat, oil and grease should be left to cool – it can then be put in the bin or mixed with seeds and nuts to make a feeder for birds.
- Chemicals, solvents, engine oil and paint should be taken to your local refuse site.
- Medicines, tablets, syringes and needles should be taken to your pharmacist, local hospital or health authority for safe disposal
How to unblock a toilet
If there is one essential facility in your house you need to use on a daily basis it is the toilet.
A blocked toilet can be a real nightmare – inconvenient, tricky to deal with and perhaps a little embarrassing if you live in a shared house.
The problem
Blocked toilet
Blocked toilets are a fairly common occurrence and it’s possible to attempt to clear the blockage yourself. If the situation worsens or you feel concerned about tackling the problem, then feel free to contact us at J&F Drainage. We’re happy to help you resolve the situation and get your toilet back to normal.
Don’t flush
The first rule of dealing with a blocked toilet is simple: don’t flush! However instinctive it is to try to flush the toilet, this usually creates more problems than it solves. Excessive flushing is likely to cause your toilet to overflow and create a serious mess, so leave the handle alone and think about removing the blockage before you try to dispose of the build up.
Plunge away
The next step is to grab a plunger in the hope of loosening the blockage, just as you would approach a blocked drain. This could turn into a dirty job so it’s advisable to find yourself a pair of gloves before getting stuck in. If you’re lucky this should do the trick and fix the blockage. When you’re totally convinced that this has done the job, flush the toilet once again to check that everything is operating as it should be.
Avoid chemicals
In the event that using a plunger is not enough to dislodge your blockage, you might be tempted to opt for chemical products to deal with the problem. While chemical drain cleaners such as caustic soda can be efficient in clearing troublesome blockages, they can also be harmful to the environment and potentially hazardous in the home. If these chemicals come into contact with skin they can cause irritation or even burns which creates a serious hazard for your household. Try to avoid using these chemicals yourself where possible.
Call the professionals
If your toilet blockage is really stubborn and you can’t get it to shift or if it keeps recurring frequently, then it might time to let us step in and help. J&F Drainage will be happy to visit your home and help you to solve the problem. Recurring blockages could be caused by a problem further down the pipe. We have the tools and experience needed to shift hard-to-reach obstructions to prevent problems occurring in the future.