toilet filling with water

cheesey1

I have flushed my toilet and it fills with water to the top and then slow goes down, takes a few flushes for sheets of toilet paper to go, I was wondering if I poured Caustic Soda down the toilet would it do damage? I have put rubber gloves on and put my hand down but there is nothing there and I can't get around the U-bend.

ART6

cheesey1 wrote: »

I have flushed my toilet and it fills with water to the top and then slow goes down, takes a few flushes for sheets of toilet paper to go, I was wondering if I poured Caustic Soda down the toilet would it do damage? I have put rubber gloves on and put my hand down but there is nothing there and I can't get around the U-bend.

Caustic soda will do it, but you need to be careful as when it hits water it can cause it to boil. Another way I have found is to use a sink plunger and pump it up and down in the water in the bowl when it has reached normal level. Often the pressure waves created by the plunger are enough to shift the blockage even though the plunger doesn't fit the outlet bend.

Air_Bass

Sounds like you have a blockage somewhere along the system alright. Not sure about caustic soda, you might be better off with one of those flexible rods (like a very long coil of wire about a half inch in diameter) available from most hardware stores. SLOWLY work this down the bowl back and forth and along the pipe. This should do the trick if the blockage is within the sewage system in your house. If it's not and assuming you're in an urban area you're going to have to investigate and try and locate the blockage- try and find the nearest manhole for your sewage system, if it ain't in your back garden it might be in the next door neighbours or a few houses down. You'll need to open the lid and check that things are flowing along (it's not a pleasant task!). Again, if there are blockages you will need to rod out the problem. Or if you're not into that you'll need to call out the professionals (be prepared to fork aout a couple of hundred notes though). Good luck!

Carlow52

cheesey1 wrote: »

I have flushed my toilet and it fills with water to the top and then slow goes down, takes a few flushes for sheets of toilet paper to go, I was wondering if I poured Caustic Soda down the toilet would it do damage? I have put rubber gloves on and put my hand down but there is nothing there and I can't get around the U-bend.

-1 on the CS, its too dangerous.

Can u tell a little about where the toilet is located, first floor/ground floor/flat/house/duplex/etc

are there other toilets in house etc etc
and where the pipe goes after it leave the back of the toilet

Joey the lips

caustic soda is not dangerous once the instructions are followed and seen as though nothing can be felt as far as the bend i imagine she does not have much choice.

However i would try a mechanical means like a plumger first as using caustic soda means you should not then use a plunger because of the dangers of splashing.

studdlymurphy

For caustic soda to work here you would have to use loads of it as it would have to be flushed to where the problem is otherwise it would just sit in the toilet doing nothing..

chuchyface

Try shoving an old mop into the toilet twist it around a couple of times til it's like a ball and use like a plunger, has worked for me on a few occasions.

Joey the lips

studdlymurphy wrote: »

For caustic soda to work here you would have to use loads of it as it would have to be flushed to where the problem is otherwise it would just sit in the toilet doing nothing..

Thats not correct.. Caustic soda in large enough concentration as in about a half pint which is how its sold will work well into the soil pipe area. You just need to follow the instruction and mix it first.

Generally once a blockage is slightly cleared the back siophon pressure is enough to carry it through.

again i always use caustic soda last but i find a lot of people like to try it first for fear of getting there hands dirty with mechanical means