Fill a bucket with at least one gallon of water. Begin by pouring the water into the bowl, slowly at the beginning while gradually speeding up and dump the remainder of the water into the bowl. If done correctly, the water should push the waste in the toilet through the pipes, and your toilet will flush.
Can You Flush the Toilet If Your Pipes Are Frozen? In most cases, no. Attempting to do so can cause pressure buildup in the pipe and lead to bursting. Additionally, flushing a toilet with a frozen pipe can result in unsanitary conditions due to a lack of proper drainage.
It is simply a matter of applying some downward force on the flush lever that is usually found on the side or front of the toilet. Once you apply the downward force, you can release the force and allow the water in the toilet bowl to flush down the drain.
It will take roughly 30-40 minutes of using a heat source to thaw exposed pipes. If the pipes are enclosed it will take longer for heat to penetrate the insulation between your heat source and the pipe.
Manual Flush
To replicate the action of flushing, pour a whole bucket of water directly into the toilet bowl. Initially pour slowly, then quickly dump the rest of the water when the bucket is near empty. The shape of the toilet bowl and the pressure from the added water pushes everything through the pipes.
If you have no water flowing into the tank via your plumbing, you can replicate its action in a very simple way. All you have to do is manually dump a bucket of water into the bowl, and you've got your flush.
It depends, but for most toilets, the answer is yes. Your typical toilet is located above your sewer line. It can flush without electricity because it relies entirely on gravity and water pressure to move water through your toilet and drain, into the sewer line, and beyond.
The job goes more quickly by pouring hot water or a mixture of vinegar, baking soda and salt water down the drain. Space heaters, hair dryers and heating pads are highly efficient tools for unfreezing a drain pipe. If a frozen drain line ruptures, turn off your home's main water supply.
Thaw Frozen Pipes
Turn off the water immediately at the main shut off valve. Open the faucet so that water will flow through the pipe once the area is melted. This will help melt more ice.
Frozen pipes will eventually thaw on their own, but it could take days or even weeks. If New York City is experiencing a brutal cold snap, the temperature could stay below freezing for many days. Meanwhile, the water in the pipes could be expanding.
Solution: Use a toilet plunger or toilet auger to push waste through and allow the toilet to flush, or use the plunger to create suction that will help dislodge paper waste blocking the flushing action and allow it to move down the pipe.
Take off the toilet lid and set it aside so you can see the inside of the toilet tank. Find the flapper at the bottom of the tank. Check to see if the chain is connected to the flapper and handle lever. If so, you can simply pull up on the chain to lift the flapper which will flush your toilet.
“Frozen water can cause the toilet to crack, while freezing in the pipes connected to the toilet can lead to blocked water flow and, in severe cases, even cause the pipe to burst due to the expansion of ice,” says Fleming.
Wrap the pipe with bath towels or cloths and pour hot water (from the kettle) over the towels. This will apply warmth to a section of the pipe and thaw the ice. Use a handheld hair dryer to blow warm air onto the frozen section. Prop a small space heater close to the frozen pipe and leave it for an hour.
Dealing With a Frozen Toilet
A toilet won't flush with frozen pipes. You can clear it once using water already stored in the tank, but you have to pour water in the bowl to flush again until you can thaw the toilet pipes.
If your pipes have been frozen for more than two days, shut down your home's water supply. Locate the frozen length using touch, sight and sound. Make sure the pipe hasn't burst, and open indoor faucets. Unfreeze the pipe using a hair dryer, heat tape, space heater or heating pad.
Steps to Thaw Frozen Pipes
Apply Gentle Heat: Utilize mild electronic devices like hair dryers to warm the pipes gradually. Never use open flames as this can damage the pipes or cause a fire. Pour Hot Water: Carefully pour boiled water into the drain to help melt the ice inside the pipes.
Thawing Frozen Pipes
While you wait, reduce water pressure by opening all the faucets inside the home one-quarter turn. Water will begin to trickle out, helping the ice to thaw. Remember to close all faucets after full water pressure is restored.
Most frozen icy waste removal jobs can be completed using the cold water supply from a garden hose. Heated water is usually not required. Use a sewer jetter with a nozzle that has a forward jet to help penetrate the icy clog.
Fill a bucket with at least one gallon of water. Begin by pouring the water into the bowl, slowly at the beginning while gradually speeding up and dump the remainder of the water into the bowl. If done correctly, the water should push the waste in the toilet through the pipes, and your toilet will flush.
No worries! You still have another option to flush your toilet by filling the bowl with water. For this step, you'll need to move fast. This is called the “gravity flush,” and all you need to do is quickly pour about 1.6 gallons of water into your toilet bowl.