One good way you can check is with a gallon of water. Take the water and pour it into the toilet bowl. If the water immediately rises, then the issue is a clogged drain. If the water sinks or stays the same, then the problem is more likely in the toilet tank.
Symptoms of a Clogged Toilet
One of the main warning signs that your toilet is on the fast track to being clogged is a slow or partial flush. If it takes a long time for the water to disappear or multiple flushes to get it all down, there is most likely a blockage somewhere.
The water does not flush properly, stays in the bowl for long periods or ends up overflowing over the top of the bowl. When the toilet is flushed, water starts to gurgle up in your shower or bathtub drain.
A fully clogged toilet won't move waste down the drain at all. If it's running slowly, it's a partial clog that does let water through, but not as fast as it's supposed to be.
Then pull up sharply to disturb the clog and loosen it. Continue vigorously pushing and pulling until the water begins to drain. It may take 15 to 20 cycles before the toilet unclogs. Be patient.
Check water level in toilet bowl
Listen for a gurgling sound from the drain (a good sign) and check the water level in the toilet bowl. If nearly all the water drained from the bowl, then you've probably cleared the clog.
Caustic soda is a nasty chemical that can burn, but it's very effective for unclogging toilets. To use this chemical, you need to get some rubber gloves and eye protection. You can pick the chemical from the local hardware or grocery stores. Pour a ¾ gallon of cold water into a bucket, and add 3 cups of caustic soda.
You may just be using it incorrectly. Do this: Next time you have a clog, use your plunger like this: Ensure the flange lip is unfolded. Get a good seal on the toilet drain (that is, make sure you're covering the entire drain or you won't have enough pressure to loosen the clog.)
We recommend you add a cup of baking soda to your blocked toilet and wait for some minutes. Next, pour two cups of vinegar slowly into the toilet. Vinegar and baking soda will typically react to form bubbles, so ensure you pour carefully and slowly to prevent the toilet water from overflowing or splashing.
The most common causes for a slow-draining toilet are: A clog in the drain line. A blockage between the tank and bowl. Poor or Clogged Venting.
If you find that your toilet bowl still drains properly — but slowly — then the issue may lie in the jet holes that surround the rim of the toilet bowl. The build-up of sediments and minerals along the side of these holes can gradually reduce the water pressure released with each flush.
You can use Drano® Clog Removers to unclog a kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower or clogged bathtub, but DO NOT use them in toilets.
Attempting to force a clog through a toilet with a plunger can often make the problem worse. Instead, create a seal and slowly push down on the plunger before pulling it back sharply. The suction can help pull the clog back up toward the bowl, breaking the blockage and allowing gravity to take over.
Make your own drain cleaner by pouring one cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar into the toilet and adding a half gallon of hot water. Dish soap can also help loosen some obstructions. When using either method, allow the solution to sit overnight and then flush the toilet to see if the obstruction has cleared.
Soap and Hot Water - Remove some of the water in the toilet with a cup or bowl to make room for adding about a gallon of water. Put a soap dish, shampoo, or slivers of bar soap in the bowl. Then heat a gallon of water to the temperature of hot tea, pour into the bowl, and wait about 20 minutes.
When you are using a baking soda and vinegar solution to clean out your drain, you are actually causing the rubber and plastic that are used for the drain's pipes to be eaten away by the mixture. Over time, this rubber and plastic will break down, causing the drain to become even more blocked.
Ideally, no more than five or 10 minutes. One plumber told us that if plunging goes on any longer, it's time to try a toilet snake or call an expert.
Using a snake is also more invasive and time-consuming than using a chemical cleaner is, and can often become a dirty job. When it comes to getting at and removing major clogs or clogs that are deep down in your pipes, however, a plumber's snake is your best bet.
It is Extremely Corrosive For Your Drains
When your pipes are clogged, Drano will sit on top of the clog, continually reacting and generating heat until the clog dissolves. This can put a great deal of stress on your drains as the heat can cause PVC pipes to soften and even break or collapse.
Bleach is an effective way to deal with blocked toilet drains as it is a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite and also contains a high chlorine concentration. Using bleach by itself or mixing it with boiling water are effective ways to unclog a toilet.
Coke and Pepsi are loaded with phosphoric acid, which breaks down the buildup that can clog your drains! Phosphoric acid can even remove lime scale and another tough buildup that regular cleaners struggle with. This is an effective and refreshing home remedy if we ever saw one!
Another argued: 'The bleach will eventually eat away at the porcelain and damage any plastic and chrome fittings. Toilets should be cleaned with warm soapy water and dried with an old towel.