For those tough clogs that seem like they are impossible to solve, you could try to use harsher chemicals, like bleach or a store-bought toilet drain cleaner. The chemicals contained in these can be harmful to yourself and your pipes, so only use them as a last resort.
Is it okay to leave a clogged toilet overnight? In most cases, you can leave a clogged toilet overnight. However, calling an emergency plumber near you might be warranted if water starts leaking from the pipes. A simple clog likely won't cause this, but an inexperienced homeowner messing with the plumbing could.
If you can't unclog the toilet using a plunger or a snake, your next best option is to use boiling water. Boiling water can help to dissolve the clog and free up the pipes. To use this method, bring a pot of water to a boil and pour it into the toilet. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then flush the toilet.
Wait about 10-15 minutes before trying to unclog the toilet, as some water might drain on its own. Squeeze a lot of liquid dish soap, about one cup, or pieces of bar soap into the toilet bowl.
When a toilet has a clog made of water-soluble materials, it has a chance of slowly dissolving in the water and freeing up the toilet to work properly again. So, clogs that are primarily made of toilet paper can clear themselves.
The heat generated from this chemical reaction can crack the porcelain of the toilet or soften the PVC of the pipes. So, not only can Drano hurt you, but it can also hurt your toilet and cause costly damage.
It can hurt the toilet and soften/dissolve pipes— Drano uses caustic or oxidizing chemicals to create heat to unclog a drain. If Drano does not clear the toilet, this heat can crack the porcelain, soften PVC pipes and dissolve old, corroded pipes.
To resolve this situation, you will first need to troubleshoot the toilet flushing issues. Toilets may not flush for various reasons, including a disconnected chain, faulty flapper, low water level, a damaged float, rim jet clogs, or simply a drain blockage that needs to be cleared with a plunger.
You may have a first-generation, low flow design. The low flow design was created to help homeowners save on water, but the earliest models ended up lacking the necessary pressure to properly clear the internal trap and drain. In other words, this means that it can continuously become clogged if you aren't careful.
Using a plunger is one of the most effective methods used for unblocking a toilet as it can unclog a wide variety of waste pipes.
The auger or plumber's snake is a long, flexible tool that can be pushed into the toilet as far as the blockage. Depending on the type of blockage, the auger can perforate it, destroy it or even extract it thanks to a tip shaped like a cork-screw.
By pouring a caustic soda (coke, for example) into the toilet bowl, you can speed the dissolving process along considerably. Simply dump a can of cola in the water and let it eat away at the debris. Just be sure never to flush the toilet when the water level is already high.
Pour a cup of baking soda into the toilet followed by a cup of vinegar, and let it fizz for a little bit. After a few minutes, add a several cups of hot water and wait another couple of minutes for it to dissolve before trying to flush again.
Drano® Liquid Drain Cleaner starts working to unclog your drain on contact. After 15 to 30 minutes, clogs are substantially minimized or dissolved. A final blast of hot water flushes away what's left of the clog.
High Water Pressure with Baking Soda and Vinegar
To do this, use a 2:1 ratio of vinegar to baking soda, and mix it into 60 gallons of water. As you pour the water down the drain, use a drain snake or plunger to dislodge debris that is blocking water flow.
Using too much toilet paper
This is probably the most common reason toilets get clogged — and often the easiest to deal with. If we're honest, most of us are probably guilty of this one. If you're one of the many people who use a lot of toilet paper when you use the bathroom, here are a few tips!
Toilets can develop drain clogs for any one of several basic reasons, usually involving partial or complete obstruction in one of the various parts of the drain system: the toilet trap, the branch drain line, the vent pipe, or the main sewer line.
If water starts coming out of the drain in a main floor tub or shower, or if the toilets start filling up when you use a drain or run the washing machine, most likely you have a main sewer line clog.
Our top pick, Drano Max Gel Clog Remover, is easy to find and use on common clogs, like hair, food, and grease. We also like the Rockwell Labs InVade Bio Drain Gel. This gel solution is extra-effective on drain flies and comes in a smaller container, making it good to keep around the kitchen.