To not know how to fix the toilet asap??!

[Maria53]

About 3 hours ago my toilet started sounding like it was going to take off. It has very rarely flushed properly since day one but I've put up with it (and moving out soon!). Last Sunday noticed it growling when the neighbour was running water.

The loud on-going noise continued and now the toilet is blocked. I used 4 kettles to fill it and it almost over flowed.

Next I scooped out all the water (boke) and had a good go at it with a large plunger and mop (mop seemed moet powerful) but the problem remains. The water goes down some but not much.

Help what can I do?

I just plunged the bath and crap came out of the bathroom sink. Definitely out of my hands I think. Such a headache and still working from home too.

Drains definitely

Is there any way you can check the drain outside? This happened to our neighbour and it was because the drain, in the middle of both our houses, was blocked and it was backing up into his bathroom. We called Thames Water and said it was an emergency (sewage was starting to leak out the outdoor drain) and they came within 3 hours.

You must try and get hold of either the agency or your landlord. This will get worse quite quickly. Failing that, call in an emergency plumber and send your landlord the bill.

I think you need a plumber. We had this when I lived in London, they had to put a camera down and find the blockage. Sorry op, it is truly disgusting, I went and stayed the night in a hotel until it could be fixed,

This happens in our rented house too. The landlord got someone out to look at it who told DH that the plumbing is done incorrectly.
We are waiting on work to be done.
In the meantime DH rods the drain outside to unblock the system. It's disgusting.

You should have an emergency contact for the letting agent and your landlord’s contact details.

You can’t really ignore backed up drains overnight.

Check with the neighbours and tell them there’s an issue - they could be making it worse.

Was it raining heavily today? Lots of leaves falling from the trees round about you? If you have no emergency contact in amongst your rental papers I'd call an emergency plumber.

I work for a water and waste water utility.

Two possibilities here - you have a blockage in the pipes running from your house to the main sewer outside, or there is a blockage in the main sewer and it is backing up into your house. Do you know if any neighbours are affected?

Regardless of this call your water/sewerage company. Explain what is happening, they will send someone out to inspect (no charge). If it’s a private issue (I.e not in the main sewer or pipes that they are responsible for they will either offer to clear for a charge, or advise you to call a plumber / dynorod.

And to the person saying that the bath and toilet aren’t connected to the same pipe - they are both connected to the same main seeer outside and in most houses will drain into the one pipe running down the back or front of the property (sometimes referred to as the downpipe or stack). The issue could be a blockage in this stack (common in downstairs flats where the upstairs neighbour has been flushing stuff they shouldn’t be and the downstairs neighbour then uses their facilities and gets backing up/ flooding.)

It looks like blocked outside drain could be due to stuff you or neighbours putting down the loo/sink or could be a collapsed drain. We had a collapsed drain once in rented - silly bint at the agency thought I just meant a blocked sink even though I told her our courtyard garden was 4 inches deep!! She thought it could wait till Monday so I called plumber/drain expert and got him out - then she complained when I submitted a bill - she got short shrift

See if the neighbours are having problems. If they are then call your water company. We had slow emptying loo and sink/bath and it was the external drains. Some numpty had been flushing things they shouldn’t like wipes and it blocked the drains.

Absolutely needs a plumber ASAP! Any emergency contacts for landlord? Does your contract say anything about emergency repairs?

A similar thing happened to my bath where I lived previously. Turned out to be blocked pipes in the street and Scottish Water came out to fix it. People had been putting oil down their drains or something and the pipes gradually blocked up.
Check with your neighbours and call your relevant water company.

An emergency plumber is coming in a couple of hours or so - so late!

He says because I am in a top floor property it will be a local issue whatever that means (me or neighbour's fault maybe?)

Have you spoken to your neighbours yet?

Whose plumberbis coming? Did you get through to an emergency number for your letting agent/landlord?

A local issue means it’s your drain (downpour) or your downstairs neighbours.

My bet is on them. You should go and have a word before the plumber gets to you as he’ll probably need access. And they might have also called someone out.

Yes the landlord gave me the emergency number.

My immediate next door neighbour isnt home, she is a nurse and works late. But I can hear commotion in the flat number next to me the other side.

I'm too knackered to do anymore just now and haven't eaten yet. I'll wait for the plumber and take it from there.

Plus - hopefully this is a plumber called by your letting agent or LL but if not, please try everything to get in touch with them as you don’t want issues with the bill. And don’t be afraid to hang around watching what the plumber does - have been stung once by a very dodgy emergency plumber as a tenant so I’d advise keeping a close eye.

X-post. That’s good it’s your LL’s plumber.

Top floor flat - likely means a blockage in either your flats pipes or the shared drainage stack - definitely a private issue and the plumber will be able to advise and fix. Try to get something to eat and dont use facilities / washing machine / dishwasher etc till they come. You can still fill your kettle and have a cuppa though, just don’t run the tap and let water go down the drain :)

It's usually tampons or baby wipes . . ..

I don't use either. Well I use face wipes sometimes but I always bin. Very environmentally conscious.

I used to have a flatmate that chucked dental floss down the toilet

Check if neighbours in other buildings on your street are affected, not just in your block of flats. If the public sewer that's runs under the middle of the road is blocked all the branches off it will be affected. Only the water/sewerage company (or their designated sub contractor) have the authority to lift the covers in the road. They will do this for free.

They may clear out the private drains (the branch that leads from your block of flats down to the point where it joins with the neighbouring building) but this will probably be at a cost to you and the other occupants of your block.
(I used to work for a local water and sewerage company and have looked down more sewers and been to more treatment works than I care to mention).

It's not the cistern, and don't throw more water down there!
There is a blockage further down hence why it's backing up into the bath.
You need to locate the problem which may be outside, close the toilet lid it may gradually subside but that will not resolve the problem.
If you had a bit of bendy wire (like net curtain rail) you may be able to feed it down the toilet and prod around but that's unlikely to cure it either but makes you feel like you are doing something and you may feel where the blockage is.
You need to get onto the agent as soon as you can.