To think no toilet is an emergency?

[buggeringbuggery]

Our bathroom has been crap (no pun intended), since it was refurbished! The 'builders' who did it, bodged the whole thing, including having the pipe from the bath and sink, going flat and upwards to the soil stack, everything was just siliconed down (including the toilet cistern).

We've had problems with blockages from the toilet and even had a leak in our kitchen from the soil stack (raw sewage behind the cooker, lovely). The leak wasn't fixed because they'd have to pull up the complicated tiled box that the stack is connected to; this couldn't be done at a weekend, but when they returned on the Monday, the leaking had stopped.

I went for a wee a couple of hours ago (just a wee, one sheet of toilet roll). I flushed and was surprised to see the toilet half-filled with water. I assumed there was a blockage, so filled the bucket and poured it down (as I do at least once a week), but instead of draining, the water is level with the top of the toilet.

I tried to wash my hands in the sink, it just made bubbling noises and then sewer water came out the bath plug hole and it stank!

The bath now has water sitting in it, the sink does, but when you turn on the taps, big bubbles throw water out of the toilet onto the floor.

We phoned the HA, they say a blocked toilet is "not" an immediate emergency and they have 24 to 48 hours to fix it. That is fine if it was just blocked or not flushing and you could pour water down it, but it's filled to the top so cannot be sat on, not even for the tiniest wee!

It is the only toilet we have in the house and I have not only bladder problems but irritable bowel, and I'm not keen on shitting in a bucket that DD and DH will also have to use, let alone not having anywhere to empty the waste.

DH desperately needs the loo, is there any advice, any way of saying it is an emergency?

When this happened to me as a student in a house with only one toilet the landlord sent out a plumber that day as it was considered an emergency.

do you have anywhere you can go and stay, with parents or something?

Of course it's an emergency! Not having a functioning loo is surely a health hazard?

Do you have a mop? Cover it with a plastic bag and plunge the toilet. I find that works with most blockages. But obviously could be something more serious.

@modgepodge no, unfortunately not. Mum is alone and her house is full of junk and rubbish, to the extent that none of her bedrooms are habitable and she sleeps downstairs (dad and brother died in the last two years and she wouldn't let anyone help her), her hoarding is another problem, but as she's the only relative we have left, there is nowhere to go.

Literally what my plumber boyfriend uses to clear blockages 🤦‍♀️ I dare not say where he works!! X

There is no blockage, my husband put his hand down there when he got in, there is nothing there but water and sewage in the bath.

... then the blockage is further along the soil pipe, perhaps that box in the kitchen is where the problem lies.
The plunging of the mop may help but water is likely to spill out of your toilet.

Random but do you by any chance have emergency home cover with your bank? I am with Lloyds and our account has emergency home cover that you can use for a multitude of things - our boiler died and we called them up and they had someone out within a few hours no charge). So might be worth a check to see if you have that cover x

So ring them back and explain this is not just a blocked toilet, it is sewage backflowing into your bath and also from your toilet onto the floor.
Or were they just not listening the first time?
Hope it gets sorted pronto, OP. But it doesn't sound like it would be a quick job. (Carefully not saying 'jobbie')

If your mum is a short distance away, at least visit now.

Whilst you get back to the HA. Or an emergency plumber.

Sorry, the box is in the bathroom, the bathroom fitters sealed all the pipes under a tiled box, the kitchen was refurbished in March and the soil stack was not leaking then.

We can't plunge as when DH tried he just flooded the bathroom floor and lots of liquid came up in the bath. Annoyingly I can see they will wipe their hands off it till Tuesday (as everything will be shut so can't get supplies), but we can't use the sink or shower/bath as well as the toilet. DD is home now and wants the loo, she will have to wait.

Sounds like the whole refit has been really badly done, issues beyond a blockage!
Can't see that the HA will be doing anything over the weekend
Options are use next doors facilities, buy a portapotti or check into a travel lodge (send HA the bill!)

It most definitely is an urgent repair. Phone them back & demand service within 4 hours. It is your only toilet. If they fail, call the out of hours number after 5pm.
im a housing officer & no way is this remotely a non urgent or routine repair. Good luck

Check your household insurance, do you have emergency assistance cover?

Of course it's an emergency! No-one can have a shit or a shower, and they honestly think you can manage like that for 3 days? Even if you were to use a bucket, where would you be able to dispose of the shit? You'd only be able to use it for wees.

This would definitely be considered an emergency at the HA I work for. I'm bloody sure it's on the council's list of emergency repairs, too.

This.👆

Shelter has this advice on their website. You may need to quote it to your HA

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/is_your_home_fit_for_habitation

No we don't as it's rented from HA, they have insurance.

This is awful! Can you hire a portaloo and send them the bill?

Ooh, I don't know, I will check.

@LakieLady @TimBoothseyes @Itsanemergency and everyone else, thank you! I will give them a ring in a minute.

All the best op, although a portaloo are quite handy for emergencies

Phone your local council environmental health department. They can enforce it. On or get the repair done and bill/fine the HA. It is an emergency that should be dealt with same day due to the backflow of sewage which is a health risk.

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/complain_to_environmental_health_about_private_rented_housing

Just call Metro Rod or similar (Dyno Rod if you must) and they are likely to get someone to you quicker. You'll need to pay them, but this is standard work for them.

Get back onto the HA straight away, if no joy (and they should cave if you quote 'not fit for habitation' and go into more detail about the sewage in bath etc) wait til they close for the day and then call the out of hours service and quote all the same stuff. Worth mentioning your ibs and that you have a child in the house (assuming your DD is not an adult) too and laying it on thick that it's unsanitary and smelly. It definitely should be an emergency (within 4 hours) call out though so don't be afraid to quote Shelter info a PP posted and be insistent.