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Original poster

Please help! Toilet full to the brim of what looks like weeks or months

59 replies

angelcakes95 · 09/05/2023 14:50

Sorry if this posted twice! I cant see the previous post so I don’t know if its up or not.
But basically everything is clogged It’s so gross and i’m not sure what to do!! I thought I fixed the issue with drain gel but apparently not): And my shower is also still clogged and dirty water keeps coming up. The toilet is full now but very dry like all the waste is completely dried out and disgusting and theres a lot of what looks like toilet paper. Should I call a drain engineer or a Plumber for this job? And how much might they charge me ? I’m honestly too embarrassed to think about calling but I know I have no choice

OP posts:
TheFlis12345 · 09/05/2023 14:55

I’m confused, what’s happened for it to get in that state? Have you just moved in? More information needed.

Original poster
angelcakes95 · 09/05/2023 14:58

@TheFlis12345 I’m really not sure!! It started with the toilet sometimes flushing by itself but I foolishly didn’t think enough of it. And then the other day my shower clogged and a lot of dirty water and other stuff came up. I put drain gel down and left it overnight but that didn’t fix the problem and then my toilet stopped flushing and when I did flush it , it just clogged and old waste seemed to come up completely filling it

OP posts:
gogohmm · 09/05/2023 14:59

If your budget it tight, buy a plumbing snake thing and feed it down to dislodge the blockage, another tip is to put into the toilet a mix of washing up liquid and bleach.

Original poster
angelcakes95 · 09/05/2023 15:01

@gogohmm Its more just embarrassing to call someone): I know that’s silly but Its giving me a lot of anxiety and i’m not even sure who I should be calling for this

OP posts:
TheFlis12345 · 09/05/2023 15:02

You’ve got a blockage in the waste system somewhere then. Are there any manholes on your property? You need to work out if the blockage is within your house or further down the line.

FannyFifer · 09/05/2023 15:03

It's not embarrassing to call someone, honestly, it's literally a plumbers job to deal with blocked toilets & drains.
Just ring someone to come & sort it,

Original poster
angelcakes95 · 09/05/2023 15:03

@TheFlis12345 Thank you! Is this something I would call a drain engineer for or plumber ?

OP posts:
FannyFifer · 09/05/2023 15:04

Phone a plumber. See if friends can recommend someone local.

Biscuitandacuppa · 09/05/2023 15:04

My loo blocked the other month, I used a drain snake (bought from Amazon), biological drain unblocker, hot water and fairy liquid. I also pulled out as much of the blockage as I could. It’s probably blocked at a point between your loo and the main soil pipe.

There are loads of helpful YouTube videos to watch. You would need a plumber if the blockage is within the house and a drains specialist if the blockage is in your main drain. Lift up your drain cover and see if anything looks obvious but it’s most likely higher up in the system. This is something you can fix yourself without paying a fortune to a plumber.

KnittedCardi · 09/05/2023 15:05

If it's in both shower and toilet, I would assume main drain. You can call a plumber, they can assess whether they can clear it for you, or if not, it's a drain buster job 😱

TomeTome · 09/05/2023 15:07

Is it a house or a flat?
Are the other drains draining? Eg sink in kitchen, basin?

RoseRobot · 09/05/2023 15:07

If drain unblocker doesn't fix it you need a proper plumber. We called one out who thought he'd got rid of the block but it was back a day later. Turned out to be very fine tree roots further down the pipeline acting like a sieve, that had been backing up all paper waste for months until it reached as far back as the house.

TheFlis12345 · 09/05/2023 15:08

angelcakes95 · 09/05/2023 15:03

@TheFlis12345 Thank you! Is this something I would call a drain engineer for or plumber ?

It depends where the blockage is. If it is in the house you need a plumber but if it is outside then you need a drains person. Ideally you need to work it out before you call someone otherwise you might end up paying for both. Are there other sinks in the house? Kitchen etc? Is water flowing ok out of them? Do they smell?

KnittedCardi · 09/05/2023 15:08

First check might be go to go round your house sniffing outside drains..... Not joking, but if you have open drains, easy to see and smell, if they are blocked, otherwise find the manhole on the outside of your house and give it a good sniff!

LeilaRose777 · 09/05/2023 15:11

Before you do anything else - go outside the back of your house and locate the main drain cover. It's usually a big rectangular metal one. If there's any water around it, the problem will be your main drain, and that;s a job for the water company usually. If not, I'd recommend getting a plumber out in the first place to clear your toilet and shower, or try a snake as other posters have recommended. Going forward (though you probably know this already) nothing in the toilet except the three Ps: pee, pooh and paper, meaning toilet paper, not tissues, not wipes, or anything that says it's flushable.

viques · 09/05/2023 15:12

Pour a couple of buckets of water down a drain close to your waste down pipe if there is one. If the water takes a while to go down then it will probably be something in the drain. If you are in a terrace you might share a drain with your neighbour, let’s hope they haven’t been flushing tampons or wet wipes.

viques · 09/05/2023 15:13

LeilaRose777 · 09/05/2023 15:11

Before you do anything else - go outside the back of your house and locate the main drain cover. It's usually a big rectangular metal one. If there's any water around it, the problem will be your main drain, and that;s a job for the water company usually. If not, I'd recommend getting a plumber out in the first place to clear your toilet and shower, or try a snake as other posters have recommended. Going forward (though you probably know this already) nothing in the toilet except the three Ps: pee, pooh and paper, meaning toilet paper, not tissues, not wipes, or anything that says it's flushable.

And puke! The fourth p.

Original poster
angelcakes95 · 09/05/2023 15:18

@RoseRobot Can I ask how much you ended up paying to have it all fixed in the end?

OP posts:
Butterflybutterflies · 09/05/2023 15:27

My sisters neighbour repeatedly had raw sewage coming through her toilet and downstairs shower. There was a blockage in the mains pipe and the neighbour was the last house on that pipe so suffering more than anyone else.

Tidsleytiddy · 09/05/2023 15:28

I had this the other week. I stuck a coat hanger down the loo and the blockage cleared. Obviously mine was simple to do but yours might not be.

Original poster
angelcakes95 · 09/05/2023 15:33

@Tidsleytiddy Was your toilet full too when you used the coat hanger? and were you having problems with clogged shower too? x

OP posts:
Tidsleytiddy · 09/05/2023 15:38

It was a recent poo. Flushed and the water came up to the brim and stayed there. Had a terrible stink coming from the bath plughole. Already had a bloke round to jet the pipes about a month before. Must remember to not flush Flash wipes etc. I got a plastic coat hanger and shoved it down into where the pipe bends and amazingly it all went down. Been fine since 🤷‍♀️

tribpot · 09/05/2023 15:41

Plumbers do not - pun intended - give a shit. When my drain guy comes round, he treats me to a live video feed of the inside of all the pipes, to which I have to nod and say 'oh yes very good' as if this is actually what I want to look at.

Thank god these people exist. Don't be embarrassed to call!

Reeniebeanie78 · 09/05/2023 15:41

You can get plumber's who have a special power jetting machine to clear drains. I think they are £150-300 though depending on where you are. They can use power jets to clear the blockage. If you have a rectangle cover in your garden try opening that to see if you can see a problem! Good luck!

mrsbyers · 09/05/2023 15:56

If it’s your shower too then shoving a coat hanger down the toilet is futile - there is a blockage between those and the main drain. As others have said locate the main drain cover outside and lift it , if it’s not full then the blockage is between your toilet / shower and the drain , if the drain is full of rotting poop etc then it need clearing - either pay someone to do it or buy some drain rods and try to do it yourself