After discovering that your home's only toilet is backed up, you may start to panic when you are unable to clean it out after multiple attempts of plunging it. Because of this, you may start to feel desperate and decide to try anything to get the commode working again. However, while you are attempting to unclog the toilet, make sure that you do not make the following mistakes that will only make the problem worse.
1. Forcing Items Down the Toilet to Dislodge the Clog
One mistake that you should avoid making when trying to unclog your toilet is forcing anything down the hole to dislodge whatever is blocking the drain. Especially if you do not believe that the clog is too far down the pipe, you may think that if you wiggle a plumber's snake or even a metal coat hanger down the hole, you will be able to remove it.
However, since the drainpipe of the toilet is not straight and contains a sewage trap, you may wind up cracking the base of the toilet. Or, you could get whatever you are trying to use to unclog the commode stuck, leaving you with two things that are blocking the pipe.
While you can get a type of snake designed specifically for toilets, they can be tricky to maneuver if you have never used one before. It would be better to have a professional take care of the problem so that you do not end up breaking something inside of the commode or the pipe.
2. Pouring Chemical Drain Cleaner Into the Bowl
Since you cannot mechanically remove the clog, you may decide to try pouring a chemical drain cleaner into the bowl in an attempt to dissolve the blockage. However, this would be a major mistake.
For the cleaner to do its job, it must come into contact with the clog. If you pour it into a completely stopped-up toilet, it will only mix in with the water in the bowl. Then, if you decide to try to use the plunger again, the cleaner will splash on you and could cause chemical burns on your skin.
If you make the above mistakes while trying to clear out your toilet, you will most likely create bigger issues than just having a blockage in the drain. If you are unable to unstop the commode after a few attempts with a bell plunger, contact a toilet backup repair service and explain that your only commode is backed up so that they will send someone to your home to take care of the problem for you as soon as possible.
