Cleaning a toilet drain in Los Angeles

To clean a toilet drain, start with a flange plunger and a bucket of hot tap water poured slowly into the bowl, then a closet auger if the plunger fails. Those two tools clear most toilet clogs. If the toilet clogs again within days, other drains gurgle when it flushes, or the water rises in the tub, the blockage is further down the line and needs a longer cable or a camera. Skip chemical cleaners: they rarely help a toilet and risk burns.

How do I clear a clogged toilet drain myself?

Use a flange plunger, which has an extra rubber lip that seals the toilet outlet. Seat it, push in gently to expel the air, then pump firmly ten or fifteen times and pull off. If the water drops, flush once to test. If not, repeat, then try a closet auger. Keep the bowl about half full so the plunger has water to push.

Details help. Put on rubber gloves and lay down towels. Remove excess water with a cup if the bowl is near overflowing. Do not flush again if the bowl is full, because it will spill. Wikipedia's page on the plunger explains why a toilet needs a flange type and a sink needs a cup.

A closet auger, or toilet snake, has a curved shaft and a rubber sleeve so it does not scratch the porcelain. Feed it into the bowl, crank the handle while pushing gently, then retract and flush. Our guide to snaking a toilet drain covers each step and what the cable meets.

Is there anything I can pour down a toilet drain to unclog it?

Hot tap water with a squirt of dish soap can loosen a mild clog of paper and waste. Pour it in slowly from waist height, then wait twenty minutes. Do not use boiling water, which can crack porcelain, and do not pour in a chemical drain cleaner. Most chemical products are not designed for a toilet and can splash or damage the bowl.

If you want a product anyway, choose one labeled for toilets, follow the label to the letter and never mix it with anything else. Mixed cleaners can release poisonous fumes. If a product fails, do not add another: use a plunger or auger and tell anyone who works on it later.

On the "best drain cleaner for toilet" question: there is no best one. The right tool is mechanical, not chemical. Our page on chemical drain cleaning explains why. The same goes for a clog that is slow at both the toilet and a sink: a product will not reach it.

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Why does my toilet clog so often in an older Los Angeles house?

Low flow toilets are one reason. California limits toilets sold and installed to 1.28 gallons per flush under the Energy Commission's Title 20 rules. Older homes also have older pipes: a long, shallow slope, a cast iron toilet drain pipe that has scaled inside, or a clay lateral with roots. Any of these slow the waste after the bowl.

California Civil Code sections 1101.3 and 1101.4 required owners of single-family homes built on or before January 1, 1994 to replace noncompliant fixtures, including toilets that use more than 1.6 gallons per flush, by January 1, 2017, so older homes may have newer toilets on older drain lines. Check the code if it matters to a sale. A new toilet does not fix an old pipe.

The usual causes by pattern: a toilet that clogs only when overused points to the bowl or trap. A toilet that clogs and other drains gurgle points to the line below. Flushing wipes, even those labeled flushable, and paper towels is a common cause. Read about drains gurgling when a toilet is flushed for the next step.

What does it mean when the clog is deep in the pipe?

It means the blockage is beyond the toilet's trap and the first few feet of drain, where a plunger and a closet auger reach. Signs are a toilet that clears and then backs up again, a slow toilet and slow sink on the same line, water rising in the tub when you flush, or gurgling from other drains.

A deep clog in a toilet drain is often roots, grease, a belly in the pipe or a toy or wipe lodged further along. A longer cable can reach it, and a camera shows the cause. If the bowl is full, bail it out with a cup into a bucket before you work on the drain, so nothing spills onto the floor.

If a toilet has to be pulled to reach the line, the flange and wax ring are checked and replaced. Ask the person doing the work to explain it.

What does it cost to have a toilet drain cleaned?

National guides put a plumber's snaking of a toilet or other fixture at about $100 to $300, with severe clogs or toilets that need to be pulled running about $250 to $400. West Coast costs are often 20 to 40 percent above the national figures. The written quote after a visit is the real price, and a main line job costs more.

What moves the price: whether the toilet needs to be pulled, how deep the clog is, whether a camera is used and the time of day. See drain snaking cost for the wider breakdown. If more than one drain is involved, the main line is the likely location, and the pricing is on our sewer drain cleaning cost page.

You can send a quote request, and we arrange a local drain cleaner who gives a written price before work starts. The LA Drain Works home page lists the other services.

Questions people ask

Can a toilet clog that a plunger will not clear be fixed with a snake?

Often, yes. A closet auger reaches the trap and the first few feet of pipe, where most toilet clogs sit. If it passes the clog and the water drains, flush to test. If the auger stops at the same place every time, the blockage may be further along or the pipe may be damaged.

Is it safe to use a chemical drain cleaner in a toilet?

It is not recommended. Chemical cleaners are designed for sinks and tubs, they can damage the bowl and they leave hazardous standing water. If you have used one, wear eye protection and do not plunge until the label's time passes. Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222 if anyone is hurt.

Why is my toilet slow but the sink is fine?

A slow toilet alone suggests a partial clog in the bowl, the trap or the toilet's own outlet, or weak flush water. A mineral buildup in the rim holes can also weaken a flush. Hard water can leave scale, so cleaning the rim jets may help. If sink and toilet are both slow, the line is the issue.

Can tree roots clog a toilet drain?

They can. Roots enter pipe joints and thicken until waste cannot pass, and the toilet is often where you notice. If the toilet clogs repeatedly and the lowest drain gurgles, ask for a camera look. Our guide to signs of tree roots in a sewer line lists the clues.

When should I stop and call someone?

Stop when two attempts with a plunger and an auger fail, when other drains gurgle or back up, when sewage appears in the tub or when the toilet keeps filling the bowl. These signs point to the shared line. A visit with a long cable and a camera is safer than forcing the problem.