Drains and toilets · Naples and Campania
Blocked toilet: what to do and when to call
A toilet that fills instead of flushing is stressful, but the first move is simple: do not flush again. Then you find out whether the blockage is in the bowl, which you clear yourself with a plunger, or further along the drain. On a video call we help you work it out before water reaches the floor.
From €100 + VAT about 1 hourFloat, button or flush mechanism
Recognise the problem
- When you flush, the water rises to the rim and goes down very slowly
- The toilet does not empty completely and stays dirty
- When you flush, the shower or bidet gurgles
- The water level in the bowl drops and rises by itself
- Something has fallen in, like a toy or a toilet block
The most common causes
- 1
Too much paper or wipes
Toilet paper dissolves, but in large quantity it blocks the bend of the bowl. Wet wipes break down much more slowly than paper and are among the most frequent causes.
- 2
Fallen objects
Toothbrushes, toys, caps, cage-type toilet fresheners: a rigid object wedges in the bend and holds back everything that comes after it.
- 3
Pipe after the toilet
The blockage may lie beyond the bowl, in the pipe leading to the branch junction, the fitting where the bathroom joins the stack. In that case the shower and bidet often complain too.
- 4
Stack or sewer
If the blockage is in the building's stack or the sewer, water rises from the lowest fixtures, usually on the ground floor or the first floors, and involves several flats.
- 5
Cistern that releases too little water
If the cistern is set to release little water or the button does not open properly, the toilet seems blocked but in fact does not get enough push.
What you can safely check yourself
- Do not flush again. If water is rising, close the cistern's isolation valve: on exposed cisterns it is on the wall under the cistern, on built-in ones usually behind the button plate.
- Protect the floor with rags or old towels, put on long gloves and open the window.
- Use a toilet plunger, the kind with a rubber extension under the cup: seat it well over the hole, push gently the first time to let the air out, then give around twenty firm strokes up and down.
- If the blockage is paper, pour a bucket of hot, not boiling, water with a little washing-up liquid, wait half an hour and try the plunger again.
- If an object has fallen in, leave the plunger alone: you risk pushing it further. Try to retrieve it with a long glove and, if you cannot see it, stop and call.
Never open the boiler or the gas water heater, and always switch off the power before touching an electrical appliance. If in doubt, call us.
When you need a technician at home
- After several attempts with the plunger the toilet stays blocked
- The fallen object cannot be seen or reached
- The shower, bidet or floor drain also back up
- The toilet blocks often, even with little paper
- The bowl has to be removed to free the bend or the fitting
How much it costs
Toilet cistern and float (our price)
Float, button or flush mechanism
from €100 + VAT
Unblocking a toilet or drain
Indicative reference from price lists in the Naples area; the exact price after the diagnosis
about 140 €
Market figures are indicative for the Naples area. You know our exact price before we start; prices apply near our base in Parete, and further away you see them in full when you choose your town.
How to use a toilet plunger without causing damage
The flat sink plunger is of little use on a toilet. You need the bell-shaped one with the extending rim: it goes into the hole and seals. There must be enough water in the bowl to cover the rubber, otherwise you push air and splash.
The first stroke should be gentle, because there is air under the cup to let out. Then push and pull firmly keeping the plunger well seated: it is the return stroke that dislodges the blockage. When the water goes down on its own, try the small flush button.
Wire and opened coat hangers scratch the ceramic and rarely reach where needed. Even drain snakes, if not made specifically for toilets, risk scratching the inside bend of the bowl.
When the problem is not the toilet
If when you flush the water rises in the shower or bidet, the blockage is beyond the bowl: in the pipe connecting the bathroom fixtures or in the branch junction. Insisting with the plunger on the toilet pushes dirty water into the other drains.
If it happens on the ground or first floor, and also to the neighbours, the problem is probably in the building's stack or sewer and the administrator must be told. For full manholes and septic tanks you need a drain-clearing firm with a truck, a job we do not do.
A toilet that blocks often deserves a check of the cistern instead: if it releases too little water or the button does not open fully, the push is not enough. Many times it is adjusted in a few minutes.
Want to know what it is first? Show us
On a video call we watch how the toilet behaves and what happens in the other drains of the bathroom when you use it. If the blockage is in the bowl we show you how to use the plunger the right way. If it involves the branch junction or the stack, we tell you what is needed and whether the administrator should be told.
Video consultation, up to 15 minutes: €9.90 (€14.90 on Sundays), deducted from the bill if we then come to your home.
Book the consultationDIY guides
Frequently asked questions
The toilet is blocked and the water is about to overflow: what do I do?
Do not flush again and close the cistern's isolation valve, so no more water enters the bowl. Then wait: often the level drops slowly by itself and you can work with the plunger without flooding.
Does caustic soda work in the toilet?
We advise against it. On a paper blockage it does little, on an object nothing, and it leaves corrosive water in the bowl that makes any later work risky. Never mix different drain cleaners together or with bleach: some combinations give off toxic fumes.
Are flushable wipes safe?
They break down much more slowly than toilet paper and in old drains or ones with little slope they lodge easily. Better to put them in the general waste, like sanitary towels, cotton buds and cat litter.
How much does it cost to unblock a toilet in Naples?
Price lists in the area indicate about 140 € for a job on a toilet or drain. If the blockage is in the bowl, with the 9.90 € video call you can often clear it yourself. If a visit is needed, we deduct that 9.90 € from the bill.
Why does my neighbour's drain make my toilet back up?
Because your drains end in the same stack. If the stack or a shared branch junction is partly blocked, the water from one comes up through the other. It is a problem to report to the administrator.
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Drains and toilets all over Campania
We work in Naples, Posillipo, Caserta and all over the region. Near our base in Parete there is no travel cost; further away you see the full price before you confirm.
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