Start with a flange plunger. It has a rubber flap below the cup that seats in the toilet drain, so it moves much more water than the flat cup made for sinks. If a minute or two of steady plunging does not clear the bowl, the next tool is a closet auger. If neither works, or other drains in the house are slow too, stop and call a plumber.
Keep wipes, drain cleaners, boiling water and a wire hanger out of the plan. They make a simple clog worse more often than they fix it. If you would rather hand it off, our toilet repair page explains what a plumber does, and (215) 714-6692 reaches the 24/7 line.
What your clog is telling you before you grab a tool
Where the water backs up says a lot about where the blockage sits. Check these signs first, since they decide whether a plunger is even the right tool.
| What you see | Where the clog probably is | Best move |
|---|---|---|
| One toilet is slow and the rest of the house drains fine | In the toilet's own trap or the short pipe behind it | Plunger, then closet auger |
| The toilet and the tub in the same bathroom are slow | In the bathroom branch line | Call for drain cleaning |
| The toilet gurgles when the washer drains, or a basement floor drain is wet | In the main house drain | Call for sewer line cleaning |
| Sewage rises with no one using water | In the main line or the public sewer | Call the township, then call us |
A plunger will not help with the last three rows, and pushing harder can spill sewage onto the floor.
The order that works, from first plunge to phone call
Lay towels around the base and set a bucket nearby before you start. These five moves go from the gentlest to the last resort.
Stop the water
Lift the tank lid and push the flapper closed, or turn the shutoff valve behind the toilet clockwise. That keeps a full bowl from spilling over while you work.
Plunge the right way
Seat the flange plunger so the flap sits in the drain opening and the cup is under water. Push down gently once to release the air, then pull and push with steady strokes for about 15 to 20 seconds. Water draining with a gurgle means the clog has moved.
Add dish soap and hot tap water
If the water is slow but moving, squirt dish soap into the bowl and pour in a bucket of hot tap water from waist height. Hot tap water is enough, and it is safer than boiling water. Wait 15 minutes, then plunge again.
Use a closet auger
Feed the curved tip into the drain, crank the handle while pushing gently, and pull back whatever is stuck. The rubber sleeve on the bend protects the porcelain. If the cable will not advance, stop, because forcing it can scratch the bowl.
Stop and call
If two rounds of plunging and one pass with the auger change nothing, or the water keeps rising toward the rim, close the shutoff valve and call. A clog that stubborn is often past the toilet's own trap.
Plunger not working?
Close the shutoff valve and call. A dispatcher answers at any hour and can say whether same-day service is available.
What to keep away from a clogged toilet
Wipes, even the flushable kind
The township names wipes among the common causes of sewer backups and says never to flush them. EPA guidance also lists wipes, including ones labeled flushable, as trash.
Chemical drain openers
They sit in a bowl that may not drain, and the next person to plunge or auger it can be splashed. A plumber may later have to work in that harsh water.
Boiling water
A sudden jump in temperature can crack porcelain. Hot tap water does the job of loosening a soft clog without that risk.
A flat sink plunger
The flat cup does not seal in the curved toilet drain well, so much of your effort is wasted. A flange plunger costs little and is worth owning.
A wire coat hanger
It scratches the porcelain and can snag in the trap, leaving a clog that is harder to remove. A closet auger is built for the bend.
Flushing again to test
Each flush adds about a tank of water. If the bowl is near the rim, wait, or the next flush spills onto the floor.
Abington Township runs its own sanitary sewer system, with about 250 miles of sewer pipe and 17 pump stations, according to the township. It lists wipes, paper towels, rags, plastic items and kitchen grease among the common causes of sewer backups. Flushing only toilet paper and human waste is the simplest way to keep a clog from coming back.
The township also gives a way to tell whose problem it is. If sewage returns into your fixtures when no one is using water, call the township's emergency number, 215-884-8329. If only your own drains back up, the township says a plumber should inspect and clear the pipes, and if neighbors have backups too, the main is likely blocked.
The township does not say whether that line is staffed after hours, so call us as well if the backup is inside your house.
For a repeat clog, the township recommends asking the plumber to televise the pipes with a camera. That is a fair request if a toilet clogs more than once in a few weeks, since it shows whether the cause is the toilet, the branch line or the sewer lateral. Our sewer inspection page explains how that works. The township also warns against contractors who want to dig first, so get the camera result before agreeing to excavate.
Source type: Abington Township wastewater page and EPA guidance on items that should not be flushed
What you can do yourself and when to hand it off
Fine to try at home
- Close the shutoff valve or the flapper
- Plunge with a flange plunger
- Soap and hot tap water, then plunge again
- One careful pass with a closet auger
- Wipe up spills and disinfect the floor
Time to call a plumber
- Water rises toward the rim when you plunge
- More than one drain is slow or gurgling
- Sewage shows up in a tub or floor drain
- The clog returns within weeks
- A toy or other solid item went down
- The auger cable will not advance
A toilet that keeps clogging is rarely only a toilet
One clog after a bad week is normal. A toilet that needs the plunger every few weeks, or flushes weakly, may have a partial blockage in the line behind it. Tell the dispatcher what you already tried, since that narrows down the cause.
We take these calls from Abington and nearby towns, including Glenside and Elkins Park. Call (215) 714-6692 any hour if the water is rising or sewage is coming up.
Clogged toilet questions from Abington homeowners
You can try, but a flat sink plunger does not seal well in the curved toilet drain. A flange plunger, which has an extra rubber flap under the cup, moves much more water and clears most clogs faster.
We advise against it. The chemicals sit in a bowl that is not draining, they can splash back during plunging, and a plumber may have to work in that water afterward. A plunger and an auger are safer first tools.
Try a few rounds of 15 to 20 seconds each, with a pause between them. If two rounds and one pass with a closet auger change nothing, stop and call, since harder effort can push the clog deeper.
Lift the tank lid and push the flapper closed, or turn the shutoff valve behind the toilet clockwise. Then put down towels and wait. Do not flush again until the water level drops.
The township lists 215-884-8329 as its emergency number for sewage coming back into fixtures when no one is using water. It does not say whether that line is staffed after hours, so also call us for a plumber.
Common causes include wipes, too much paper, an older low-flow design and a partial blockage in the line behind the toilet. If it clogs repeatedly, ask a plumber to run a camera through the line.