unclogging a toliet that has candlewax in it?

Question

after my wifes friend stay here she dumped a pot of candlewax in the toliet. how can i unclog it.

Answer 1

Candle wax never had that before many other things but not candle wax. I have had to unclog many toilets that would flush barely because of obstruction. One thing in your favor is that you are dealing with a smooth porcelain finish. So this is what I would do. First turn off the water supply and flush to remove as much water as possible and disconnect the supply line. Remove bolts from the bottom of the stool and remove stool. If you tip the stool back you will release the water in the trap of the stool. At this point the stool should be free of all water. Clean the bottom of the stool around the drain and remove all of the wax from the stool and from the floor. Heres where the fun begins. Get some of those cheap plastic knives the kind like you use for picnics. Begin scraping away all wax. The bond of the wax should be minimal due to the smoothness of the porcelain. This will take some time, clean as much as you can from the bowl and from the bottom of the stool by the drain. Once you have all the visible wax removed then you will want to put vasoline on your hands and begin scraping into the trap from both ends. You will then have the inner most part of the trap to deal with. Take a plastic coated coat hanger and begin using it as an auger. This method won't be as effective as scraping with the plastic knives but will clear the opening in the trap to allow for free flow of the trap. Time and waste will remove remaining wax. Once you have done this you will need a new wax seal to set on the bottom of the stool. Set stool and fasten in place. Tighten nuts hand tight and tighten with wrench alternating from one to the other with equal pressure. Be careful not to over tighten and crack stool. Reconnect supply line and turn on water supply. Otherwise buy a new stool and charge your wife's friend for replacement.

Answer 2

Unless it was a really big pot of wax it should be all in the bowl or trap (I am assuming she didn't flush it). A snake or bowl auger isn't even going to touch this! Dip out the water and try cutting it out with a linolium knife, or similar implement. The wax won't stick to the porclain very much, so once it's broken up, the pieces should come out easily. If it is way up in the trap you'll need to use your immagination on what impliments might work: if you can't dig it out with the wife's mellon ball scoop, try the apple corer! I would suggest removing the toilet before attempting any melting efforts; (you don't want to risk getting the molten wax down the sewer pipe!). Any of the procedures that involve melting the wax and trying to send it down the pipe are definately NOT a good idea; the hot water/melted wax is going to solidify at some point in the pipe when the liquid cools enough, and could get really expensive to get it cleaned out!

Answer 3

Typical modern toilets have an "S" shaped drain through the bowl. Mop up the water currently in the bowl to make room for a large pot of boiling water. Boiling water will help melt the wax, but you will also need a small toilet auger to work the wax out as it melts.

There is a second and possibly better method of fixing this problem. Turn off the water supply to the tank, drain the tank and the bowl. Unbolt the toilet and carry it outside if possible. Turn the bowl upside down and pour boiling water into the drain opening, keeping pouring boiling water through until is runs without problem. I suggest a large bore brush be run through to make sure that nothing remains. Reassemble the toilet, you may want to use a new wax ring for the connection between toilet and drain pipe in the floor.

I hope this helps.

Answer 4

Whatever you do DO NOT melt the wax in the toilet. You don't want the wax in your sewer pipe. You must remove the toilet and then you can use an auger to remove the majority of the wax.

What does not come off with the auger you can use a rag soaked in mineral spirits. Even if you cannot get all the wax in the trap off you will be in good shape.

Using boiling water will crack the bowl from thermal shock. That is just plain bad advice.

Answer 5

You are going to need to do the boiling water thing over and over if you want to get all the wax out. If you want an easier way, why don't you just use a snake? You can get one for less than 15 bucks at Lowes or Home Depot, or an local hardware store. Just put it down into the bowl and use it as a poker. Break up all the candle wax as much as you can and remove what you can see. Then just start flushing it and breaking it up until it dissolves. Then maybe you can try the boiling water trick once you have gotten most of it out with the snake.

Answer 6

Wow - that's definitely a problem! How about pouring HOT water into the toilet tank and then flushing it? (Is it by any chance possible to connect a hot water tap to the toilet's water inlet briefly???) If the water is getting through at all, that may help melt the wax, and allow it to be flushed away. Otherwise, I suspect you're going to end up calling a plumber. Good luck!

Answer 7

Turn off the water supply--Flush--Drain and let dry--then use a hair dryer to heat and melt the wax...wipe out the softened wax. grab what you can further down. May you NOT push it further down that it is. Makes it all worse. May be a NEW toilet?? Might be your only hope to get it unwaxed.Saves a lot of work. wash your hands--this job is going to be gross

Answer 8

Shut off the water to the toilet and scoop out all the water. Insert a large wick and light it off. Of corse you could always call a plumber.
YOUR WIFES FRIEND IS AN IDIOT!

Answer 9

Call a plumber. This could be a serious plumbing problem and you could EASILY make it worse. Why are you asking the question here? This is a nightmare waiting to happen... why would you even pause before asking a professional? (you didn't even say where the wax is in the system, yet you're going to take advice from us?) GOOD LUCK

Answer 10

dump in a pot of boiling hot water and wait 28 seconds then flush