Is there anyway to unclog a toilet w/o a plunger?

Question

My apartment is old. The toilet just fills up on it's own then a while later will drain? How do I get this to stop? (Aside from calling my landlords as they are worthless).

Answer 1

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER put drain cleaners down your toilet - they tend to cause heat & that in a cool ceramic bowl can cause an explosion - at the very least, crack your toilet.

Just get an auger from the hardware store (the sales person should be able to show you how to use it - very easy).

Never use anything other than toilet paper - no napkins, paper towels etc.

Answer 2

Not sure what you mean by "fills up on it's own", but if you mean that it "backs up" or doesn't flush properly, and the problem is ongoing, then there may be something stuck in the toilet's trap ("S" shaped bend just beyond view).

Kids are notorious for tossing toothbrushes in the loo and trying to flush them down so they can escape brushing their teeth. If you're brave, you can try to reach down there and feel around (this might be more tolerable if you can at least get the toilet to flush without backing up before you do it).

There are small toilet augers available at home/hardware supply stores - one of those might be able to snag whatever's blocking it.

Of course, you might be putting too much paper down there at one time - some water-conserving toilets aren't very good at swallowing a lot of paper, and I know how some women are when it comes to using TP - if you wrap 20 turns around your hand, it can "weave" itself into a pretty tough wad that won't break up very easily.

Answer 3

If the toilet is eventually draining, you can try drain cleaners to get at the clog. Use the liquid. It is heavier than water and will sink to the water trap under the toilet. When the toilet drains, flush it again to push the drain cleaner further down the pipe.

If the clog is not at the toilet, there's not much you can do except to have a plumber come out and snake the main drains. Are any of your other drains (sinks, shower, tub, etc.) slow to drain? If so, the problem is probably not with the toilet drain itself.

Answer 4

You could try this-
Pour 3 pots of boiling water water and a little dish soap in the toilet. I have used this method several times and it worked. It won't work if there is an insoluble object caught in the pipe.

Answer 5

turn off the water stop tap and then flush the chain the water tank on your toilet will not fill up again so no water for the toilet to fill up gain

Answer 6

sounds like the trap is full.