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How to fix blocked toilet, bathtub and sink?

rashimca
Finding My Feet

How to fix blocked toilet, bathtub and sink?

Hi There, I've been dealing with a nightmare of a blocked toilet, bathtub and bathroom sinks. Whenever I flush, the water drains very very slowly, filling all the way to the top of the toilet bowl. I'm also experiencing a similar issue with the bathroom sink. I can hear air popping out from the other whenever I use either the toilet or the bathroom sink.

I have tried multiple drain clean solutions such as Drano 1.2L Bathroom Max Gel Liquid, Drain Clean 1L Powerful Liquid, Drain Clean 2L Hair Unclogger, Kinetic Multi Size Suction Pump Drain Cleaner, Easy Off 1L Bathroom Gel Drain Cleaner, Drano 1.2L Bathroom Max Gel Liquid, Also i tried inserting Kinetic 6mm x 4m Gun Type Cleaner manual auger to shoot through the drains, It goes through the kitchen, bathroom sink pipes with ease. However pretty hard to  penetrate fully through bathtub and toilet bowl.  

I am fully confused to understand whether it's internal drainage or external drainage issue and don't know how to fix this anymore. Unfortunately i do not have enough luxury to call Plumber and spend lot of money :unhappy:

Any suggestions will be greatly helpful? Thanks in advance.

MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: Blocked toilet, bathtub and sin

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @rashimca. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about blocked drainage lines.

You’ve already done a very thorough job trying to tackle this yourself. It’s clear you’ve tried just about every common DIY solution out there, from chemical drain cleaners and plungers to a manual auger. That level of effort rules out a minor clog and really suggests this isn’t something that can be fixed with products off the shelf or handheld tools.

 

Given the symptoms you’ve described – slow draining across multiple fixtures, gurgling sounds, and air pushing back – it’s likely the issue lies deeper in your drainage system, not just a single fixture. One common cause, especially if there are large trees nearby, is a blockage in the main sewer line caused by debris or tree roots. These kinds of blockages can’t be cleared with home tools and usually require a professional drainage plumber to auger out the line with a motorised machine.

 

I completely understand the financial pressure, but based on what you’ve tried so far, a professional cleanout is likely the only real way forward. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

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Re: Blocked toilet, bathtub and sin

Thanks for your recommendations @MitchellMc 

 

Apologies for not getting back sooner - I read your message but couldn’t respond the other day.

 

After doing some more inspection around the house, I found that the backyard drainage pipe was completely full, showing signs that drain couldn’t pass through. On Friday, I tried cleaning it using an Ozito wet & dry vacuum. It turned out to be a pretty tough job — I had to manually empty 13 –15 buckets (20L each) from a 2m hole. The water finally started flowing slowly after that, but unfortunately, the same issue came back very next day.

 

I then purchased a Josco drill-powered pump to try and remove the water more efficiently. Initially, I had trouble using it with my regular Ozito drill/impact driver, but it worked like a charm with a hammer drill. This mini pump was a lifesaver and definitely a great buy.

 

Once the water was cleared from the downpipe, I used an Ozito pressure washer to flush out the dirt and debris underneath — that also helped quite a bit.

 

At the moment, water is flowing through the pipe again, but I suspect the issue might return. Because I noticed what appears to be some toys stuck hard inside the drainage pipe. The current Ozito vacuum isn’t powerful enough to suck them out.

 

Do you have any recommendations for a more powerful vacuum or alternative method to remove stuck objects from a drainage pipe? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Uploaded some images for reference.

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Thanks again in advance.

EricL
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: Blocked toilet, bathtub and sin

Hello @rashimca 

 

I propose looking at the Kinetic 6mm x 7.6m Wire Toilet Auger to try and unlock the toy that is blocking the drain pipe. See if you can hook the toy with the curled end or loosen it by pushing. If the toy refuses to move, I can only suggest engaging the services of a plumber. They will have the proper tools to remove the blockage in your drain pipe.

 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

 

Eric

 

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Re: Blocked toilet, bathtub and sin

Thanks @EricL 

 

Let me give it another shot. I tried using my

Kinetic 6mm x 4m gun type cleaner but had no luck with it.

Let’s see how the wire toilet auger goes.

Noyade
Home Improvement Guru

Re: Blocked toilet, bathtub and sin

"It turned out to be a pretty tough job — I had to manually empty 13 –15 buckets"

 

I'm just an interested bystander @rashimca with a history of sewer issues and some experience.

I strongly believe it's time to stop probing and 'sucking' out your raw sewage.

Ring a plumbing firm, discuss the issues - and the monetary problem - they may provide a payment plan.

For you and the health of your family I think this is a better way to go.

Cheers.

Re: Blocked toilet, bathtub and sin

Thanks!

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I spent some time today and was finally able to fix the issue. Here’s what I did:

  1. Dug around the downpipe — about 500mm deep and 200mm wide
  2. Cut the pipe using a Craftright junior hacksaw
  3. Luckily, I managed to reach and pull out the handle of a plastic cricket bat (around 400mm long), along with a few other items — 1 tennis ball, 1 rubber ball, 1 small slipper, and a long plastic straw
  4. Rejoined the pipe using a 100mm PVC pipe coupling slip
  5. Refilled the dug area with the soil

Finally, happy that it’s fixed — and fingers crossed there’s nothing else left inside!

EricL
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: Blocked toilet, bathtub and sin

Hello @rashimca 

 

It's good to hear that you've managed to remove the blockage. Hopefully the soil was not too hard to dig out. Hopefully there will be no more blockages and your drain works properly. 

 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

 

Eric

 

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