Toilet Won’t Flush or Drain Away

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Licensed plumbers across Brisbane, Perth & Adelaide

G★★★★★
4.6 · 2,000+ Google reviews

A toilet that will not flush or drain away is blocked, in the toilet itself or in the drain beyond it, and if it is your only toilet or it is backing up, it is urgent. Our licensed plumbers answer the phone 24/7 and clear the blockage with a closet auger, drain machine or high-pressure jetter, then, if it keeps happening, use a CCTV camera to find the cause, often tree roots or a damaged pipe in the line, and fix it so it stops. We get your toilet draining properly again fast. We clear toilet and drain blockages across Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, around the clock, with an upfront fixed price.

Why choose Same Day Trades when your toilet will not drain

We are local, licensed and insured plumbers who do this work every day, so we get it right the first time, with no mess and no surprises on the invoice.

Fully licensed and insured plumbers
Upfront fixed pricing before we start
Same-day service where we can, with 24/7 phones
Workmanship guaranteed and the job left clean
Servicing Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide

Whatever the job, you get honest advice and a tidy, professional result.

Why your toilet will not drain

When a toilet will not flush the waste away, or the bowl fills and drains slowly or not at all, there is a blockage stopping the flow, either in the toilet trap itself or in the drain beyond it. A blockage in the toilet is often something that should not have been flushed, wipes, sanitary products, too much paper, or an object, while a blockage beyond the toilet is in the branch drain or the main sewer line. If the water rises and drains very slowly, or backs up, the blockage is stopping the waste getting away. We clear the blockage and get your toilet draining properly across Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Blockage in the toilet vs the drain

An important distinction is whether the blockage is in the toilet itself or further down the drain. A blockage in the toilet trap, the S-bend built into the pan, is often clearable with a flange plunger or a closet auger, and is usually caused by something flushed that lodged there. A blockage in the drain beyond the toilet, the branch or main line, is deeper and needs a drain machine or jetter, and if it affects other fixtures too, it is in the shared line. How the toilet behaves, and whether other fixtures are affected, tells us where the blockage is. We diagnose this and target the right spot to clear it.

When other fixtures are affected too

A key clue is whether the toilet is the only thing affected or whether other fixtures are too. If just the toilet will not drain, the blockage is usually in or near the toilet. But if the toilet will not drain and the shower, bath or floor drains are also slow or backing up, especially if flushing makes them gurgle or rise, the blockage is in the shared main drain or sewer line that they all connect to. This is a more significant blockage, often tree roots or a build-up in the main line, that needs clearing and diagnosing. We establish from the symptoms whether it is a local toilet blockage or a main-line problem, and clear the right part.

Common causes

A toilet that will not drain is usually caused by:

Flushing the wrong things, wipes (even flushable), sanitary products, nappies, cotton buds or too much paper
Objects dropped in, especially by children
A build-up in the drain over time
Tree roots growing into the drain line, a top cause of recurring blockages
A cracked, collapsed or sagging pipe trapping waste

A one-off blockage is often something flushed; a toilet that repeatedly will not drain usually has a drain problem like roots or a damaged pipe, which we find with a camera.

What you can try first

For a simple toilet blockage, it is worth trying a few things before calling:

Use a flange plunger (not a flat cup one), which seals into the toilet outlet, and plunge firmly several times
Do not keep flushing a toilet that will not drain, as it can overflow
If it is slowly clearing, a bucket of water from height can help shift it

Avoid chemical drain cleaners in toilets, they are ineffective on solid blockages and hazardous. If plunging does not clear it, the blockage is deeper and needs a plumber with the right equipment.

How we clear it

We clear a toilet that will not drain with the right professional equipment for where the blockage is. For a blockage in or near the toilet, we use a closet auger, a tool designed to clear the toilet trap without damaging the pan. For a blockage further down the drain, we use a drain machine (electric eel) or a high-pressure water jetter to clear and scour the line. If the toilet keeps blocking, we inspect the drain with a camera to find the cause. We clear the blockage to get the toilet draining, then, where needed, address the underlying cause so it does not keep happening.

When a toilet keeps blocking

If your toilet repeatedly will not drain, despite being cleared and despite careful use, there is usually an underlying cause in the drain, most often tree roots growing into the line, or a cracked, collapsed or sagging pipe trapping waste. Clearing the blockage restores flow briefly, but it returns because the underlying problem remains. We investigate recurring blockages with a camera to see exactly what is causing them, then fix the cause, clearing and sealing roots with relining, or repairing a damaged pipe, so the toilet stops blocking for good. Repeatedly clearing a toilet that keeps blocking is a false economy; finding and fixing the cause is the real solution.

Backups and sewage

If your toilet not only will not drain but is backing up, with water, or worse, sewage, rising in the bowl or coming up elsewhere, treat it as urgent. A backup means the blockage is significant and the waste has nowhere to go, and sewage backing up is a health hazard as well as a damaging mess. Avoid flushing further, keep the area clear, and call us straight away, our phones are answered 24/7. We will clear the blockage, including in the main line if that is where it is, to stop the backup, then find the cause. A toilet backing up, especially with sewage, is exactly the kind of emergency we prioritise.

The only toilet in the house

A toilet that will not drain is always inconvenient, but if it is the only toilet in the home, it is effectively an emergency, you need it working. We understand this and prioritise such call-outs, aiming to get a plumber to you the same day, with phones answered around the clock, so you are not left without a usable toilet. We arrive with the equipment to clear the blockage wherever it is, and get your toilet draining and flushing properly again as quickly as possible. If your only toilet will not drain, do not struggle with it, call us and we will get it working again fast.

Preventing toilet blockages

Most toilet blockages are preventable by only flushing the three Ps, pee, poo and paper, and nothing else. The most common culprits we clear are wipes (even those labelled flushable), sanitary products, nappies, cotton buds and too much paper, none of which break down like toilet paper. Keeping a bin in the bathroom for everything else prevents the majority of blockages, and teaching children not to flush toys or excess paper helps too. If you have large trees near your drains, periodic camera checks keep roots in check. These simple habits save you the mess and inconvenience of a toilet that will not drain.

How much does it cost?

The cost of clearing a toilet that will not drain depends on where the blockage is and how it is cleared, a blockage in or near the toilet cleared with a plunger or auger is cheaper than a deep main-line blockage needing a jetter, or an underlying cause like roots needing a camera and further work. Emergency and after-hours call-outs cost more than a standard appointment. We give you an upfront fixed price before we start, and if there is an underlying cause to fix for a lasting solution, we will explain the options, so you can choose between a clear now and a permanent fix.

24/7 emergency service

A toilet that will not drain, especially the only one in the house or one that is backing up, is urgent, so we treat it that way. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we can usually get a licensed plumber to you the same day, including after hours, across Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. We arrive with augers, drain machines, jetters and cameras to clear the blockage wherever it is and find the cause if it keeps happening, with an upfront price. If your toilet is backing up or you have no working toilet, call us straight away and we will get to you as fast as possible to sort it.

Licensed, guaranteed plumbers

Clearing a toilet that will not drain properly takes the right equipment and a licensed plumber who clears it without damaging the pan and finds the cause if it keeps happening. Our team is fully licensed and insured, we clear toilet and drain blockages with augers, drain machines and jetters, inspect with a camera, and fix underlying causes like roots or damaged pipes, and we back our work. You get 24/7 emergency response, honest advice, upfront fixed pricing, and a toilet that drains and flushes properly. For a plumber near you for a toilet that will not drain, we cover Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Toilet will not drain FAQs

Why will my toilet not flush or drain away?

A blockage in the toilet trap or the drain beyond it is stopping the waste flushing away. It could be something flushed that should not have been, or a blockage further down the line.

Is it an emergency if my toilet will not drain?

If it is the only toilet, or it is backing up or overflowing, treat it as urgent. Our phones are answered 24/7 and we can usually attend same day.

Why do several drains and the toilet back up together?

When the toilet and other fixtures back up at once, the blockage is in the shared main line or sewer, often tree roots. We clear the main line and find the cause.

Can I clear it myself?

You can try a flange plunger. If it will not clear, do not keep flushing (it can overflow), and call a plumber with the right equipment.

How do you clear a blocked toilet drain?

We clear it with a closet auger, drain machine or high-pressure jetter, and inspect with a camera if it keeps happening, to find the cause.

Why does my toilet keep blocking?

Recurring blockages usually mean tree roots or a damaged pipe in the drain. We find the cause with a camera and fix it so it stops.

How much does it cost?

It depends on the blockage and the cause. We give you an upfront fixed price before we start.

Do you service my area?

Yes, we clear toilet and drain blockages across Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, with 24/7 emergency service.

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