Blocked toilet

[allanb]

I'm not renovating a house, just trying to maintain it, but there seems to be no better place to post.

I need to clear a partly blocked toilet, and haven't made any progress with a plunger. I have what I think is called a snake, i.e. a length of springy coil wire with a handle at one end for turning it, and a short spiral thingy at the other end, presumably designed to worm its way into the blockage and either grab it or push it.

However, I'm not getting anywhere. As far as I can judge, the end of the snake is going no further than about the top of the inverted 'U' right behind the bowl. I've tried turning it, pushing it, wiggling it, but no luck. What I find odd is that it seems to be coming up abruptly against a hard surface, which I think must be part of the fixture; in other words, there doesn't seem to be a smooth inner curve of the U-bend around which it might eventually slide.

Can anyone suggest anything? Is this a peculiarity of French toilet design? (That doesn't seem likely.) Is there a special technique I have to learn? Is it possible I've got the wrong device?

[Alan Zoff]

There was a thread on almost identical situation a few months back if you can find it

[dave21478]

Depends on the way its fixed, but it will probably be quicker in the long run to remove the toilet altogether, which will tell you if the blockage is in the pan itself or the pipework beyond. If its in the pipes further downstream, removing the pan gives you much better access with the device you have to get at the problem without having to weave it around the bends of the pan,

[idun]

We used the 'snake' once. We had a blocked toilet and lived in a first floor appt and there were three floors above us. It worked, but I was worried about a sort of blow back, so did it nekkid, but I did wear a shower cap, as I didn't fancy my hair getting messed, if the worst happened.

As I said the snake worked well.

I've known other people give up and simply renew the pipe work.

Didn't Destop work?