Your DIY toolkit
- A flange plunger with a rubber extension, not a flat sink plunger
- A closet auger, which has a curved shaft that protects the porcelain
- Rubber gloves and old towels for the floor
- A bucket for extra water, and dish soap
- A flashlight to look in the bowl if an object is stuck
Try the soap and hot water trick
Squirt a good amount of dish soap into the bowl and pour in a bucket of hot tap water from waist height. The soap lubricates the clog, and the warm water helps it break up. Do not use boiling water, which can crack porcelain.
Let it sit for ten or fifteen minutes before plunging. This works on paper clogs and soft waste, and costs nothing.
If the plunger fails, use the auger
Seat the auger
Put the curved end in the bowl so it points down the drain.
Crank slowly
Turn the handle as you push the cable until you feel the clog.
Break or hook it
Work the cable back and forth, then pull gently to retrieve any object.
Flush to test
Flush once and watch the water. A slow drain means the clog is not gone.
Toilet still not draining?
Call and a plumber will clear the line, pull the toilet if needed and check the seal when it goes back.
Mistakes that make it worse
Flushing repeatedly to see if the clog moves floods the bathroom. Chemical drain cleaners can damage the bowl and leave caustic water that burns skin. Pushing a coat hanger can scratch the porcelain and snag in the trap.
If the clog is a toy or another hard object, stop and call. Pushing it deeper can block the drain, and a plumber can pull the toilet to retrieve it.
Septic systems and rural addresses near Caldwell
Not every address around Caldwell is on the city sewer. Some rural properties use septic systems, which Southwest District Health, the public health district serving Canyon County, oversees. Wipes, paper towels and other items that do not break down can clog a septic system as well as a drain.
Inside city limits, the City of Caldwell sewer system includes more than 300 miles of main, and the city's pretreatment program asks residents to keep cooking oil and grease out of toilets and drains. If several homes on your street are affected, call the sewer emergency line at (208) 949-1278.
Resetting a toilet or replacing its flange is plumbing work under the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) with Idaho amendments, so leave anything beyond plunging and an auger to a licensed plumber.
Source: Southwest District Health and City of Caldwell Wastewater Treatment Plant and Pretreatment pages
Stop and call if you notice
Water or waste comes up in a tub or shower
The clog is in a shared drain.
Gurgling in other fixtures
Air is being pushed past a blockage in the line.
The bowl refills to the brim every time
The blockage is past the trap.
A sewer smell in the lowest part of the house
The main line may be backing up.
The clog returns within days
A deeper problem needs a camera and a cable.
You cannot see or reach the obstruction
A plumber can pull the toilet.
Cleaning up safely
Wear gloves while handling the plunger and the towels, and wash everything with hot water and a disinfectant. Do not use the same bucket for food or pet use afterward.
Mop the floor around the toilet with a disinfectant and let it dry. Wash your hands for at least twenty seconds, and put the plunger in a bucket or a dedicated holder to dry.
Keeping the next clog away
Teach everyone in the house to use no more than a few squares of paper at a time, and to flush twice if needed. A second flush, not a second wad of paper, is safer for the drain.
If you have a toilet that clogs often, consider a replacement. Modern toilets flush with a strong swirl and a wide trapway, and they often cure the problem for good.
After the clog
Run the sink and tub to check that they drain freely. If anything is slow, the clog may have been further down than the toilet, and a drain cleaning visit is worth booking.
Look at the base for water. If the toilet rocks or leaks after the clog is cleared, the wax ring has failed and it is time to call.
Questions Caldwell homeowners ask
It lubricates the clog and helps the plunger move it. Use a generous squirt and warm water.
Yes. It has a rubber sleeve that protects the porcelain, and a coat hanger does not.
The drop is shorter, and a partial blockage in the stack can slow flow. A plumber can cable the line.
No. Wipes and paper towels do not break down and can clog septic lines and tanks. Southwest District Health oversees septic systems in Canyon County.
If the water does not drop after three rounds of plunging and an auger pass, or if other drains are slow or gurgling, call a plumber.
Yes. See the page for Middleton and the service area page.