Four quick questions tell you whether to reach for the plunger, leave it for a plumber, or call Urban Utilities, with what it usually costs in Ipswich.
Every flush adds water to a bowl that can’t empty. If it is near the rim, turn off the stop tap behind or beside the cistern.
Run the basin or shower for a few seconds and look at the grated gully outside. If they are slow or the gully is overflowing, the blockage is in the drain, not the toilet.
A flange plunger, sealed over the outlet, 10 to 15 firm strokes, two or three tries. Not if something solid went down: that needs a plumber.
Or straight away if something solid is stuck, other drains are affected or it keeps happening.
Typical Ipswich ranges from the price guide Renting? See who pays
| Job | Typical range | When |
|---|---|---|
| Unblock a toilet | $95–$180 | Plunger or toilet auger, business hours |
| Simple blockage, toilet or kitchen drain | $100–$200 | An Ipswich plumber’s figure for a basic blockage |
| Blocked drain clear | $180–$550 | When the blockage is past the toilet |
| Clear with a camera and jetting | $350–$900 | When it keeps coming back |
Sewage from a manhole or the street, or the same problem next door, means the sewer main is blocked, not your toilet. It is Urban Utilities’ to clear, 24 hours a day. Stop flushing and running water until they have been.
Typical cost: Nothing to you if the fault is in the main.
When the shower or basin is slow too, or the gully outside is overflowing, the blockage is further down the pipe the toilet drains into. A plunger can’t reach it and pushing harder can force sewage out of the gully. A plumber clears it with a drain machine or a jetter, and a camera shows why it blocked if it keeps happening.
Typical cost: $180–$550 for most Ipswich drain clears; $350–$900 with a camera and jetting.
A solid object usually sits in the bend inside the pan. Plunging hard or forcing a wire through can push it further, into the drain, where it becomes a bigger job. A plumber can usually retrieve it with a toilet auger; sometimes the pan has to come off the floor.
Typical cost: $95–$180 for a toilet unblock; more if the pan has to be lifted.
Only the toilet affected, and nothing solid down it: most of these clear with a plunger. Use a flange plunger (the one with a rubber sleeve under the cup), seal it over the outlet, and give 10 to 15 firm pushes and pulls. Keep enough water in the bowl to cover the cup. Two or three goes is enough: if it hasn’t cleared by then, call a plumber.
Typical cost: Free if it clears. If not, $95–$180 for a plumber to unblock it.
The plumber will try a toilet auger first, which reaches through the pan’s bend without scratching it. If the blockage is past the pan, it is a drain job. If this keeps happening, ask about a camera inspection: roots and sagging pipes don’t clear for long.
Typical cost: $95–$180 for a toilet unblock; $180–$550 if it turns out to be the drain.
Usually $95–$180 in business hours if the blockage is in the toilet. If it is further down the drain, most Ipswich drain clears are $180–$550. After hours adds $100 to $250.
If only the toilet is affected, the blockage is usually in the pan or just past it. If the shower or basin is slow or gurgling too, or the grated gully outside is overflowing, it is in the drain the toilet empties into, and a plunger won’t reach it.
No. Chemical cleaners rarely clear a toilet blockage, can damage pipes and seals, and leave caustic water in the bowl. Use a flange plunger, or call a plumber.
Yes. In Queensland a blocked or broken toilet is an emergency repair. Tell the property manager or the nominated repairer in your lease straight away; if you can’t reach them, you can arrange the repair yourself up to four weeks’ rent.
Wipes and too much paper are the usual cause. If it blocks with normal use, look further down: tree roots, a sagging pipe or a partly blocked drain. A camera inspection shows which.
Send what is happening and your suburb. A licensed local plumber who covers your area gets back to you with a price before any work starts.