Living in a mobile home is quite convenient and enjoyable but when it comes to a clogged toilet, your mobile home will be unlivable because of foul odors from the toilet.
It is both embarrassing and uncouth. Your toilet should be fresh and conducive for transacting your hygiene issues.
Therefore, How Do You Unclog a Toilet in A Mobile Home?
With the right tools at hand, you can apply different methods, which we will highlight below, to unclog your toilet. If you are not a dexterous person, you will worsen the situation by trying to fix it yourself. You should call in a reputable plumber to handle the work. However, if you are planning to do it yourself, there are methods you can use to fix your clogged toilet.
You can save yourself the embarrassment of a clogged toilet by following the easy steps we will enumerate below.
Besides, you can save money by learning how to fix a clogged toilet yourself. So, let’s get right on to it.
Six Causes Of Toilet Clogging in Mobile Homes
Mobile homes often get clogged because the plumbing system is made of smaller diameter pipes.
The common causes of clogging are:
- Grease and fat deposits
- Cotton swaps
- Improper disposal of diapers
- Swipes
- Human hair
- Soap lather
Five Signs That Your Toilet Is Clogged
There are indicators to look out for if you are suspecting that your toilet is clogged.
Do not ignore and expect that it will go away.
The situation will keep getting worse and you will end up with undesirable consequences. So, watch out for these signs:
1. Foul Odors
Watch out for foul smells emanating from your toilet, bathroom, or kitchen sink.
This is an overt sign that your toilet is blocked.
Now, the blocked sewer waste in drainage pipes produces gases and as the pressure rises, the gases will try to escape through openings leading to the bathroom, toilet, and kitchen.
So, if you notice a foul smell in your mobile home, call in a plumber to check your toilet if it is clogged.
2. Slow Draining Water
Check if water is draining slowly after flushing your toilet. Again, this is a clear indicator that your toilet is blocked.
So, if you notice that your toilet’s flush rate has changed drastically and the level of water in the flushing bowl is taking longer to drop, then the drainage is blocked.
Sometimes you may notice that the water level in the bowl may drop lower than the usual level because of the vacuum effect in the blocked drainage.
3. Gurgling Sound When Flushing Your Toilet
The genesis of this sound is the change in the liquid to air ratio within the drainage system.
Sewer gases produce a gurgling sound as they attempt to escape through water seals in the drain system. The gurgling sound is an early sign that your toilet is clogged.
The blockage can be rectified in the nick of time at this stage and avoid further deterioration of the situation.
4. Overflowing Toilet Bowl
If you flush your toilet but the water fails to drain the load, then be sure that there is some blockage in your toilet.
This blockage is occasionally caused by excess toilet paper, or foreign materials, like children’s toys, stacked down the toilet drainage.
If this is the case, then it means that the blockage material is within the toilet and the rest of the drainage is working properly.
5. Overflowing Gully Trap Outside Your Mobile Home
The gully trap function as an alternative exit point for sewers in case of blocked home sewer drainage.
Tools And Materials Required to Unclog A Mobile Home Toilet
To get the job done, you will need the right tools and materials with you.
You will note that mobile home plumbing is different from on-site building plumbing.
Mobile homes tend to maximize space utilization even though the plumbing materials are the same.
So, here are the tools to keep in place before you begin the work:
- Protective clothing, gloves, and eyewear.
- Plumbing wrench
- Pliers
- Plunger
- Wire hanger
- Drain snake
- Dish detergent
- Ratio one to one mix of vinegar and baking soda
- Bucket
- Sanitizing/cleaning agent
To save you time, you should assemble all the required tools in a bucket or toolbox within your reach.
Now that you have the right tools right with you, let’s unclog your blocked toilet.
How To Unclog Your Mobile Home’s Toilet
If you are conversant with the toilet setup and mechanism in an onsite building, then it is virtually the same with the mobile home.
Before you begin to fix the blockage in your toilet, ensure you keep the safety precautions. Wear protective eyewear, gloves, and clothing.
Depending on the nature of the blockage and the availability of unclogging tools, choose any of the following procedures to unclog your toilet:
1. Shut Off The Toilet Water Source
This is to prevent the toilet water from spilling all over the floor.
Toilet water is a serious source of contamination especially if it is mixed with urine and feces.
Remove the lid from the tank and shut the toilet flapper to stop water movement to the toilet bowl.
2. Plunge The Drain
- Begin by soaking your plunger in hot water to increase its elasticity.
- Then fill the toilet bowl with water slightly past half.
- Now, add half a cup of detergent to the water and allow it to settle.
- This will help loosen the clog.
- Pump the plunger up and down until the water starts to recede in the toilet bowl.
3. Plumber’s Snake Method
This method will be handy if you are dealing with a stubborn clog.
- Extend it in the toilet until you reach the clog.
- Rotate the snake until you feel the clog moving.
- Pour hot water into the toilet.
- Repeat the steps until the clog is cleared.
4. Hot Water And Salt Method
If you do not have any tools at all, use boiling water and salt to unblock your toilet.
However, this method should not be used for PVC pipes.
- Drain the water that stagnates in the bottom of the toilet.
- Boil water in two large pots (until the water starts rolling).
- Add a cup of salt to the water from the first pot and pour it down the clogged drain.
- Pour water from the second pot down the drain to rinse the system if it has opened.
5. Baking Soda And Vinegar Method
If you want to avoid chemicals, then you can apply this method.
- Drain the toilet water.
- Pour one cup of baking soda followed by one cup of distilled vinegar. Allow it to stand for one hour.
- Finally, pour one pot of hot water down the drain.
Final Thoughts
It is common for mobile home toilets to get clogged due to the nature of the plumbing system in place.
To minimize blockage, you should try to avoid it in the first place.
For instance, most clogs are caused by toys and other children’s playing material.
Therefore, you should keep off toys from the toilet.
Thankfully, there are methods you can use to unclog your toilet and avoid the mess that comes with water blockage.