Clogged WC: Stop the Nonsense! The Effective Methods of a Pro Plumber in Paris
It is the fear of any tenant or owner in Paris: you hunt, and instead of evacuating, the water rises dangerously to the edge of the basin. Panic sets in. In 90% of cases, the first instinct is the wrong one: pour a liter of corrosive chemical product or flush the toilet.
Stop everything. One Clogged toilet In an apartment building in Paris is not a trivial problem. Evacuation columns are often old, narrow, and shared. Chez Network tubing, we respond to these emergencies on a daily basis. Here is our complete guide to managing the crisis without making the situation worse, and to understand when a Plumber unclogging becomes unavoidable.
Why is your toilet clogged up? (The diagnosis)
Before you get started, you need to understand. In Paris, we encounter three types of traffic jams:
1. The “Paper Cork” (The Most Common)
An excess of toilet paper, or worse, the use of “biodegradable” wipes (which are not biodegradable enough for old networks) creates a compact cluster in the siphon or first bend.
2. The Fallen Object (The air freshener block)
It's a classic. The air freshener block attached to the rim falls into the bowl and gets stuck in the siphon. Attention: If you push with a broom, you send it further into the pipe, making the intervention much more complex (dismantling the bowl mandatory).
3. Limestone (The Parisian Disease)
Paris water is hard. Over the years, limestone reduces the diameter of your drainage pipes, like a clogged artery. The passage becomes so narrow that the smallest piece of paper is enough to block everything. Here, the suction cup will be useless: you have to clean.
The 3 Mistakes You Should Never Make
Mistake No. 1: Shoot the Chase Several Times
If the water has not gone down, it will not go down faster with 10 liters more. You simply risk overflowing on your floor (and water damage to the neighbor). The right reflex: Turn off the WC shut-off valve (often on the side of the tank) or the general water supply.
Mistake #2: Acid and Chemical Unblockers
We say it strongly: Banish hydrochloric acid.
- Danger for you: Risk of severe burns and toxic fumes.
- Danger for the building: In old Parisian buildings, the joints are old and sometimes made of lead or cast iron. The acid eats away at the joints, creating cascading leaks. In addition, if the plumber has to intervene next, he may be burned by the acidic water that stagnates.
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Mistake #3: The Metal Hanger
Using an unfolded hanger scratches the enamel on your ceramic (unrepairable) and risks piercing the flexible drain pipe (often made of fragile plastic accordion behind the WC).
“Home Made” Solutions That Work (Sometimes)
Before calling us, you can try these two mechanical techniques:
- The Suction Cup (The Real One): You have to create a back and forth movement to remove the cork by suction. Watch out for splashes.
- Hot Water (Not Boiling) + Dishwashing Liquid: For a bucket of very hot water with dishwashing liquid high up. Pressure and heat can sometimes break up a cork of grease or light paper.
How to Detect an Invisible Water Leak in Your Home
Pro Intervention: When Should You Call Tubing Network?
If the water is still stagnant after your attempts, the plug is either too dense or located too far away (in the building column).
Our Disgorgement Tools
Our artisans arrive by cargo bike (faster in an emergency) with the appropriate equipment:
- The Manual Pressure Pump: It sends a “pressure surge” of water under pressure to expel the cork without chemicals.
- The Electric Ferret: A flexible metal rod in a spiral that rotates at high speed to crush the cork (paper, roots, limestone) up to 10 or 15 meters in the pipe.
- The hydroscrubber (Kärcher high pressure): For extreme cases or blocked building columns.
Price Transparency: No Surprise
The sector of Clogged Toilet Repair is known for its 800€ scams on Sundays. At Tubing Network, we announce the color:
- Simple Unclogging Package (Pump/Manual Ferret): Fixed rate announced on the phone.
- Bowl Disassembly Package: If a hard object blocks the siphon, we need to dismantle the toilet, remove the object, and put the toilet back together with a new seal. The price is validated by quotation before touching a bolt.
Conclusion: Don't Let the Situation Rot
A clogged toilet is a health emergency. Don't wait for water to seep into the neighbours. Contact a craftsman who is proud of his job, equipped and honest.
Tubing Network - Plumbers and proud of it!
