The water in my toilet is rising
You flush, and instead of swirling away the water creeps up towards the rim. Or the bowl slowly fills when someone runs the shower or the washing machine. Rising water in a toilet almost always means a blockage, either in the toilet itself or further down the sewer line. Here's what to do right now, and how to tell where the blockage is.
Right now
- Don't flush again. Another flush adds more water to a bowl that can't drain.
- Turn off the toilet's water valve on the wall behind or beside it, so the cistern stops refilling.
- Stop using water in the rest of the house if the water rises when other fixtures drain.
- Check the overflow relief gully outside, the small grate near the house. If it's overflowing, the blockage is in the main sewer line.
Where is the blockage?
Just the toilet
If only the toilet is slow and everything else drains normally, the blockage is likely in the toilet pan or the short pipe below it: too much paper, wipes or something dropped in.
The whole house
If the toilet rises when the shower, bath or washing machine drains, the blockage is further down where the pipes join, often in the main sewer line from tree roots or a build-up of wipes.
What not to do
- Don't pour chemical drain cleaner into the toilet. It can damage the pan and pipes, and it's dangerous if the toilet then overflows.
- Don't keep plunging hard if the water is near the rim. You'll end up with it on the floor.
- Don't flush wipes, even "flushable" ones. They're one of the main causes of the blockages we clear.
How we fix it
For a blocked pan we clear it with the right tools without damaging the porcelain. For a main line blockage we clear it with a high-pressure jetter from the inspection opening, then run a camera through to see whether roots or a broken pipe caused it. You get clear options and a fixed price before any work starts. See blocked toilets and blocked drains.
In southern Eastern Suburbs homes
Tree roots in old clay sewer lines are the most common cause of whole-house blockages we see in Matraville, Maroubra and Malabar. If your toilet keeps rising every few months, roots are a likely culprit, and a camera inspection shows whether a lasting repair like pipe relining makes sense.
Why locals call us
- Local to Matraville and the southern Eastern Suburbs
- Free on-site quotes, with a fixed price before any work starts
- Lifetime labour warranty on our workmanship
- 100+ five-star Google reviews
- Licensed plumbers and gasfitters (Lic. 398171C)
Common questions
Why is my toilet water rising when I flush?
The toilet or the sewer pipe below it is blocked, so the water can't drain away and fills the bowl instead.
Why does my toilet fill up when the shower or washing machine drains?
The blockage is further down where the pipes join, so water from other fixtures backs up into the toilet. It's usually in the main sewer line.
Will the toilet overflow?
It can if you keep flushing. Stop flushing, turn off the toilet's water valve and avoid using water until it's cleared.
Can a rising toilet unblock itself?
Sometimes the water slowly drains, but the blockage is still there and usually gets worse. It's best cleared properly.
Related help: blocked toilets, blocked drains, gurgling drains, drain jetting and our sewer responsibility guide. Local pages: blocked drains Matraville, blocked drains Maroubra, blocked drains Malabar and blocked drains Coogee.