If your toilet is stopped up and if the water level is low, there is an alternative if a plunger doesn’t work.
- Fill a bucket or plastic wastebasket with warm water and pour it into the bowl from waist level or higher.
- Repeat if necessary after the water level is once again low.
Periodically check your toilets for leaks:
- Place a few drops of food coloring in the tank — not the bowl. A couple of tablespoons of instant coffee or Kool-Aid will work too.
- Check the toilet after about thirty minutes. If the water in the bowl has some of the color in it, the tank is leaking and the stopper (“flapper”) and/or flush valve seat may need to be replaced.