I Need (DIY) Advice

Jukebox Jury

Retired
OK, returned home to Blighty this morning after three weeks away and discovered that my toilet system is frozen solid (don't ask me how I discovered this:eek::o).
The bowl is frozen and the cystern is too.

Any advice as to how to thaw it out without cracking the toilet?

Thanks

Jukebox Jury
 
How the hell did they freeze over? Is it an outside lavvy?

Try Bleach.
 
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OK, returned home to Blighty this morning after three weeks away and discovered that my toilet system is frozen solid (don't ask me how I discovered this:eek::o).
The bowl is frozen and the cystern is too.

Any advice as to how to thaw it out without cracking the toilet?

Would thawing the toilet do any good? Aren't the pipes frozen too?

Google suggests some plumbers may have electric pipe thawing equipment. I assume you've googled? Looks like others have dealt with this problem:

http://www.google.com/search?q=toilet+thaw+frozen
 
here's some expert advice that may or may not help.

http://http://www.homeserve.com/emergency/tips-burst-frozen-pipes

Turn the heating up temporarily. Check the water tank too. You may need to break ice to prevent the ball cock getting stuck.

Make sure there's not a hole in your bucket!

Thanks, I'll take a look:guitar:

How the hell did they freeze over? Is it an outside lavvy?

Have you tried antifreeze in the bowl & cystern?

My toilet / shower is down stairs and is bloody cold in there even in the summer!
Anti freeze......hmmmmm good idea (but have to thaw it first!)

Jukebox Jury
 
If the bowl and cistern are frozen, the rest of the toilet will be frozen solid too (the u-bend, waste pipe etc) so there's no point even trying to thaw it out. Maybe try putting a fan heater in the bathroom, turning it on and closing the door for a few hours to start it melting, but will take forever in this weather.

My suggestion? Get a big bucket.
 
Cancel the Curry!!

Caustic Soda might speed up the process of thawing the ice. However as has been mentioned already, the pipes could also be frozen too.
 
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If the bowl and cistern are frozen, the rest of the toilet will be frozen solid too (the u-bend, waste pipe etc) so there's no point even trying to thaw it out. Maybe try putting a fan heater in the bathroom, turning it on and closing the door for a few hours to start it melting, but will take forever in this weather.

My suggestion? Get a big bucket.

Cancel the Curry!!

Caustic Soda might speed up the process of thawing the ice. However as has been mentioned already, the pipes could also be frozen too.

Yes, there is a gas heater in there, next to the toilet and I have put that on and will see what happens.
My friend in Hebden Bridge has offered to put me up for a few days so could take up the offer - other than that, the bucket looks like it could be a good piece of advice:lbf:

Jukebox Jury
 
Yes, there is a gas heater in there, next to the toilet and I have put that on and will see what happens.
My friend in Hebden Bridge has offered to put me up for a few days so could take up the offer - other than that, the bucket looks like it could be a good piece of advice:lbf:

Jukebox Jury

For some reason, the image of a man squatting over a bucket is making me laugh. Best of luck whatever happens.
 
For some reason, the image of a man squatting over a bucket is making me laugh. Best of luck whatever happens.

You don't have to have the real life image of me ''going back into the bowl, hand in a carrier bag'' scooping out what I deposited in there in the first place:eek::barf::sick:

Jukebox Jury
 
Have a really really really hot curry and then use it....:lbf:.....soz couldn't resist:rolleyes:;)
 
You don't have to have the real life image of me ''going back into the bowl, hand in a carrier bag'' scooping out what I deposited in there in the first place:eek::barf::sick:

Jukebox Jury

The words 'plastic bag' and the subject of shit have reminded me of a story...

My friend, who is gay, pulled a man one night and went back to his place to do the nasty. In the morning my friend was dying for a shite after what had gone on the night before - but the guy he pulled was in the shower so he couldn't use the toilet. As he described it to me, he was "touching cloth and about to shit the bed" - instead of that, he spied a plastic bag and shat in that instead. Just as he finished up, the guy came back into his bedroom, sniffed a bit and asked, "Did you fart?" My mate had to make a swift exit, carrying his bag full of his own shit down 4 flights of stairs to the bins.
 
The words 'plastic bag' and the subject of shit have reminded me of a story...

My friend, who is gay, pulled a man one night and went back to his place to do the nasty. In the morning my friend was dying for a shite after what had gone on the night before - but the guy he pulled was in the shower so he couldn't use the toilet. As he described it to me, he was "touching cloth and about to shit the bed" - instead of that, he spied a plastic bag and shat in that instead. Just as he finished up, the guy came back into his bedroom, sniffed a bit and asked, "Did you fart?" My mate had to make a swift exit, carrying his bag full of his own shit down 4 flights of stairs to the bins.

I know a Nurse who had a similar situation. When she was younger she met a bloke down the pub and they went back to his place (both pissed). She stripped naked and agreed to have her wrists tied to the bed. The bloke said he had to pop out to get fags. This was Friday night. He returned on Sunday to find a very angry naked woman tied to his bed, which had piss and shit down the side of it. :sick:
 
Ummm, what happened to this thread? :squiffy: It was like grease lightening it turned to poo so fast.

I had no idea it got that cold in England. If you were in Los Angeles today you'd be picking out which shorts to wear today. Hope this helps. :D (And doesn't salt melt ice?)
 
Ummm, what happened to this thread? :squiffy: It was like grease lightening it turned to poo so fast.

I had no idea it got that cold in England. If you were in Los Angeles today you'd be picking out which shorts to wear today. Hope this helps. :D (And doesn't salt melt ice?)

The situation at JJ's sounds like it may be too cold for salt to be of use? Besides, what would he put on his chips?

The English like nothing better than talking about our backsides. I recommend the works of Kenneth Williams, if your interested :thumb:
 
The situation at JJ's sounds like it may be too cold for salt to be of use? Besides, what would he put on his chips?

The English like nothing better than talking about our backsides. I recommend the works of Kenneth Williams, if your interested :thumb:

I'm pretty sure I'll never have the image of poo "touching cloth" erased from my head. Thank you England. :p In America we call that groundhogging.
 
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