strausser asked:


Well my son threw a mouthwash cap in the toilet and my lovely wife flushed it. If u flush anything more than one piece of paper down it overflows.. How do we get this out w/out a calling a plumber?
LESTER

10 Responses to “Our son threw a large cap in the toilet. How do i get it out w/o paying a plumber big bucks?”

1. JASPER on January 19th, 2009 7:21 pm

   TRACY

   Try a plunger

2. ANGEL on January 19th, 2009 10:32 pm

   THERON

   try opening up a wire coat hanger and see if you can fish it out that way _ (leave a hook or something on the end)

3. CLAY on January 22nd, 2009 11:34 pm

   RICHARD

   Hahaha..that kind of stuff happens around here all the time. Have you tried usuing a “snake”? You can usually get one in the hardware store, perhaps it can help if a plunger doesn’t. If neither one of those work..afraid you will have to call a plumber.

4. GARY on January 25th, 2009 6:05 pm

   JAIME

   Turn the water off to the toilet, drain the toilet, and unscrew the bolts to the floor to get the toilet up. Use a wire hanger to try to dislodge it or your hand if it will get to it. Keep at it until you can get it out. Then bolt it back down. Simple as pie. You could have other things like Q-tips keeping the water from going down like it should..if so, you will find it when you pull the toilet up. Good luck. I can do it, so I know you can. Oh, and get a seal for it as well. They are usually wax. This way the toilet will not leak around the bottom as you will move the seal already in place. They aren’t but like $1 and you can get them at any hardware store.

5. WINSTON on January 28th, 2009 7:58 pm

   AVERY

   First, I would try a wire hanger.

   Depending on the size of the cup, the toilet will have to be removed from the floor. It is a somewhat simple project. Go to your nearest hardware store for instructions.

   Good luck…

6. MICKEY on January 30th, 2009 5:26 pm

   GILBERT

   First try a plunger, ya never know it could work. You might be able to use a snake (you can get it at Home Depot) but if its really really really stuck. Then you might have to actually take the toilet off of the floor. It’s not near as hard as it sounds. Search some tutorials.

7. REX on February 3rd, 2009 12:32 am

   HECTOR

   It’s a tricky job and it would probably be better to call the plumber. However if you absolutely must do it yourself, here’s what you can try.
   Turn the water off to the toilet (there should be a shutoff underneath it) and drain it. Use an extendable pipe fish (aka snake) to try to clear the blockage. If that doesn’t help you might have to go underneath the floor and clear out (or replace) the trap, which might call for complete removal of the toilet if the pipes can’t be easily accessed.

8. ANTON on February 4th, 2009 9:35 pm

   ULYSSES

   Can’t believe with 8 answers on the board, no one has suggested that you simply stick your hand into the toilet and remove the cap. If your arm is too big around to fit down the drain, have your wife do it. If either of you are queasy about reaching into toilet water, put a plastic trashbag over your arm. It’s easier to fish stuff out with your hand then a hanger, and MUCH easier that pulling the toilet up.

   As for calling a plumber…I’m laughing so loud that my wife just came in to see what’s so funny. You might as well buy a new toilet for what it would cost to have a plumber come out.

9. CHRIS on February 7th, 2009 7:25 am

   HERBERT

   It sounds like there is possibly more down there then just the bottle cap.

   Before you tackle the problem, examine the guts in the tank behind the toilet bowel and determine if they should be replaced. You may want to purchase a kit that replaces these parts and also you will probably have to replace the wax bowel ring. Also have towels and/or mops available to mop up any water that will spill (maybe up to a gallon).

   Shut off the valve that supplies the water.

   Flush the toilet and hold down handle to get out as much water as possible.

   Disconnect the water supply.

   Loosen the nuts and bolts that hold the tank onto the bowl.
   NOTE - if the gaskets seem worn they should be replaced

   Remove the tank from the bowel.

   Loosen the 2 bolts holding down the bowel to the floor.

   Turn bowel over, see if obstruction is in the bowel.
   NOTE - remove old wax ring and replace when reinstaling toilet.

   Snake out pipe below where bowel was mounted if necessary.

   When replacing bowel, do not over tighten the bolts to the floor or the tank to the bowel, these connections are very fragile because of the porcelain material of the toilet..

10. RICARDO on February 10th, 2009 9:42 am

    MARVIN

    SHOP VAC TIME!!!! Hold the sealcock up and flush the toilet just as the last of the water goes out start vacuuming the water back and the cap will come out too. If not, remove the toilet(2 bolts on the floor) and use the shop vac and blow or vac the toilet. This works for toys caps straws tooth brushes combs screws batteries socks towel, shirts. I have had all of these,