What to Do If a Toilet Backs Up Into the Shower

Sewage backing up from the toilet into the shower is obviously a problem you must fix immediately. A backup of this nature may indicate a clog in the main sewer line that all of your plumbing drains into, so sinks and washers eventually will back up too. Another possibility is that the clog is in a shared drain pipe connected to both the toilet and the shower drains. In this case, the problem will remain specific to your shower and toilet.

A local clog affects only the shower and the toilet. The blockage in the line is somewhere between the point where the two drain lines tie together and the main line.

Use a plunger to force the blockage loose. If you have one, use a flange plunger designed to seal off the toilet bowl. You may want to get a second standard plunger and have an assistant seal off the drain in the shower to increase the thrust action of the plunger.

Plunge the toilet up and down several times and then quickly break the seal by pulling the plunger sharply upward. You may need to do this several times to force the blockage through.

Use a closet auger (a drain snake designed specifically for toilets) if plunging does not work. This is often enough to break up local clogs.

If your clog is in the main sewer line, you must determine the best place to gain access to the pipe. Since it is possible that the equipment will pull out some unsanitary mess, it is preferable to start at an outside cleanout. If your home does not have an outdoor accessible cleanout, find a basement or floor cleanout in the house, or pull a toilet to gain access to the lines.

Rent, buy, or borrow a sewer auger to clear out the blocked line. Cable length is important because if it is too short it may not reach the clog, and if you let out too much it may become tangled in the septic tank or city sewer system.

In addition to the snake, you will need gloves that will allow you to feed the cable into the pipe. "Ugly gloves" are coated with a hard plastic that allows the cable to turn as you push it in.

Once you have the gloves on and the equipment in place, cleaning out the clog is simple. Turn on the rotating snake and gently feed the cable into the access point in the pipe. Once the cable reaches the clog, you will feel the resistance. Allow the head of the snake to penetrate the clog and move past it, then stop the machine and reverse it, allowing the snake to make another pass. If you feel more resistance, repeat as many times as necessary. When the pipe feels clear, reverse it and feed the snake cable back onto the spool.

With the main drain line now clear, your toilet and shower should drain properly with no sewage backup. Many professional plumbers can accomplish this task and already have the necessary equipment if you do not feel confident enough to do it yourself.