You are on the camping trip of a lifetime, and suddenly, the toilet won’t flush — what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend getaway has been turned into a logistical nightmare, all because of a clogged RV toilet line.
Thankfully, you can unclog your RV toilet on your own with a few simple steps.
In this article, we’re going to explain how RV toilet clogs happen, provide easy-to-follow instructions to help you unclog your RV toilet, and help you avoid clogs long term.
Now, let’s get into it, and get you back on the road as soon as possible.
Key Points About Unclogging RV Toilets
- Confirm the type of RV toilet clog you have: Make sure you are dealing with a clogged toilet line prior to cleaning it, as other RV clogs require alternate methods to resolve them.
- Start simple: You may be able to unclog your RV toilet with a plunger. We like this one.
- For stubborn RV toilet clogs: You’ll need a premium, bacteria- and enzyme-based cleaner like Unique Clear-It to break up the clog.
- Water and time is the key: Unclogging an RV toilet requires plenty of water and time to resolve but can be fixed with minimal effort.
What is a Blocked RV Toilet Line?
RV toilet clogs usually occur in RVs when too much paper and waste is flushed without enough water. Why?
Well, RV plumbing typically includes bends and joints in the sewer pipes that can easily become clogged with waste and toilet paper, creating a blockage.
Usually when this happens your toilet bowl will fill with water or waste, but won’t drain. Learn: Why Using Lots of Water in Your RV Toilet and Black Tank is Crucial
Clogs in RV toilet lines are more likely to occur in RV’s where the toilet is not positioned directly over the black water tank, or when waste and toilet paper need to travel through long distances of pipe.
For additional information about using RV toilets, and the differences between camper toilets and home toilets, please review our guide: Can You Poop in an RV Toilet?
How to Unclog an RV Toilet: Blocked Toilet Line
Now that you know how clogged RV toilets happen, let’s help you fix the problem.
Confirm the Type of RV Toilet Clog You Have
It’s not always easy to tell what kind of RV toilet clog you’re dealing with.
Clogs in RV toilet lines, or black water plumbing systems, can often be confused with pyramid plugs because they share a common symptom: water pools in the toilet bowl because the clog prevents water from reaching the black water tank.
If you aren’t sure if you’re dealing with a blocked RV toilet line, make sure to refer to our guide: 3 Common Types of RV Toilet Clogs You Should Know About
If after fully diagnosing the clog you discover that you have a pyramid plug, please review our guide: How to Get Rid of an RV Pyramid Plug.
Unclogging an RV Toilet: Step-By-Step Instructions
If you’ve determined that you have a blocked toilet line, don’t stress, because thankfully, fixing this type of RV toilet clog may be as simple as using a toilet plunger –- similar to the way you would at home.
However, if a plunger doesn’t work, the process for unclogging an RV toilet line is still very straightforward.
Step 1: Turn off the supply of fresh water to your RV.
Step 2: Hold down the flush pedal.
Step 3: Use a toilet plunger.
Attempt to force the blockage out of the toilet line, similar to how you would at home. We like this plunger.
- If the plunger clears the blockage, proceed to step 8.
- If the plunger doesn’t clear the blockage, proceed to step 4.
Step 4: Hold down the flush pedal and pour one entire bottle of Unique Clear-It into the RV toilet bowl.
Step 5: Let the RV toilet treatment sit in the toilet overnight, or longer.
Some RV toilet clogs may be broken up in as little as a few hours, but for the majority of clogs, you can expect Clear-It to unclog your tank in 12-48 hours.
Stubborn clogs may require 72 hours or more. There is no amount of time that is too long to let the treatment sit, the longer the better!
Step 6: Try to plunge the toilet again in the morning.
- If the clog is cleared, proceed to step 8.
- If the clog is not cleared, proceed to step 7.
Step 7: Using ½” PEX pipe, or a toilet snake, try to break up the clog.
Push the PEX pipe or toilet snake down the line until it breaks through the clog and into the black water tank.
Step 8: Once the blockage is cleared, turn the fresh water supply back on.
Hold down the flush pedal for a while to make sure residual residue and debris are cleared from the pipe.
Step 9: Dump the black water tank.
Step 10: Thoroughly rinse the black water tank.
Fill it completely with water and then dump the tank. Do this twice.
And that’s it, if you’ve followed the steps above you should have a clog-free RV toilet.
If you’ve followed the entire process above and are still experiencing issues, please reach out to our wonderful Customer Support Team. Our team of experts are ready to help you fix problems and get your tanks back on track.
How to Prevent Clogged RV Toilets With The Unique Method
While there is no magic solution for RV toilet clogs, there are a few rules that can help you resolve existing clogs, and even prevent them from occurring in the future.
Created over 30 years of solving RV wastewater problems professionally, The Unique Method was developed to help RVers reliably solve their most challenging wastewater problems.
The process includes only two things — following the right process, and using the right products.
Keep Your RV Toilet Unclogged With These Best Practices
The following tips are part of The Unique Method and can help you to avoid 99% of your wastewater issues before they even occur.
- Always keep your black tank valve closed, unless you’re dumping a full tank.
- Keep several inches of water in your RV toilet bowl (unless driving), which creates a water barrier, preventing foul smells from seeping into your RV living space.
- Fill your RV toilet bowl with water before you use the toilet; this will help solid waste flow easily down the line, and deter any trapped odors from rising during the flush.
- Use ample amounts of water each time you flush your RV toilet. Hold down the flush mechanism for at least 10 seconds each time you flush your toilet to continually add water to your black tank.
- Rinse your black tank every time you dump, by filling your tank to full capacity, and then dumping the contents. Waste collects and accumulates in the low spots and crevices of your holding tank; rinsing removes any lingering waste or toilet paper.
- Avoid cleaning RV toilets with chemicals or bleach. Use RV toilet cleaners that will increase beneficial bacteria, like Unique Scrub-It RV toilet bowl cleaner.
- Deep clean your RV black tank twice per year with Unique Clean-It (season beginning and end for weekend campers), or every 5-10 dumps (for full-time RVers). Deep cleaning fully resets your tank to a level of cleanliness that you cannot achieve on your own.
The steps outlined by Unique Camping + Marine are simple, and easy to follow, and their bio-enzymatic (bacteria and enzyme) product formulas effectively eradicate odors at the source, breakdown solid waste, and handle sensor probe maintenance all at once.
Review: Unclogging a RV Toilet Line
Dealing with a clogged RV toilet line is certainly not pleasant, but following these simple instructions should help you fix the problem with ease.
The three most important things you need to clear a RV toilet clog are:
- Bacteria- and enzyme-based cleaner
- Plenty of water
- Time
When you use Unique Clear-It, you’re getting the strongest and most effective RV black tank unclogger on the market. Say goodbye to nasty toilet clogs, and hello to perfect camping memories with Clear-It.
For more information about how to prevent clogged RV toilets, please refer to our guide about Preventing Clogs in Your RV Black Water Holding Tanks.
