Dropped phone in toilet: what to do first
If an object is flushed down the toilet or drops into the bowl, do not flush again, and act while you can still see it. The aim is to get it out before it moves into the bend at the bottom of the bowl, where you can no longer reach it.
- Do not flush. Leave the flush alone so no more water pushes the object further in. Ask others at home not to use that toilet for now.
- Put on gloves. Use rubber or disposable gloves, and lay old newspaper or a towel around the base of the bowl.
- Take it out. Lift a visible object out by hand, or with a pair of old tongs or a grabber tool if it sits low in the water. Put it straight into a plastic bag.
- Switch off the phone and dry it. Turn it off at once, wipe it clean and leave it to dry. Do not charge it or switch it back on while it may still be wet, and check with the maker or your insurer if it does not work afterwards.
If it has gone round the bend
Once the object has gone out of sight into the bend, what to do next depends on what it is. A soft item, such as a cloth, a wad of tissue or wipes, may clear with a plunger. A hard item, such as a toy, a phone or a lid, can wedge in the trap. Plunging can push it further along, where it may lodge tighter in the pipe. If you know something solid has gone down, stop and call a plumber.
Something stuck in toilet pipes can show itself as water draining slowly, rising high in the bowl or gurgling. HDB's advice for a choked water closet, where slow flow comes from a partial blockage in the sanitary pipe, is to place the plunger over the waste hole and pump vigorously. HDB says the blockage usually clears after a few pumps, and to engage a licensed plumber if you cannot clear it (HDB: Toilets). HDB also asks you not to dispose of solid items such as sanitary pads or diapers into the toilet.
For a soft blockage, see our guide on how to unclog a toilet.
Removing the toilet bowl
If a hard object is lodged where neither gloved hands nor a plunger can reach it, the plumber may need to take the bowl off. In practice, the plumber may lift the bowl, remove the object and refit the bowl with a new seal. For a toilet blocked by an object that will not move from above, this may be the only way to reach it.
PUB, Singapore's national water agency, says installing, changing or relocating toilet bowls and the sanitary piping system is sanitary plumbing work for a PUB Licensed Plumber. Regulated water service and sanitary plumbing works must be done by a PUB Licensed Plumber, except the listed simple plumbing works that a handyman may do (PUB: Plumbing Works). Before the visit, ask the company whether a PUB Licensed Plumber will do the work, especially if the bowl may need refitting or changing.
What it costs
FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY
Published choke clearing rates
For the most common unit (per job), the lowest published choke clearing rates from 22 companies run from S$50 to S$150 per job (middle rate S$80), to clear one choke in a toilet bowl, floor trap or sink. The middle figure is a real published rate, not an average. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a quote.
See 22 published choke clearing rates and sources
| Company | Service as listed | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiasu Plumber | Remove kitchen sink choke | From S$50 per job | kiasuplumber.com |
| SG1 Plumber Singapore | Floor-trap Choke Cleaning | S$50 per job | sg1plumber.com |
| AquaHero Plumbing | Clear Clogged Floor Trap | S$60 per job | aquahero-plumbing.sg |
| EZ Plumber SG | Clear Clogged Floor Trap | S$60 per job | ezplumber.sg |
| Plumber - Singapore Plumbing 24hrs | Supply Labour to Clear Toilet Bowl Choke | From S$60 per job | singaporeplumbing24hrs.com.sg |
| Sin Plumbing Singapore | Clear clogged floor trap | From S$60 per job | sinplumbing.com |
| Uncle Plumber | Clear clogged floor trap | From S$60 per job | uncleplumber.sg |
| GD Plumbing | Clogged toilet bowl / Clearing toilet bowl choke | From S$70 per job | gdplumbing.com.sg |
| Hdbplumber Service SG | Clearing toilet bowl choke | From S$79 per job | hdbplumberservice.com.sg |
| Ace Plumbing Specialist | Clogged toilet bowl / clearing toilet bowl choke | From S$80 per job | aceplumbing.sg |
| Active Plumbing Singapore | Clearing toilet bowl choke | From S$80 per job | activeplumbing.sg |
| Home Plumbers Singapore | Clear a toilet bowl choke | From S$80 per job | homeplumbers.com.sg |
| PlumbersGuru Singapore | Basic unclogging starts . Complex jobs with grease traps or root intrusion cost more. We | From S$80 to S$150 per job | plumbersguru.com |
| PW Plumbing Services | Toilet Choke Clearing | S$90 to S$150 per job | pwplumbing.com.sg |
| SR Power Plumber Pte. Ltd. | Clearing toilet bowl choke / clogged toilet bowl | From S$90 per job | srpowerplumber.com |
| Huat Plumbing | Toilet Bowl Choke Clearing | From S$100 per job | huatplumbing.sg |
| Prima Technologies Pte. Ltd. (Prima Services) | Toilet Bowl Choke Clearing | From S$100 per job | primaservices.sg |
| Sk Plumber | Toilet bowl choke clearing | From S$115 per job | sksplumber.com |
| Best Plumbing | Clogged toilet bowl / Clearing toilet bowl choke | From S$120 per job | bestplumbing.com.sg |
| Summer Plumbing Service | Clogged toilet bowl / Clearing toilet bowl choke | From S$120 per job | sgplumbing.com.sg |
| NILE Plumbing | Clear Choke (Sink/Basin) | From S$150 per job | nileplumbingsg.com |
| Siam Engineering Pte Ltd | Choke Clearing & Drainage | S$150 per job | siamengineeringsg.com |
22 companies in the directory publish a choke clearing line, and all 22 price it per job. Their published rates run from S$50 to S$150 per job, as printed. S$80 per job sits in the middle: the two middle companies both publish S$80 per job, so it is one real published rate rather than a figure we worked out.
Check what each line covers. As printed, these rates are to clear one choke in a toilet bowl, floor trap or sink, so a line for a floor trap or a kitchen sink is not a toilet price. Many lines are printed as "From" prices, for example From S$60 per job or From S$120 per job for a toilet bowl choke, so ask what is included. Removing and refitting the bowl to retrieve an object is usually quoted separately, so ask for the full price before work starts. Our toilet choke clearing cost guide has more on toilet choke prices.
NEXT STEP
See plumbing companies in the directory with their published prices, the areas they say they cover and their sources.
Compare plumbersIf the whole stack is blocked
If the toilet, the floor traps and the sinks all drain slowly at the same time, the blockage may not be in your toilet at all. It may be further down, in the pipes shared with other flats. HDB says you maintain the sanitary branch pipes in your flat, while the Town Council is responsible for maintaining the main sanitary pipes (HDB: Pipes). If you live in an HDB flat and suspect the main pipe, contact your Town Council before you book a plumber. Our guide to a main stack choke has more on this. In a condo, ask your management office. If the choke is in your own branch pipe, you can compare choked drain plumbers in the directory.
Questions
Will a phone survive being dropped in the toilet?
It may, if you get it out quickly. Switch it off straight away, wipe it clean and leave it to dry. Do not charge it while it may still be wet. If it does not work properly once dry, check with the maker or your insurer.
Can I flush a small toy down?
No. A toy is a hard object that can wedge in the bend or further along the pipe, where it is much harder to reach. If you can see it, put on gloves and take it out. If it has already gone round the bend, call a plumber.
Should I use a drain snake on a hard object?
No. A drain snake or toilet auger can wedge a hard object further into the trap or the pipe and turn a simple retrieval into a bigger job. Leave it where it is and call a plumber, who can decide whether the bowl needs to come off.
Does home insurance cover a toilet removal?
Your policy decides, so check its wording before the work starts. Look at what it says about plumbing repairs and accidental damage, and ask your insurer if anything is unclear. Keep the plumber's invoice and photos of the problem in case you make a claim.
Can rice dry out a wet phone?
There is no proof that it does. Switch the phone off, wipe it and let it air-dry somewhere dry and well ventilated. Rice grains and dust can also get into the ports. If it does not work properly once dry, get it checked by the maker or a repair shop.
Why does the toilet still drain slowly after the object came out?
A partial blockage is probably still in the pipe. HDB describes a choked water closet as slow flow from a partial blockage in the sanitary pipe. Its advice is to place the plunger over the waste hole and pump vigorously; the blockage usually clears after a few pumps. HDB says to engage a licensed plumber if you cannot clear it (HDB: Toilets).
Prices come only from the sourced company rates in the HomezyPro directory, shown with each company and its source.
Practical guidance for planning a home job in Singapore. Company prices come from the HomezyPro directory, each linked to its source; rules and safety points link to the agency or manufacturer that sets them. This is not a site inspection, a quote or professional advice for your home.
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