Have you ever wondered how plumbers unclog toilets? Obviously, they have the necessary skills and knowledge to help you when you find yourself with a plumbing problem. These are skills most of us would love to have in an emergency. Below, we look at how plumbing pros easily get toilets working properly again, even when someone flushes a stuffed animal or full roll of tissue.
Stop the Flange on the Toilet
If you are facing an overflow possibility, you have to act quickly to stop the water before it floods your bathroom. Experienced plumbers immediately remove the lid from the toilet tank and close the flapper. The flapper is the opening and closing stopper at the bottom of the tank that looks like a disc. Also called the flange, this is where the water flows from the tank into the toilet bowl.
Use a Good Plunger
Too many households have a poorly functioning plunger or the wrong one for the job. Obviously, even a good plunger will not work if it has a hole or the rubber has worn too thin. Or, if you have a sink drain plunger, you will not be able to get enough suction to dislodge the clog.
The right plunger for the job is one that forms a good seal in the drain hole of the toilet bowl. The best types are those with a funnel cup, the flange or an extra piece extending down from the rubber cup.
Warm Up Your Plunger
Warming the rubber of your plunger before you use it can help it work better. The best method is running hot water in the sink or bathtub and allowing it to flow over the plunger. The rubber softens as it warms and enables a tighter seal in the toilet.
Plunge Properly
If you struggle to clear a clog using your plunger, you may not be using the plunger properly. First, you need to form a good seal in the toilet’s exit drain. Instead of just pushing downward, focus also on a good pullback. With proper suction, downward pushing and upward pullback, it should take only a few strokes to dislodge the clog. You can tell the clog is removed when the water drains fully out of the bowl.
Try the Hot Water and Dish Soap Trick
One of the oldest plumber secrets is the trick of using hot water and dish soap to clear toilet clogs. Simply pour several cups of hot water into the toilet bowl. Let this sit for several minutes. The heat can break up the clog and makes plunging much easier. It may even clear an organic clog without any plunging.
If the hot water alone does not work, add some liquid dish soap to the toilet drain hole. Soap also breaks up organic material.
Use Baking Soda with Vinegar
Another plumbing pro trick is to use baking soda with vinegar for a difficult clog. Add one cup of baking soda to the toilet bowl. Then slowly pour one cup of vinegar into it. This creates a fizzy chemical reaction that breaks up organic material. Although it may dislodge the clog on its own, this concoction can also make plunging the debris loose easier.
Use an Auger
A toilet auger is the next step when a plunger and the above tricks do not work. This tool, also called a drain snake, looks somewhat like a cable. You simply direct it through the toilet hole, turning the crank until you feel the auger making contact and hook into the clog. Then, simply pull the auger back out to loosen the debris. You may also need to plunge the toilet again to fully dislodge the clog.
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