It happens to the best of us. You go into the restroom to do your business, but the toilet doesn't cooperate. And after flushing, you're left with what you started with. What to do?
There's more of an art to unclogging a toilet than you might suspect. Over at the delightful
The Art of Manliness blog, a writer claims that because men are no longer needed "to ride out in defense of the tribe," they are now relegated to "do battle in the bathroom." But we women know that the call to unclog a toilet doesn't discriminate -- sometimes
we have to rise to the challenge too.
To ferret out the tips and tricks used by plumbers and civilians alike, we searched through the wisdom at The Art of Manliness,
This Old House,
Planet Green, and various plumbing sites.
Here are some tips if you're the one on clog duty:
• For your first strategy, if the bowl is not already full, try pouring cold water into it, about a gallon or two. Pour it in as quickly as you can without splashing. This will help break up the stuff in the toilet to help you with plunging later on, and it just might unclog it then and there.
• If that doesn't do the trick, try pouring in a mixture of one cup baking soda and one cup vinegar into the bowl. This is a strategy used to unclog blocked drains, as well. However, it will not be effective if the bowl is already full.
• Next, if success has still not arrived, try the hot water and dish soap strategy. Pour about 1/4 cup of dish detergent in the bowl and some hot water (not boiling, or you could crack the china)**. Pour the water slowly into the bowl, directly into the water without splashing yourself.
• Still no luck? It might be time to try a plunger. Of course, this could also be your first line of defense. Use a good-quality plunger with a flange. The flange is the narrow part of the plunger below the cup. If you've got a cheap and flimsy plunger, make it your goal to replace it with a sturdy and high quality plunger as soon as possible.
(Left) This plunger may not have a flange, but we couldn't resist; it's so stylish! Photo: Bobby Berk Home. (Right) This Brasscraft Heavy Duty Plunger is more like it; the flange at the base helps suction effectively. Photo: The Home Depot
• Run hot water over the plunger flange to soften it up. To do good plunging, you need a good seal between the bottom of the plunger and the bottom of the toilet bowl. A softened plunger flange will seal better than a stiff one.
• After you insert the plunger into the bowl and get a good seal, don't just pump it up and down with fury.
Rather, slowly push the plunger down, then pop it up quickly. Why? The reason is that your clog is likely at the very beginning of the narrow channel the waste travels to get into the sewage system. By pumping your plunger, you may be simply compacting the blockage a little further into the channel. By popping it out, the suction will likely pull the clog free, and then it can be flushed away normally.
• If plunging fails, as it sometimes does, you can use what's called a closet auger. This is kind of like a snake that a professional plumber might use, but in this case you never receive the $150 bill in the mail. A closet auger is a cable with a wide end on it that you will use to push the clog through the channel. There is a protective sheath on the cable housing so you don't scratch your porcelain toilet bowl.
If all else fails, and you're out of tricks? Swallow your pride and call the plumber.
How about you? What is your favorite strategy to unclog a toilet?
SEE ALSO:
Coke Can Clean Your Toilet in a Pinch (Lifehacker)
Do You Have a Dual Flush Toilet? (CasaSugar)
** Editor's Note: Thank you to our vigilant DIY Life readers for pointing out that boiling water can potentially crack a porcelain bowl. The author and I would like to emphasize that hot tap water -- as opposed to water boiled in a kettle -- is the best strategy, if you choose this method of unclogging.
Judi Roaman: We Talk Endlessly About the Next President,…
Reader comments (Page 2 of 4)
Go in the front yard it saves water and paper and its good for the grass , i have a lush lawn.
ReplyIf you go in the yard, you ghet spots of reallyt good grass growth, and it looks like you own a huge and possibly mean dog, and keeps burgulars away too. Now THAT'S what I call a "twofer"!
Yeah, Buck ... and I have some great photos of you fertilizing that prize lawn of yours ... PRICELESS
Wow, so much ado over a clog, people.
ReplyPouring hot/boiling water in the toilet bowl can melt the wax seal between the toilet and the floor. Then you have a real mess and you have to re-seat the bowl.
ReplyAlthough not practical always, I use the time method. After a hopeless clogging I just leave (for work in the morning or to sleep at night). About 8 hours later, the water softens the turd and it goes down with then next flush.
ReplyDoes this work all the time?? NO!! I was once at a hotel with an exceptionally small toilet HOLE (why would they do that??) and created the clog of a lifetime. After a whole night of soaking, no luck. Finally I went to the front desk and demanded a plunger. Not a maintenance person with a plunger, I wanted a plunger because no one's goin to unclog that sucka but me. They gave me one and end of story. Phewwwww!!!!
I use a flanged plunger, but before I use it, I put it against the side of the toilet, below the water level, and push it 2 or 3 times to clear the air from the cup. Air will compress, but water will not. Be careful when you move the plunger that you do not allow the plunger cup to rise above the water line as this will allow air to enter the cup.This allows the pressure that the plunger creates to go more towards the clog, and less towards compressing the air.
ReplyAfter reading all of these comments, it's easy to see why the world is full of turds.
ReplyThis was by far the best comment!!! Well said Monkeycheez52!
I just tap on the side of the toilet with a hammer, it works everytime
ReplyBall peen or sledge?
Hello again,
ReplyAnd to add to my comments, the person that said pouring hot water into your toilet was absolutely correct1 IT WILL MOST LIKELY CRACK YOUR PORCELAIN!!!!!! Whomever wrote this article, PLEASE stop telling people to do this as it will almost surely crack their toilets and then they'll see water coming out from under it and will be buying a new toilet!!!
Kevin the Plumber
To stop water from over flowing onto the floor quickly turn on the cold water in the sink and bathtub. This will create a vacum and stop the water from overflowing.
ReplyI have my guests use a portable unit with the catch basin removed. They are given an umbrella during rainy season and instructed to use the privacy of a large brushy area in my back yard. This is then used as a compost pile to grow and serve food to unsuspecting and trusting visitors.
ReplyI have always been warned to never pour anything hot into a toilet bowl -- crack's it immediately?
ReplyPouring hot water in your toilet could make it crack, because the water in there is icy cold. I'm a plumbers daughter!
ReplyBOTH PLUNGERS YOU SHOW ARE NOT TOILETS ,YOU NEED A BALL PLUNGER ,THAT IS THE BEST YOU CAN GET
ReplyIf you have the necessary equipment available (small air compressor or portable air tank...with a hand nozzle and a 2 foot piece of rubber hose)
Replyinsert the rubber hose into the toilet bowl, make sure the hose is inserted far enough to reach the top of the trap) place a towel over the toilet opening area leaving just a small opening for the hose.
Insert the air nozzle into the rubber hose closing your hand around the tip of the nozzle at the point where it is inserted into the hose....give the nozzle a small blast of air...repeat until the clog is flushed......this has worked very well for me over the years....but I realize that not everyone has the equipment to do this....but for those of you who do....try it....it works very well
JP
Good Grief! Don't you know you are supposed to flush as you go? Don't wait till you have finished your duty and wiped. Flush several times while in the process of eliminating.
ReplyA gallon of Clorox (you can use any bleach) will unclog any stubborn drain, but it does work best if there is no standing water in the sink, tub, or toilet. If there is standing water try bailing it out or use 2 gallons of clorox.
Reply