Imagine,
Your're about to go off to an important meeting and just before you need to got to the toilet.
You flush the toilet and the water is nearing the edge...
%!!&%#&@
Your toilet is clogged again and you knew it before.
Everytime you postpone to plunge the toilet and thats why the clog happens at the most inopportune moments.
Fortunately, you can clear most clogs yourself without having to pay an expensive plumber.
There are several ways to unclog your toilet and this website will show you the most effective ways to clean your drain.
Different Plunge Methods
Basically there are two different ways to unclog a drain;
- Mechanical method; you use a tool to clear the drain. For example a drain snake or a plunge. A plunger is a common device that is used to release stoppages in plumbing. The tool consists of a rubber cup with an attached stick "shaft", usually made of wood or plastic.
- Chemical method; you use a liquid which causes a chemical reaction.
I will show how to use this methods and how to unclog a toilet without a plunger.
Common Cause of a Clogged Drain
However, before going to plunge, it is important to determine
the cause of the clog. An obstacle in a toilet has a different cause then a clogged shower drain. And a clogged kitchen sink has also a different cause.
Before starting to unclog toilet, the first thing you need to know is what causing the blockage. There are many items that end up causing clogs in toilets.
The plunger would be necessary in these situations. Also, toilet paper is constructed in a way that it dissolves away easily when flushed. The same cannot be said for some other items.
By determining the cause of the clogged drain you can select the right plunger for it's purpose.
Using the Plunger
If your toilet is clogged then most of the time you will use a plunger like you can see at the picture.
This tool consists of a rubber cup with an attached shaft, usually made of wood.
You push the cup down against the drain opening, and you either press hard into the drain to force air in, or you push down until the rubber cup is flattened, then pulled out, causing a vacuum that attracts material.
This vacuum is very important because that is what it is all about. When you can make a good vacuum you have very good chances that your clog will break up or eventually will loosen down your drain.
Difference between a Kitchen and Toilet Plunger
The main difference between a sink (kitchen) plunger and a toilet plunger is that the former looks like a ball cut in half while the latter looks more like a distorted ball with a large hole on the bottom.
Because a toilet is never exactly round and flat you need a flexible cup to fit the hole. Otherwise you will never get a good vacuum.
A kitchen sink has most of the time a flat surface. This can cause more easily a vacuum with a regular plunger.
Do you know?
That a plunger is much more effective when there is some water in the pipe? Water does not compress and will thus transmit more of the applied force than air.
Alternatives for a Plunger
When a plunger is not doing the job well, it is often supplemented by a chemical drain cleaner, or by a drain snake.
By reading the tips and advice on this website I hope you can unclog your own drain.
No more clogged toilet , no clogged shower drain and no clogged sink anymore!
Is there a persistent and recurring clog? You better turn on a
plumber because the problem is often a result of a bad drain or the clog in the drain so deep that you can't get there.
