Unclogging A Toilet

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  • Author Tal Potishman
  • Published July 8, 2009
  • Word count 527

The thought of going anywhere near a toilet, especially to fix it will probably bring a shudder of disgust to many. However, if the toilet is clogged then it is a problem that could be solved by you. Bear in mind that calling a plumber is always expensive, and probably not worth it in the long run if you can solve the problem by yourself. The good news is that you do not need to have specific plumbing skills in order to unclog your toilet. Unlike some other plumbing tasks that can be quite complex, unclogging a toilet does not have to be that difficult.

Before you rush into things it is best to first establish what is actually causing the clog. You may be guilty of repeatedly disposing items in the toilet that cannot be easily flushed such as baby wipes or cotton wool. In these cases you will most likely need to use the plunger. You should note that toilet paper is designed specifically so that it can be flushed easily; the same cannot be said of other items. So for future notice, do not attempt to flush away items that are non-flushable.

In some circumstances you may hear bubbling in the tub. This could mean that your sewer line is clogged. If you hear bubbling you should turn on the bathroom sink. Sometimes this may make matters worse; in which case you will need to call the plumber.

In order to commence plunging, you first need to ensure that there is a sufficient amount of water in the toilet. This will work in pushing the clog all the way out of the drain. You should plunge up and down several times so the plunger fills with water. You may have to repeat this process quite a few times to solve the blockage problem.

The key to take a slight aggressive approach to the plunging. This correct tactic is to force the water in the plunger through the waste outlet of the toilet, dislodging the blockage in the process. Be wary of the fact that you may end up splashing a little water outside of the bowl. However, the mess can be avoided if you do not fill it up with too much water in the first place.

Unfortunately, even with all that plunging and mess your blockage problem may still not be resolved. You may have attempted to plunge many times, failing each time. Do not worry as there is another method you can use. For this you will need what you call a closet snake (or a closet auger). In order to use the snake, all you need to do is expand the handle all the way out, insert the functional end into the outlet of the toilet bowl, and crank it down into the bowl, making sure the cable goes into the drain.

Once the bowl has been drained, you should then flush the toilet pulling the cable up at the same time. This is so that the cable can be cleaned. It is strongly advised that you flush the toilet a good number of times before you put the snake away.

Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about boilers, central heating, South Norwood plumbers, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.

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