How To Clear a Clogged Toilet
A clogged toilet can be a very unpleasant and unhealthy experience. A plunger is a typical solution, but it does not always work. The clog might be more stubborn than you anticipated.
What do you do when your toilet runs over and makes a real stink inside your home? The following tips for plunging a toilet should help.
Stop the Water Flow
A severely flooded toilet has two problems: too much water and a drain that does not flow fast enough or possibly at all. You should start by checking the flapper at the bottom of the tank.
Flappers often become offset, which keeps the water flowing. You can use your hand to move the flapper back into place so that it will stop the flow. You can also shut off the water flow to the tank to ensure no more water collects.
Use a Flanged Plunger
A toilet bowl has steep sides and an uneven surface that often frustrates those who use flat plungers to unclog toilets. A flat plunger is intended for use on flat surfaces, like floor drains and sinks. It might be impossible to get a good seal when using a flat plunger to unclog a toilet.
A flanged plunger has a curved, round section that fits nicely into the toilet bowl drain to create an effective seal. Then you can try to plunge out the clog and restore proper drainage. The combination of suction and moving water back and forth can unclog most toilets.
Snake the Toilet
Although you should not need it as often as a plunger, an auger snake is something that every homeowner and business owner should keep inside the home. An auger snake is specially designed to protect the porcelain surface inside the toilet bowl. It will help to bore through especially tough clogs and restore drainage.
An auger snake is easy to use and might require several attempts before breaking up a clog. You just place the auger’s head in the bowl and turn the handle clockwise. When you get some resistance, the snake has reached the clog.
Then you retract the snake and give the toilet a flush. If the clog is still there, you repeat the process until you clear the clog.
Use a Wet Vac
You also could try using a wet vac to unclog your toilet. The suction a wet vac creates is often enough to break up especially stubborn clogs. You should wear rubber gloves to protect your hands as you insert the vacuum hose into the toilet drain and turn it on.
Contact Us for Your Plumbing Needs
If the preceding tips for plunging a toilet did not help, Orchard Plumbing in Las Vegas can fix the problem. You can call (702) 471-6200 or contact us online to schedule a visit to your home or place of business. We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the week.