Before you pick up a plunger or resort to other methods of unclogging a toilet, you must know the reason for the blockage.
Here are four (4) common causes of a clogged toilet:
- Hard Water
If the water in your home has a high mineral content this will result to hard water. The minerals in the water will form a white substance making it difficult for waste to pass through leading to a clogged toilet. - Objects that cannot dissolve
Toilet paper is developed in a way that it will dissolve faster when it comes into contact with water, this makes it easier to pass through the drain pipes. For objects such as cotton balls, feminine hygiene products, hair strands, and hand wipes, they do not dissolve easily which will lead to a blockage. - Too much toilet paper
Although mentioned in the above point that toilet paper dissolves in water, too much toilet paper used at one time can result to a clogging, as that much toilet paper, will take a longer time to dissolve resulting in a blockage.
How to use a plunger to unclog a toilet:
#ed7d31;”>Step 1: Choosing the right plunger for the job
There are two main types of plungers; the standard plunger which is shaped like half a basket-ball and the other is with an extended flange for ensuring a tight seal and thus extra power for suction. Both can be used to plunge a clogged toilet depending on the severity of the blockage.
#ed7d31;”>Step 2: It might be messy
Before you begin plunging the toilet, ensure that rags are placed around toilet to catch any water spilling out. If the toilet bowl is filled to the brim with water, scoop half of the water out to prevent any spillage. Remember to wear gloves
#ed7d31;”>Step 3: Ensuring a tight seal
Place the plunge in a position that allows a tight seal between the tool and the toilet’s drain hole. Once there is a good seal, you can began to plunge up and down always ensuring that you do not lose the grip of the tight seal. This is so to ensure, a steady suction that will eventually unclog the substance in the drainpipe.
#ed7d31;”>Step 4: Start plunging
Once you have a tight seal between the plunger and the drain hole, plunge down and hold for 3 to 5 seconds and release, repeat this motion until the substance clogging the drain is removed. The motion of the air and water in the pipe created by the plunge will push the substance that is clogging the drain out of the pipe.
*Google Images
*Google Images
Apart from using a plunger here are two recommended remedies that you can use to unclog your toilet, if there is no plunger available.
#ed7d31;”>Remedy 1: Hot Water
Pouring hot water down the toilet drain pipe for it to loosen the clog. Refrain from using boiling hot water. Hot water from the tap can still be used in this instance. If the toilet bowl is full of water, remove water with scoop before pouring hot water in. Once you pour the hot water in, wait for 5 minutes to test flushing, to see if it removed the clogged substance.
#ed7d31;”>Remedy 2: Soap and Hot Water
Pour half a cup of detergent soap into toilet bowl. The soap detergent will act as a lubricant to help the substance clogging the pipe to go down the drain. If soap detergent does not remedy the clog, pour hot water (not boiling hot) to help the process. The mixture of detergent soap and hot water should help unclog the pipe. A substitute for this can be baking soda and vinegar, whereby, you pour a cup of baking soda into toilet bowl followed by 2 cups of vinegar. The fizziness created from this mixture should dissolve any substance that is clogging the pipes.
Reference
#000;”>Clogged toilet repair, Isky plumbing & Drain Service (2021) Retrieved from
https://www.iskymechanical.com/clogged-toilet
#000;”>How to unclog a toilet (2021) retrieved from
https://www.pipereliningsolutions.com.au/how-to-unclog-a-toilet
#000;”>Is it bad to leave a clogged toilet overnight? (2020) Retrieved from
https://toiletreviewer.com/leave-clogged-toilet-overnight/