How to Unclog a Toilet With a Plunger
When your toilet gets clogged up you want to remedy the situation as fast as you can.
While you can always opt for calling a plumber, you may want to wait a few minutes and see if you can't unclog that toilet yourself and save yourself some money in the process.
The first thing you will need to do is grab your handy toilet plunger or go buy one if you don't have one.
After you have located your plunger you will want to do the following: - Get Ready: Unclogging a toilet using a plunger can be a bit messy.
No matter how careful you are there is bound to be some water that gets sloshed and splashed around.
Before you start the plunging process, it is a good idea to lay down some old newspapers.
This will make the after plunging cleanup much easier on you - Take the Plunge: Next take the plunger and fit the suction cup part over the toilet drain opening.
Then use your muscle and plunge in and out several times.
If the water bubbles and then drains you have successfully unclogged the toilet.
Even if the water doesn't self drain you may have still fixed the problem.
- Turn off the Water: Before you flush to see if the clog is fixed, find the cut off value for the water supply to the toilet and twist it closed.
This will prevent more water from coming in and adding to the mess if the clog is not taken care of in the first several plunges.
- Take off the Tank Cover: You will also want to take the toilet tank cover off before you flush.
When you look into the tank you will see a float that is attached to a metal rod.
If you flush and the water begins to rapidly rise, you simply have to lift up on that metal rod and the up flow will stop.
This can save you from a possible toilet bowl overflow.
- Flush: If the water goes down, you have succeeded in unclogging the toilet.
If the water rises then you still have a clog and you need to stop the rise in water by lifting up on the float in the tank of the toilet as described above.
- Repeat as Needed: If you didn't succeed the first time you plunged, try again and this time plunge for a couple of minutes and really give it some added muscle.
If you find that water simply won't go down, then there may be deeper issues with your toilet in which case a plumber should be called.
- Clean Up: Once your toilet is unclogged be sure to thoroughly clean the entire bathroom.
The spread of germs in an unclogging situation is almost a sure thing.
This is also the time where you can turn the cut off value back on and allow more water to fill the toilet tank.
More times not you will be able to handle the majority of toilet clogs with a little muscle and the help of your trusty old plunger.
By doing so you can avoid calling a plumber and save yourself some time as well as some money.
While you can always opt for calling a plumber, you may want to wait a few minutes and see if you can't unclog that toilet yourself and save yourself some money in the process.
The first thing you will need to do is grab your handy toilet plunger or go buy one if you don't have one.
After you have located your plunger you will want to do the following: - Get Ready: Unclogging a toilet using a plunger can be a bit messy.
No matter how careful you are there is bound to be some water that gets sloshed and splashed around.
Before you start the plunging process, it is a good idea to lay down some old newspapers.
This will make the after plunging cleanup much easier on you - Take the Plunge: Next take the plunger and fit the suction cup part over the toilet drain opening.
Then use your muscle and plunge in and out several times.
If the water bubbles and then drains you have successfully unclogged the toilet.
Even if the water doesn't self drain you may have still fixed the problem.
- Turn off the Water: Before you flush to see if the clog is fixed, find the cut off value for the water supply to the toilet and twist it closed.
This will prevent more water from coming in and adding to the mess if the clog is not taken care of in the first several plunges.
- Take off the Tank Cover: You will also want to take the toilet tank cover off before you flush.
When you look into the tank you will see a float that is attached to a metal rod.
If you flush and the water begins to rapidly rise, you simply have to lift up on that metal rod and the up flow will stop.
This can save you from a possible toilet bowl overflow.
- Flush: If the water goes down, you have succeeded in unclogging the toilet.
If the water rises then you still have a clog and you need to stop the rise in water by lifting up on the float in the tank of the toilet as described above.
- Repeat as Needed: If you didn't succeed the first time you plunged, try again and this time plunge for a couple of minutes and really give it some added muscle.
If you find that water simply won't go down, then there may be deeper issues with your toilet in which case a plumber should be called.
- Clean Up: Once your toilet is unclogged be sure to thoroughly clean the entire bathroom.
The spread of germs in an unclogging situation is almost a sure thing.
This is also the time where you can turn the cut off value back on and allow more water to fill the toilet tank.
More times not you will be able to handle the majority of toilet clogs with a little muscle and the help of your trusty old plunger.
By doing so you can avoid calling a plumber and save yourself some time as well as some money.