A clogged toilet is an inevitable home maintenance situation that is going to happen over and over again, especially if you have little ones in the home who enjoy putting things down the toilet…
The good news? Unclogging a toilet isn’t complicated and it’s a task that even the most unhandy of homeowners can tackle. Here our professional plumbers at Integrity Home Solutions lend you a hand with a step-by-step process of unclogging a toilet quickly:
Steps to Unclog Your Toilet
Oh no! You go to flush and the water is coming at you. All you can do is hope that it stops before an overflow happens and you an even bigger mess to clean up! For the next time the water is up to the top of the toilet bowl, use these steps to unclog it. Of course, if you need a hand our team is just a phone call away…
Step 1: Use a flange plunger.
A “flange” is an extended, sleeve-like rubber flap built into the underside of the plunger’s rubber cup. When plunging a toilet, this is the part that is inserted directly into the toilet bowl’s drain hole and provides a tighter seal than a conventional cup plunger could achieve.
Pro Plumber Tip: Make sure the flange is folded out (or extended) from the cup before you start plunging.
Step 2: Prepare the area around the toilet.
To avoid cleaning a huge mess, lay towels or plastic wrap around the toilet to catch spills. Move anything that could be knocked over out of the way, and don’t your rubber gloves and gripped footwear (helps maintain good footing).
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Step 3: Level out the amount of water in the bowl.
To maximize the effectiveness of the plunger, fill the toilet about halfway full of water (enough to fully submerge the plunger cup).
Pro Plumber Tip: If you need to, use a cup to either remove or add water until the bowl is half full.
Step 4: Place the flange into the toilet drain.
Maneuver the flange until it fits snuggly into the top of the toilet bowl’s drain. Pro Plumber Tip: By inserting the flange at an angle, the flap will fill with water as you lower it, helping to increase suction for a better plunge.
Step 5: Fit the cup over the drain.
For a proper plunge, make sure the entire head of the plunger is submerged in water. Fit the cup of the plunger snuggly over the drain while keeping the flange inserted, and as you create the seal, let water from the bowl under the cup. The water between the cup and the drain will generate the suction pressure need to unclog the toilet.
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Step 6: Position and test the seal.
Once you have created a seal with the flange and cup, do a quick test before you start to plunge. Push the plunger straight down, then slowly (and gently) pull it back up as if you were plunging.
Pro Plumber Tip: This “test” will indicate that the seal stays in place and the plunger will work properly.
Step 7: Start plunging.
It’s go time! Forcefully push the plunger to drive the cup down and the flange into the drain, then pull the cup back up to reset. Repeat this motion at least five or six times (or about 20 seconds), and make sure to keep the seal throughout the process!
Step 8: Check the water level.
After plunging, quickly break off the seal and remove the plunger. If you hear a gurgling sound from the drain and all the water has drained from the bowl, you have successfully unclogged your toilet!
Pro Plumber Tip: If the toilet still doesn’t flush and the bowl fills with water, you haven’t properly unclogged the toilet.
Need A Fast, Reliable Plumber? Call Integrity Home Solutions!
If the steps listed above still don’t work and your toilet remains clogged, it’s time to call a professional plumber at Integrity Home Solutions. We are on call 24/7 and can have your toilets running properly in no time! Find out more about our services or go ahead and book an appointment, simply call [hls_phone_number]!
