How to Fix a Clogged Toilet That Won’t Plunge
Imagine you’re in someone’s washroom or even yours, just done doing your business only to flush the toilet, and everything comes up instead of the opposite. Wouldn’t you be weakened in panic? What action would you take? Everyone fears having a clogged toilet around the house. However, various techniques have been generated to fix a clogged toilet that refuses to plunge. Even the most unimaginable clogs of the world can be effortlessly fixed with these techniques.
We hardly think about how distressing clogged toilets can be until it happens to us. However, taking preventive measures would be more advisable than waiting for an absolute disaster. Some clogs may be beyond your strength, and that’s where your local plumber comes in. To avoid further malfunctions of the toilet and its accessories, call that plumber for more professional services.
With the below unclogging tips, worry less about having deposits settling above your toilet bowl. Let’s figure out how to fix a clogged toilet that won’t plunge.
1. Stop the Toilet Bowl From Refilling
The first course of action in handling a clogged toilet that won’t plunge prevents it from filling up any further. If the bowl continues to fill up, water and some waste deposits might overflow onto the toilet floor, making it even messier. To stop water from filling in the tank, open the lid and close the toilet flapper. Keep one hand near the flapper while the other pushes the flusher. At least you will have handled one step towards unclogging.
2. Replace Your Plunger
Maybe your plunger is not strong enough to handle the mess in there. Depending on the clogging intensity, you can consider replacing it with more robust and longer ones. A quality plunger should be able to exert enough pressure followed by positive responses.
3. Use Dishwasher Detergent With Hot Water
Another tip for fixing a clogged toilet is using dishwasher detergent with water. Firstly, pour some cups of hot water into the bowl before you begin plunging, then let it rest for a while. The heat assists in breaking the deposits up, making the unclogging process much easier. With this trick, you sometimes won’t need the plunger as the heat naturally weakens the clogging deposits.
4. Use Vinegar With Baking Soda
Finally, you’re about to put the knowledge you acquired from your elementary science fair project into practice. Pour a cup of baking soda into the clogged toilet bowl, then slowly add some vinegar. The chemical reaction with fizzing helps to weaken the clog.
5. Use of Auger
You can use a toilet auger for the more difficult clogs that your plunger couldn’t manage. An auger is a snake-like (since it moves like a snake when inserted) device that you can insert through the toilet’s hole to help weaken the clog and make way through. Augers are commonly found in hardware, malls, and plumbing retails.
To use this device, you insert it in the hole and continuously turn the crank on the head you are holding until it turns no further. This means you’ve reached the man clog; the auger will either weaken the clog or hook on to it. When you feel like you’ve hooked onto something, gently pull it out and discard it.
Plunge the toilet severally to clear any leftover clogs, flush it, and then boom! A clean toilet! You might need to wear protective gloves during this process as you might require to clean off some deposits from the auger head.
6. Use of a Vacuum Valve
Rent or buy a dry/wet vacuum (not the regular vacuum) from your local retail or hardware. Use it to clear water from the toilet bowl, then wrap the hose in an old cloth to make a seal. Stick the vacuum a few centimetres down the drain and turn it on to suck out the clog. Most importantly, don’t forget to carry your rubber gloves to the site.
7. Use the Regular Brush
It might be a bit irritating, but if you’re in a big mess and don’t have a plunger, grab that toilet brush and direct the bristles down the drain. Brushing up and down several times should be enough to weaken the clog and make it clear faster.
8. Use a Wire Coat Hanger
Well, as it’s said, desperate times call for desperate measures. Who could ever imagine a standard coat hanger could turn into a ‘plunger’? With a pair of rubber gloves, unravel the coat hanger, wrap one of its ends with a rag then duct tape it strongly to prevent it from scratching your toilet.
Use the tool to gently push the blockages down the pipe until it’s flushable. Continuously twist and push the wire in a circular movement. If you can’t feel it hitting the clog, it might be time to call in the experts.
