Unclogging A Toilet

There is nothing worse than a stopped up toilet. You hit the plunger and nothing goes down. Then you see the rising water and have to rush to turn the shut off valve off, if you know where it is. Most clogged toilets are simple to repair. Read on and learn how to deal with small to large toilet clogs.

Small Clogs

These are the easiest clogs to get rid of. To clear a small clog, get your plunger out and place it into the toilet bowl. If you do not have a plunger, go buy one. Every house should have a plunger. If the bowl is completely full of water, you may need to first remove some of it to prevent splashing. Position the plunger in the center of the bowl and push down smoothly on the plunger. Avoid plunging too fast as this will only cause excessive splashing. Once you clear the clog, flush the toilet several times to remove all debris. If plunging fails to clear the clog, move on to the next step, Larger Clogs.

Larger Clogs

If a plunger fails to work, you will have to move on to a toilet snake. Make sure that you use a toilet snake and not an ordinary drain snake. Toilet snakes are designed so that they do not scratch the soft porcelain of the bowl. You can find them at any home improvement store for sale or rent. Place the toilet snake in the bowl and insert it into the drain hole. Turn the handle on the snake and push the snake and the clog through the pipe. You should move the snake into and out of your toilet several times to clear the clog completely. Once you remove the clog, flush the toilet several times to clear all of the debris. If a toilet snake fails to clear the clog, you should call a plumbing expert. The clog is probably located deep in the pipe or at your homes main drain.