08 Apr Best Plumber Tips: Clogged Toilet but No Plunger? Try This!
best plumber clogged toilet solutions | Always Affordable Plumbing Sacramento Solano
Toilet Backed Up And No Plunger in Sight? You’re In Luck With These Best Plumber Tips!
Nobody wants to have to deal with a plugged toilet! However, the only thing worse than a clogged toilet is a clogged toilet with NO plunger around. A plunger is the go-to tool of the trade for clearing a clogged toilet. Plungers can even help clear clogged sink lines too. They are a great, simple, affordable, and effective plumbing tool. Should you find yourself in the unfortunate situation in which you don’t have a plunger, there are some things you can try that just might clear that clogged toilet. Read below for our Best Plumber Tips: Clearing a Clogged Toilet.
What Went Wrong?
Not all toilet clogs are created equal. Most clogs occur because people try to flush something that should not be flushed. This can include things like paper towels, kids toys, food, and feminine hygiene products. Believe it or not, even “flushable” wipes can end up clogging your main drain line! Sometimes it is just a problem of too much toilet paper. Or too much, uh, waste, if you know what I mean. So, first thing to know about unclogging a toilet, is to prevent it.
The second thing to know is the cause. Some problems are a one off. Like too much toilet paper. These are easily avoidable, and preventable. However, some problems are chronic, which indicate a major blockage somewhere down the main drain line. If your toilet frequently clogs or backs up, and it is not due to one of the above listed problems, it is likely a main drain issue.
STEP 1: Don’t Just Watch!
OK, so you just hit the flush, and you notice things aren’t going quite as expected. As you see the toilet bowl fill with water, don’t just stand there! The first thing you need to do is TURN OFF THE WATER supply. Right away! This will prevent the toilet bowl from overflowing, causing a wet and potentially dirty mess on the floor. The water supply valve will be located near the base of the toilet, in the wall. It will have some type of supply line running out of it, into the bottom of the toilet tank. Locate the valve handle and shut it off. Remember, “lefty-loosey, righty-tighty”. So turn the valve left until it won’t turn anymore. You should hear the water that was filling the toilet tank shut off. And the water should stop rising.
STEP 2: Step Away
With the water turned off, the toilet bowl should no longer be filling up. However, it probably still filled up quite a bit. Hopefully you stopped it before it overflowed! If there is standing water in the toilet bowl, the first thing to do is just leave it be for a couple of minutes. Basically, just step away from the toilet bowl. Here is why: if you try to clear the clog right now, even if you did have a plunger, you would likely just cause the toilet water to overflow. You probably will also cause some splashing of dirty toilet water. NO THANKS! Waiting a few minutes gives it a chance to resolve. It is possible that as things settle along with the weight of the water, it will be enough to cause the clog to spontaneously clear! All it takes it a little patience.
STEP 3: Can You See the Clog?
Even if the clog does not resolve, waiting a few minutes might allow the water to drain out. Now you are at least working with an “empty” toilet bowl. Meaning, not full of water. Maybe you can see what is clogging things up. IF you are brave enough, you can try to remove the clog yourself. Put on dish gloves and do your best. This might apply to a child’s toy that was “accidently” flushed, or a wad of paper towels that should have been in the garbage.
If it involves human waste at all you can try breaking it up with something like a toilet brush. Use some common sense please…if the clog is related to human waste, take all precautions necessary to ensure that dirty water does not splash onto your skin, clothes, or face. Once you think you have the clog broken up or cleared, you can turn the water back on and try a flush again. Just prepared to shut it off quickly if the water starts to rise and the toilet is still clogged!
STEP 4: Get the Soap
OK let’s say you could not clear the clog and the toilet still won’t flush. You have turned the water off again. You have let the water drain down on its own for a second time now but clearly the toilet is clogged up. One thing you might try next is dish soap. Not regular hand soap. Dish soap. This is because dish soap usually has a strong grease cutting ingredient in it. That ingredient helps dissolve and break up grease and gunk, and the soap itself will help lubricate things and make it slippery. These two things combined with some hot water might just do the trick to clear that clogged toilet!
- squirt a good amount of dish soap directly into the toilet bowl…maybe about a half a cup
- let it sink and sit into the bottom of the toilet bowl for about 5 minutes or so
- while you are waiting for the soap to do its work, fill a large pot or bucket with hot water
- after 5 minutes of letting the soap work, pour a large pot or bucket of hot water slowly into the toilet bowl
When you pour a large amount of water into a toilet bowl, it performs the same function as “flushing” by depressing the flush lever. Slowly pour the water in, so as to not overflow the toilet bowl. Hopefully as you pour water in, the pressure and temperature of the water, along with the soap, will be enough to move the clog along. If it doesn’t, you will notice the toilet bowl filling up again. Don’t overflow your toilet! Once you fill the toilet back up, then start at the beginning of our tips list again: make sure the water valve is still off, then stop and wait. Hopefully as that hot water sits over the clog, it will work with the soap to dissolve it, and after a few minutes it will drain.
STEP 5: Call Always Affordable Plumbing
If these simple steps don’t bust that clog, then it is probably time to call Always Affordable Plumbing Sacramento and Solano. Or you might just go buy a plunger!!! Seriously though, don’t hesitate to call us anytime you are having a plumbing emergency, even if it is to help unclog a toilet. Some clogs are a sign of a bigger issue with your main drain, and we can help diagnose that before you have major flooding and water damage.
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Find out more about Always Affordable Plumbing (Lic. #1003782) by calling:
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best plumber clogged toilet solutions | Always Affordable Plumbing Sacramento Solano