What to do When Your Toilet is Clogged
Picture your worst nightmare coming true: a clogged and overflowing toilet! You’re not sure how it happened. Maybe it was the ultra-plush 2-ply toilet paper, or maybe it was the takeout from last night? You can’t be sure, but that doesn’t matter at the moment because all you can focus on is the torrent of water that’s rushing out of your toilet and onto your bathroom floor
There are few things in the world that cause more panic and disgust than a malfunctioning toilet. Unfortunately, it’s something that everyone will probably have to deal with at some point. It’s a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. Menards® is here to help you slog through the chore of unclogging your toilet and prevent it from ever happening again. Don’t worry; you can thank us later (after you’ve washed your hands).
The first and most important thing to do is to STOP flushing. If the first flush doesn’t work, the second will only make things worse. Your biggest priority now is preventing your toilet from overflowing. If it is already starting to overflow, turn off the water valve, which should be located at the base of your toilet. If your toilet doesn’t have one, just cut off water to your bathroom or toilet if possible. If your toilet is simply clogged and not overflowing, you shouldn’t have to worry about turning off the water.
Take the lid off of the toilet and close the flapper (the little contraption that looks like a drain stopper attached to a chain) at the bottom of the tank. Now don’t chicken out, the water in there is clean.
If your toilet bowl is nearly overflowing with water or you’re worried about a mess, place newspapers, paper towels, or old towels on the floor, open a window, and find some rubber gloves. If you’re (un)fortunate enough to realize that the obstruction causing the clog is something that can’t be flushed (children’s toy, bathroom product, etc.), it’s time to fish that thing out of there.
Unique Ways to Clear a Clogged Toilet
Calling a plumbing contractor to clean up your blocked toilet is just one of the most convenient ways to solve the issue. Sadly most of the professional plumbers ask for up-wards of 100 dollars for the task. It might be rather unpleasant to spend that much of money in this time of economic crisis and job reduction. However, the good news is there are some unique ways you can unclog that toilet yourself without having to call in an expensive plumber
Wire
Yet another simple, yet effective device that helps in unclogging toilets is the wire. This extensively available item can be utilized to get to inside the bowl and delete items like plastic bags, etc. that cannot flush down the drain. You do not need to purchase a wire from the market. Simply take any commonly utilized product like a hangar and straighten it to make a wire. A pliable rubber pipeline can be an excellent substitute for a wire and can easily be made use of to clean a clogged pipe line.
Boiling Water and Dish Cleaning Agent
If the boiling water alone is inadequate, perhaps a pot of steaming water and detergent should work. Pour about a 1/4 cup of your preferred green cleaning agent, and let it to lube the lodged object while you wait for the water to boil. Pour in the boiling water making certain not to spray on yourself and hope that it will work … or else you might need to get a little messy.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Adding a cup of baking soda as well as white vinegar and pouring down a sink drain has actually been known to unplug it, and could manage a toilet. This is of the toilet is not so loaded with water that the mix will end up too diluted when added in the bowl. If this is the case, then move right to the steaming water and dish detergent technique.
Tapping to Unclog Toilet
Giving your toilet a little tap is something you want to attempt first. It is fast and straightforward and all that is required is your shoe or your plunger’s wood handle. You will notice on the edge of your toilet, where you sit, and locate the bulge behind it that looks like a snake. This is the area you will want to tap with a soft object that is softer than the porcelain to ensure you do not break it. Your shoe’s rubber sole can be sufficient but if not utilize the plastic or wood handle of your plunger and begin tapping lightly on this snake bulge on the toilet. You will be impressed. If it does not function initially continue while utilizing the above steps as well and you should probably get it to work.
SAFE AND EFFECTIVE TOILET DECLOGGER
Let me tell you, I was one happy homeowner upon discovering this simple, cheap, and safe DIY Drano solution! That’s because a plumber visit costs at least $150 and Drano and Liquid Plumbr scare the snot out of me. Seriously, listen to the warnings from the Liquid Plumbr company itself about the dangers of its product
“…Never use Liquid-Plumr with other drain-cleaning products. The bleach contained in Liquid-Plumr can react with other chemicals, such as ammonia, to create toxic vapors. Also, use of a plunger can be dangerous, as the product can damage skin, eyes and mucus membranes on contact…Handling lye in any form can cause chemical burns and skin damage, and ingesting it can result in permanent injury or death.”
The best part, besides the fact that this all-natural DIY Drano actually works, is that it only requires two CHEAP ingredients out of my kitchen cabinets. Check out this DIY Drano recipe my 3-year-old could make and administer to said clogged toilet
ALL-NATURAL DIY DRANO RECIPE
1) Into a clogged toilet filled with standing water, dump 1 cup of baking soda. Let it sink to the bottom.
2) If the toilet doesn’t have much water, add 1 gallon of boiling water to really get things moving.
3) Next, add 2 cups of vinegar slowly, so it won’t fizz over onto your floor. Ickkk!
4) Let it sit for a couple of hours and see if the water has drained. If it has not, let it sit overnight and then plunge, if needed, before flushing.
Tonight, I tossed in the DIY Drano and let it sit for a couple of hours. When I returned, the standing water was gone and the toilet flushed right away! However, the first time I used this all-natural DIY Drano recipe, I had to let the concoction sit overnight in the toilet. After a good plunging, it began to work a little better. I used the DIY Drano one more time, and after a few hours, the toilet was completely unclogged.
Ask A Plumber: The Best Way To Clean Your Drains
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Sometimes as you’re staring at a clogged drain or leaking pipe, you wish you had a plumber friend you could call to ask for some free advice. Then you could fix your plumbing problems without paying a dime (or at least not as much as a plumber may charge you to go out and diagnose or fix the problem).
Don’t use chemical drain cleaners
First thing first, Nelson does not recommend using any type of chemical drain cleaner on your pipes. If you have a clog, it’s better to try and remove it by plunging or snaking the drain.
According to ConsumerReports.org, most chemical drain cleaners are more trouble than they’re worth. Some react with aluminum and give off unhealthy gas, can solidify inside the pipes and can’t be removed, or mix with other household cleaners and cause the mixture to burst out of the drain. Crystal Chemical drain cleaners are extremely hazardous and can end up damaging your pipes, garbage disposal, and septic system. Liquid, foam and gel cleaners can also cause damage to pipes and usually aren’t as effective taking at least 30 minutes to eat through a clog.
Bathroom Sink and Tub Drains
According to Nelson, the number one cause of bathroom sink clogs is from toothpaste and long hair. If you have a clog in your bathroom sink or tub
things you should never flush down your toilet
Our home toilets are not trash cans made for dumping personal care and hygiene products. Here’s what you shouldn’t flush down the loo. There are only three things that you can flush down the toilet – urine, feces and toilet paper. In other words, human waste, or the three Ps: pee, poo, and paper.
The wastewater journey usually takes one of two directions. It either heads by way of a pipe to your community’s local sewer, or into a septic tank close to your home. Before it reaches your local treatment plant, wastewater goes through a screen of metal rods that filter larger objects and items that get into the sewers.
From there, it all goes to the settling tank where solids like sand and gravel that have been picked along the way settle to the bottom. These early treatment stations are also responsible for removing other “flushables.”
Did you know that 50 percent of the so-called non-dispersible material in wastewater is paper towels from public restrooms, followed by 25 percent of baby wipes, and then a mixture of condoms, cosmetic wipes, tampon applicators, and other items’? Finally, and after traveling through the primary sedimentation tanks, wastewater continues its cleaning process via aeration tanks, new settling tanks and, in some cases, tertiary treatment facilities where it is disinfected with chlorine and/or ultraviolet (UV) light.
In the end, and in the most advanced sewage treatment systems, we may get recycled water that can be used in agriculture or for human consumption. However, no sewage system is perfect. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 27 percent of the global population (around 1.9 billion people) use private sanitation facilities connected to sewers from which wastewater is treated.