All About Toilet Plungers And Toilet Clogs

Some toilet clogs are very stubborn and will tax even the best plumbers, requiring specialized toilet repair parts.  But these are not typical.  Most toilet clogs are the result of soft blockages caused by too much balled up toilet paper or feminine products.  For these kind of clogs a toilet plunger will normally do the trick.   As it’s important to use your plunger properly for maximum effectiveness, in this article we cover the basic steps to plunging a clogged toilet.

In order to make sure your plunger is in good working order, check that the rubber is pliable and free of cracks.  If your plunger is very old the rubber may have become brittle and cracked and it wont work as well.  Slowly place the plunger with the rubber cup section down into the bowl.  You want the rubber end of the plunger to create a sold seal over the toilet hole at the entrance to the trap way.

First push downwards on the plunger with a medium amount of pressure until the cap is completely flattened, then release and pull back slightly letting the rubber cap return to its starting position.  This release creates a suction force on the blockage which together with the push down pressure is what helps to dislodge the clog.  Continue to perform this motion repeatedly.

You may find that all the water disappears from the toilet bowl after a few plunges but with the clog remaining.  Unlike air, water does not compress when put under pressure so for the most effective plunging you want to make sure there is some water in the pipes.  So flush the toilet.  Remember that your bowl is designed to accommodate a full tank of water so if your bowl was empty when you flushed it should not overflow.  ideally you want to start plunging when you have roughly the same amount of water as you would have left over after a regular flush.