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Glenn Haege: You can do it!
There's not much to unplugging a toilet
There is nothing worse than having company coming in about an hour and learning that the toilet is plugged.
Keep calm. You can save the day....
Tools needed: Big bath towels or an old blanket for floor, plunger with flange, (worst-case scenario) snake
1. Lay the towels or old blankets on the floor around the toilet.
2. Many clogs are slow-drainers. The water will go to the top of the bowl when the toilet is flushed, then drain down in 15 minutes so that the toilet looks fine. Water can easily go over the top of the bowl the next time the toilet is flushed.
To see if you have a slow drain, gently lift the flapper ball enough for a small amount of water to flow into the bowl. If the water drains freely from the toilet it is probably not plugged. If the water doesn't go down, you have a plug.
3. Pull the flange out of the plunger and insert the plunger into the trapway. The plunger is full of air, so gently push down to expel the air from the plunger. Pull back up to fill the plunger with water.
4. Start plunging hard to get a bellows action going. By pushing down, water surges down the drain and pushes against the blockage. By pulling up, water on the other side of the clog pushes against blockage and starts tearing it apart. You may easily have to plunge 20 or more times to loosen the blockage.
A master plumber told my publisher that 90 percent of toilet clogs can be cleared with vigorous plunging. You may have to plunge for five minutes before you weaken and clear the blockage.
5. If the blockage just won't budge (or you run out of patience), it is time to use a light-duty snake. Be very careful. Snakes can scratch the vitreous surface of the trapway. Some plumbers use special tools called closet augers that have a flexible hose at the end of the handle that can be used to protect the vitreous surface. Most people just use a light snake.
Gently feed the end of the snake down the trapway. Then push until you get to the blockage. Jiggle back and forth. Pushing against the block will poke a hole through it. Pulling back, the auger at the end of the snake will catch hold of parts of the blockage and pull it apart, allowing the snake to go through.
6. As soon as the blockage gives, the water will whirl down the passage. Pull the snake out gently and repeat the flapper test in step No. 1. If the water flows down, treat yourself to a full flush and a victory dance. You just saved yourself about $100.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071222/OPINION03/712220402/1038/LIFESTYLE01
There's not much to unplugging a toilet
There is nothing worse than having company coming in about an hour and learning that the toilet is plugged.
Keep calm. You can save the day....
Tools needed: Big bath towels or an old blanket for floor, plunger with flange, (worst-case scenario) snake
1. Lay the towels or old blankets on the floor around the toilet.
2. Many clogs are slow-drainers. The water will go to the top of the bowl when the toilet is flushed, then drain down in 15 minutes so that the toilet looks fine. Water can easily go over the top of the bowl the next time the toilet is flushed.
To see if you have a slow drain, gently lift the flapper ball enough for a small amount of water to flow into the bowl. If the water drains freely from the toilet it is probably not plugged. If the water doesn't go down, you have a plug.
3. Pull the flange out of the plunger and insert the plunger into the trapway. The plunger is full of air, so gently push down to expel the air from the plunger. Pull back up to fill the plunger with water.
4. Start plunging hard to get a bellows action going. By pushing down, water surges down the drain and pushes against the blockage. By pulling up, water on the other side of the clog pushes against blockage and starts tearing it apart. You may easily have to plunge 20 or more times to loosen the blockage.
A master plumber told my publisher that 90 percent of toilet clogs can be cleared with vigorous plunging. You may have to plunge for five minutes before you weaken and clear the blockage.
5. If the blockage just won't budge (or you run out of patience), it is time to use a light-duty snake. Be very careful. Snakes can scratch the vitreous surface of the trapway. Some plumbers use special tools called closet augers that have a flexible hose at the end of the handle that can be used to protect the vitreous surface. Most people just use a light snake.
Gently feed the end of the snake down the trapway. Then push until you get to the blockage. Jiggle back and forth. Pushing against the block will poke a hole through it. Pulling back, the auger at the end of the snake will catch hold of parts of the blockage and pull it apart, allowing the snake to go through.
6. As soon as the blockage gives, the water will whirl down the passage. Pull the snake out gently and repeat the flapper test in step No. 1. If the water flows down, treat yourself to a full flush and a victory dance. You just saved yourself about $100.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071222/OPINION03/712220402/1038/LIFESTYLE01