Picture this: It’s eight o’clock and you’re expecting dinner guests at eight-thirty. You check the guest bathroom to make sure there’s a fresh hand towel and you notice to your horror that the toilet is clogged. Now don’t panic. We realize that all you have is half an hour to get the clog cleared away. Read on, and you should get the problem solved quickly and with minimum hassle.
If you Google “unclogging toilet” you’ll find references to the hot-water-technique and the hot-water-and-dish-soap-technique. These are definitely worth a try if you don’t have a toilet plunger. But they’re relatively risky and don’t always get the job done. So as you have only a short time before your guests arrive, we suggest getting hold of a toilet plunger as this will work on even the most stubborn clogs if you get the technique right.
If your plunger consists of a stick attached to a rubber cup then you have what is referred to as a sink plunger. It’s actually devised for clearing clogs from flat bottomed sinks and basins. It’s not designed for use on the curved surface of a toilet bowl. For this there are specialized toilet plungers with additional funnel shaped sections of rubber that are designed to be placed inside the entrance to the toilet trap. The best plunger designs create a much stronger seal and suffer from less slippage and splash-back. But don’t worry if all you have is a standard sink plunger. As long as you follow the three principles outlined below, you should still be able to get the job done.
Principle one: Water does not compress under pressure as much as air does. The implication is that you want to be plunging against water as more of the force you generate will end up being directed against the clog to dislodge it. So make sure there is some water in the toilet bowl, at least enough to completely cover the head of the plunger.
Principle two: Maintain a watertight seal at all times over the entrance to the trap-way. The key is to plunge downwards and upwards using a steady and unhurried motion. If you jerk about uncontrollably the plunger will lift off the toilet bowl and you will generate far less pressure per plunge.
Principle three: It’s the alternating pressure and suction force that dislodges the clog. Sometimes plumbers will tell you that you should focus primarily on the downward stroke while others will explain that it’s the suction force that will dislodge the clog. In practice it’s a bit of both. So first press down until the rubber cup is completely flattened and then pullback until the plunger cup returns to its neutral shape. Then repeat the process. If you end up with too little water in the bowl simply add some more in.
So there you have it. That’s all you need to know to plunge your toilet like a pro. Keep your head, clear the toilet and have a great dinner party.