Unclog a Toilet

• TASK: Clear a clogged toilet in order to ensure that you are able to continue using your toilet.
• CONDITIONS: Given a plunger and a clogged toilet.
• STANDARD: You must be able to restore a clogged toilet to normal working conditions.

Identify a Clogged Toilet
You know your toilet is clogged only after trying to flush it. Over time, you become familiar with the sound of the toilet flushing and unless you make a habit of watching the water and human waste swirl and go down the drain, that sound is how you’ll first know that something is wrong.

When the toilet is clogged, the bowl will fill up with water and anything that was in the toilet bowl when you flushed that didn’t make it past the clog before it blocked the pipe. Yes, you’ll likely see poop.

Clear the Clog
The wrong thing to do is to do nothing and make it the next guy’s problem. The right thing to do is to get the plunger and fix it. It only takes one time of unclogging a toilet that some other guy left clogged for you to realize the importance of this fact.

If done correctly, you should be able to clear the clog without getting any toilet water on yourself. Here’s how:

• Dip the plunger in the water at an angle to release as much air as possible from the cup of the plunger. Air is compressible, water is not. You’ll lose force with air in the plunger.
• Maneuver the cup of the plunger down into the mouth of the drain. Avoid trapping toilet paper or poop under the cup to get as tight a seal between the cup and the toilet bowl as possible.
• With slow, steady, forceful strokes, push the plunger down so that the water trapped in the cup is pushed down the drain. If your stroke is sudden and uneven, you risk splashing water around and out of the toilet bowl. Start slow and work up speed as you become familiar with the process.
• You’ll usually hear the water drain when the clog is cleared. If you don’t hear the water drain after 5-10 strokes, break the seal between the plunger and the toilet bowl to check. If the clog remains, try again.
• If after several iterations, the clog won’t clear, you may need to escalate to a plumber.
• After clearing the clog, leave the plunger in the toilet bowl and flush the toilet several times to rinse off the cup of the plunger. Once it’s clean, shake off the remaining water and put it back for next time.

Sources

• Art of Manliness