Translating…
Probably the most common call a plumbing company receives is a repair or service to fix a residential toilet. Toilets can both leak and become clogged, most common of course is a clogged toilet. With the current economic status, more and more people are trying to cut services such as plumbing repairs out of their budget. People are now going to Home Depot and Lowe’s to find the appropriate parts to fix things around their home.
With this being the case, I figured I would provide a few tips for fixing a toilet. If you find yourself trying to fix your own toilet, follow the steps below before calling a plumber:
The first step to fixing a clogged toilet is to correctly plunge. Make sure you have a proper plunger to do the job. Do not use a plunger that is not the appropriate size. Make sure the plunger correctly fits around the drain of your toilet. A plunger that is too small will not do the job. I recommend getting a toilet plunger instead of a sink plunger to work on your clogged toilet. A sink plunger is a smaller than a toilet plunger and has a flat “cup” bottom. A toilet plunger has an additional piece that comes out of the bottom of its “cup” that fits directly in the drain of your toilet.
Once you know you have the right type of plunger make sure you remove any access material in the toilet bowl from the drain of the toilet. Insert the plunger into the drain fitting the cup directly around the toilet. Make sure the outside of the cup is evenly pressed to the toilet before you start plunging.
If you plunge correctly after a few times you should see the water level in your toilet go down. Let water fill the drain and begin to plunge again until water goes down again. If you have cleared the clog, the remaining water and material should flow down the drain. Once this happens feel free to flush the toilet and allow it to fill back up with water.
If you plunge and the water level does not go down after trying a few times do not flush your toilet. Continue to try and plunge a few more times to move the water level down. If this does not happen you will need to go to more means than just plunging.
If a plunge does not work you will have to turn to a drain snake. A snake will allow you to go down the toilet drain and try and flush the clog. Drain snakes come in different lengths. You will only need a few feet for a toilet. Insert the snake down the drain and push it back and forth. If you feel like you have snagged the clog try and pull it out. If you are successful with retrieving the clog go ahead and plunge the toilet one more time to make sure water can go down the drain. If this works out, go ahead and flush the toilet to be sure you have completed the job.