A S***ty Situation

It’s the late afternoon after a long workday. You come home, take care of some business and the next thing you know your toilet bowl is filling up with water. PANIC! Luckily for you, the water stops right before overflowing but you’re standing there with a look full of confusion, terror, and sadness. Here are some tips.

Step 1: Stopping Water Flow

The first series of unfortunate events would be if the toilet bowl is filling up with water, without stopping. This means the drain is clogged and you need to stop more water from entering into the bowl, unless you want a soupy looking floor (no judgement). In order to avoid a floor full of overflow, you’ll need to stop extra water from entering the bowl mid-flush.

Two Options to Stop Water:

1. Option 1: Lift the lid to the toilet tank and push the flapper down. The flapper is connected to the handle which allows water to flow from the tank to the bowl resulting in a flush. See Image 1, the flapper is blue.

2. Option 2: Shut off the water supply to the toilet. At the bottom left underneath your toilet you should see something similar to Figure 2 below. Turn the football shaped knob clockwise to shut off the flow of water to the toilet. Your water shut off valve may look different so it’s best to familiarize yourself with it prior making an introduction in the midst of pain and panic.

Step 2: The Right Tools For the Job

1. Using a Plunger: There are two main types of plungers, cup and flange. A flange plunger is more effective and should be your first option. A cup plunger will work but it is less effective.

2. Using a Toilet Auger: A toilet auger is an expensive option but the best tool to unclog drains. It acts as a “snake” that follows the drain and releases debris causing the clog.

Step 3: Removing the Clog

1. Using a Plunger:

   1.  Put the plunger into the toilet bowl at an angle so it fills up with water. This is easier with a flange plunger given its shape.

   2. Push the now water filled plunger into the bottom opening of the toilet to create a seal.

   3. Pump the plunger up and down to force water into the exit at the bottom of the toilet.

2. Using an Auger

   1. Fully retract the auger and insert the retrieval end into the bottom exit hole of the toilet. Avoid contacting the toilet bowl with the metal end of the auger as this may scratch the toilet.

   2. Spin the handle clockwise while applying light downward pressure towards the toilet bowl. The hook will dislodge the blockage and unclog the drain.

A Fantastic Video:

I stumbled across this video when researching today’s skill and thought I would share it. If you learn better with video, this may help explain the text in a more visual context. Enjoy!

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