How to Use a Plunger

How to Use a Plunger

Start off with the best toilet plunger you can afford.  Using a flange plunger is the best type, because the shape of the rubber on the end is molded to fit your toilet bowl.  They form the best seal and provide the best suction.  If you just have a regular plunger, no worries, you can still unclog your toilet with just a bit more elbow grease.  Let’s go over how to unclog a toilet with a plunger.

Here are the steps to how to use a plunger on a toilet (how to use a flange plunger)

1. Make sure that your toilet isn’t about to overflow by shutting of the water valve under the toilet or lifting the flapper on the bottom of the inside of the toilet tank.
2. Place your plunger in your toilet bowl.
3. Press the rubber end onto the hole and try to form a good seal. This increases the suction power and a better chance of unclogging your toilet with minimal effort.
4. Once the seal if formed, push the handle down and pull it up so maximize the suction on the clog in both directions. Most folks don’t pull up on the plunger and it takes longer to unclog your toilet that way.
5. Check to see if the water in the bowl is going down. If it is, you’ve probably removed the clog.
6. Turn the water to your toilet back on.
7. Flush your toilet and behold the fast running water!
8. If you think your toilet is about to overflow, turn the water off to the tank again or move the flapper to the open position.
9. Try the above steps again until you’ve removed the clog.

Which Plunger is the Best to Use for Toilets or Drains?

Read our detailed Types of Plungers post for detailed info.

What Plunger do I Use for Which Clogs?

Plunger	Use
Sink	Sink Drains
Flange	Toilet
Accordion	Toilet

Toilet Clog Prevention

Here are some tips to prevent future toilet clogs:

• Don’t flush too much TP down the toilet at once
• Flush multiple times during a big poop
• Watch that the kids don’t flush anything
• Don’t flush any wipes down the toilet. It doesn’t matter if they say they are “flushable”. They aren’t. Most of my service calls are for this issue.
• Clean out your pipes twice per year with a toilet auger
• Don’t flush cat litter: it turns into cement in your pipes
• Don’t flush paper towel
• Don’t flush large feminine hygiene products
• Grease should be poured into a container and thrown out, not down your toilet

How to Use a Plunger on a Drain

Honestly, if you can, get a drain auger for removing stubborn clogs. Plunging a drain is similar to using a plunger on a toilet. Whether you need to use a plunger on a shower drain, bathtub or sink drain, the process is the same. Remember to use a sink plunger with the flat rubber on the end; this ensures a good seal, unlike a toilet plunger that has a big rubber lip on the end.

• Place your sink plunger in your sink
• Press the flat rubber end onto your drain and form a good seal. The good seal creates suction that will pull out the clog.
• Once the seal if formed, push the handle down and pull it up so maximize the suction on the clog in both directions.
• Check to see if the water in the sink/drain is going down. If it is, you’ve probably removed the clog.
• Run the water in your sink to see if it goes down the drain quickly.
• If it doesn’t, then try the above steps again until you’ve removed the clog.

Drain Clog Prevention

Here are some tips to prevent future drain clogs:

• Watch that the kids put anything down the drains
• Clean out your pipes twice per year with a drain auger
• Grease should be poured into a container and thrown out, not down your toilet
• Use a drain catcher in your sink drains to catch any debris that gets into the sink

Cost of Hiring a Plumber Versus Buying a Drain Auger

Hiring a plumber to unclog your drains costs anywhere from $100- 250, depending on the area and how complicated the clog is. A drain auger can be as cheap as $30. You can also use your drain auger as many times as you like, so I consider it an investment.

What if I Don’t have a Toilet Plunger?

We have a detailed post about trying to unclog your toilet without a plunger.

Cleaning Your Plunger

The best way is to use a bucket and fill it with hot soapy water and a bit of bleach. I would just let it soak for at least 3 minutes to let the bleach disinfect the plunger. You can scrub it off with a rag if there’s debris stuck on or in it and then let it dry thoroughly before putting it back.

Conclusion

Using a Plunger is a skill that everyone should know, to save money and prevent floods in your bathroom or kitchen.

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