How to Use a Toilet Plunger Correctly

Unclogging a toilet is part of the glamorous job of being a home owner. Using a plunger is the first step in trying to get your toilet to flush and drain properly. Before you call in a plumber, try a plunger.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Use a toilet plunger. Seems simple enough, but there is also a sink plunger and there is a difference between a toilet plunger and a sink plunger. Toilet plungers have a funnel shaped end which will provide more plunger power than a sink power. The rubber end of a toilet plunger is made to fit over the flush drain and the contour of the bottom of the toilet bowl. In the above picture, the plunger on the left is a toilet plunger. The plunger on the right is a sink plunger.

2. Position the rubber end of the plunger directly over the flush drain.

3. Forcefully press the plunger down and lift the plunger handle quickly. Pump the plunger up and down 12 to 15 times. Make sure you do not lift the rubber end off of the hole for the flush drain while plunging.

4. Remove the plunger from the toilet.

5. Flush the toilet, if the water flushes and the toilet bowl empties normally, the clog has been cleared. If the water does not drain down the toilet drain, repeat the plunging steps above.