How to Unclog a Standard Toilet

Pro-Tips: Dynamic Drains Plumbing and Drain Experts

Many people believe the best way to deal with a toilet clog is by using a plunger. Today I want to introduce a better way to free up any clogs that may be in your toilet by removing the obstruction, rather than forcing water past it by using a special tool, called a six-foot telescopic toilet auger.

Video Transcript:

Austin Taylor here with Dynamic Drains Plumbing and Drain Experts where the best customer is the educated one. Today, I wanted to talk about toilet clogs and a very good way to deal with them with a toilet auger, specifically a six-foot telescopic toilet auger.

These are much better than a traditional plunger because they can remove a foreign object or break up paper much more effectively. A lot of times, a plunger is only going to push the water past the blockage, but there could still be something left in the pipes. The bulb on the bottom is very good at retrieving and removing foreign objects. So, if your toilet becomes clogged and you know it’s just the toilet meaning that there’s no gurgling going on, your showers don’t have water backing up into them or your tub, then you know it’s specific to the toilet.

Getting Started:

The first thing you want to do is put some gloves on, lay a towel down, and get the toilet auger. You’ll need to put it in all the way to the rubber guide. The reason it has the rubber on the bottom is to protect the toilet from the tip to keep it from scratching the porcelain glaze. Toilets are very susceptible to scratches from bare metals.

You’re going to want to pull the mechanism out all the way. If the water is discolored, this can take a little time to determine where exactly the hole is for the trap-way but you’re going to want to fish it snugly into the hole. Wet your hands with clean water to allow the auger to rotate where your hand is holding.

Begin to twist

The telescopic auger will have a total of six feet. The first three feet are going to auger down by twisting as seen. Don’t apply too much pressure. Simply twist it and let the auger snake it’s way down. If you start to get bound up on something, you may have to crank a bit harder and then sometimes yank it back a bit.

If in the process of you doing this you notice the water goes down, there’s really no need to go any further at that point. Simply pull back all the way, see if there’s something on the end, shake out the water and then let it sit on the towel.

Still not coming unclogged?

Perhaps all of the above work wasn’t able to obstruct the clog. This is where the telescopic part comes in. Telescopic augers have a little button that can be pushed to extend out and add an additional three feet and hopefully, that will get it.

If you’re still facing a clogged drain, it’s either time to try it again or call an experienced plumber like Dynamic Drains and Plumbing Experts where they can pull the toilet and do a bit more invasive work with more mechanical means.

The best customer is the educated customer and hopefully, this will save time and money from having to deal with unnecessary service calls.

Hope this video helps. Austin Taylor with Dynamic Drains Plumbing and Drain Experts, have a good day.