It is only a matter of time until your toilet clogs. Though most Tamarac homeowners keep a plunger by their toilet, there are some situations in which the plunger is inaccessible, misplaced, damaged, or ineffective. Perhaps you are at a friend’s place and there is no plunger available.
Regardless of why you do not have a plunger at your disposal, you should be proactive in finding a way to unclog the toilet. Below, our local plumbers in Tamarac explain how to unclog your toilet without a plunger.
1. Add Hot Water
In some cases, the addition of warm water will clear the clog. Warm up water in a pot and dump it into the toilet bowl until it is almost full. Let gravity work its magic and the drain might clear. The water should be warm as opposed to boiling. Uber-hot water can crack the porcelain toilet bowl. The heat from the water will break apart solid waste, allowing for an effective flush.
2. Add Epsom Salt
Though Epsom salt is no longer in the average household’s cabinets, it serves an important purpose. Add Epsom salt to the water in your toilet bowl and it will create a chemical reaction that causes the water to fizz and subsequently bubble. This bubbling just might eliminate the clog. Be sure to add a considerable amount of Epsom salt to the bowl so it has a chance to clear the entirety of the clog. Let the Epsom salt rest for 15 minutes. Flush the toilet and the clog will likely dissipate. If the clog remains, use Epsom salt in combination with dish soap and hot water for maximum impact.
3. Use Dish Soap
Dish soap might seem like an odd solution for your clogged toilet, yet it has the potential to work. Squeeze out a generous amount of dish soap into the bowl. Give the dish soap at least 15 minutes to work its magic. The dish soap will facilitate the breakdown of solids in the toilet bowl. Dish soap also serves the purpose of lubricating the toilet bowl as well as the pipes. This lubrication helps the clog move on down into the drain.
After 15 minutes, add hot water. Warm up a pot of hot water and pour it into the toilet bowl. Give the water half an hour or so to work its magic. Once half an hour has passed, flush the toilet. If the toilet does not flush, add more dish soap followed by hot water. The second round of treatment just might do the trick. If the toilet does not flush after repeating this process, add more dish soap and let it sit overnight. The toilet will likely flush in the morning.
4. Use a Wire Hanger
In some situations, the only way to clear a clogged toilet is to loosen the clog with another object such as a wire hanger. Straighten out a wire hanger, push one end into the bowl, move it around in the opening and you just might clear the clog in as little as a few seconds. Be sure to don gloves just in case there is a splash-back. Using a wire hanger is a last resort option as there is the potential for the hanger to scratch the toilet bowl. So be careful to direct the end of the hanger to the opening as opposed to the toilet bowl itself.
5. Consult Our Local Plumbers in Tamarac
When in doubt, your best option is to call professional plumbers in Tamarac. Our plumbing team is at your service. Give us a call at (561) 782-2779 and we will be over as soon as possible to unclog your toilet or tend to another plumbing issue in your Tamarac home.
Conclusion
A clogged toilet can be nightmarish. More often than not, it requires proactive and expert solutions. While the tips and tricks mentioned above may work for you, you need to be prepared with a remedy for serious clogs as well. Leave it to the professionals to give you a clog-free toilet that functions optimally in the long run. Plunger or no plunger, you deserve to have a well-functioning toilet that’s free of obstructions at all times.
