by Auxarcer

Created on: January 29, 2011   Last Updated: September 16, 2011

Just about everybody has had to deal with a blocked toilet at one time or another. Not a particularly pleasant task, but one that's usually easy enough to deal with. You take a plunger, put it in the bowl, plunge it a few times, and it's open. Here are a few tips that might help you.

Start by using the right kind of plunger. The type you want to use for a toilet usually has a yellow handle with a black neoprene plunger and horn. The bottom of this type of plunger ( the horn ) can be folded in to the cup to create a second type of plunger that can be used on drains.

Have a bucket handy, and something to bail out slop should you need to. If the bowl is full, or close to it, you'll want to bail some of that out before you put your plunger in. If you don't, the plunger will displace the slop, causing it to over flow the rim and end up on the floor. You don't want that.

After you seat the plunger in the bottom of the bowl, begin to plunge it as forcefully as possible, 5 or 6  times, then pull the plunger and see if the toilet drains. If not, repeat the process until it does drain. ( If this doesn't get you anywhere after 10 minutes or so, you're probably not going to get it open with a plunger. )

If the toilet does drain, put your plunger in your bucket, and do not flush the toilet.

Instead, remove the lid from the toilets tank, and set it aside. In the middle of the bottom of the tank, is the flapper valve. The toilet flush lever is connected to this. When you flush the toilet, the handle lifts the flapper valve allowing water to flow into the bowl. When you flush the toilet, be ready to use your hand to push the flapper valve back down into place in case the toilet starts backing up.

If the toilet seems to flush with no problems, load the bowl up with toilet paper, then flush it again to make sure that it's working properly. You might want to do that 2 or 3 times just to be sure.

 If the plunger didn't work.

If the plunger didn't work, it's because there's an obstruction of some kind that's lodged in the goose-neck of the bowl. If you have children, it will often be some kind of toy, but it could be anything. A toothbrush, a comb, or maybe a lipstick holder, for example. To get around this problem, you'll need to use a device called a closet auger.

Toilets are also known as water closets, hence the name closet auger. You can get one of these at most hardware stores or at a plumbing supply house.  Don't opt for the cheaper, lighter versions, as they

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