Facing a backing up in the toilet or a clogged bathtub drain is nothing new. When these are used, these are bound to get clogged. Even if you are not dumping and flushing things in there, sometimes it clogs. After years of use, there are enough things that go in there to clog the toilet or bathtub drain. But once it happens, it becomes a mess.
Daily usage of the washroom halts. After all, who is going to use a toilet that keeps backing up? Or who is going to land themselves in a tub that overflows wastewater?
So, let’s answer this very basic problem right here. We are going to discuss how to unclog toilet and bathtub drain. You can use different tools, chemicals, or call a plumber. The choice is all yours.
Caution
It is never a compulsion to solve a problem all by yourself. There is nothing wrong with taking help from the professionals. Though most people might recommend you to seek professional help after trying to solve things yourself, we are going to suggest not to. Our advice to you will always be taking help from the professionals because there is no use of making things worse and then calling the Pros.
However, if you are not getting a plumber or the Pro are taking time to reach, then you can definitely try a bit to solve the issue. Make sure you know what you are doing. Doing it all by yourself might seem easy, but in actual, it is always easier said than done.
Contents
How to Unclog Toilet and Bathtub Drain
Now, as we have already warned you, let’s discuss the varied ways of unclogging a toilet and bathtub drain.
1. Basic Plunger
Start with the basics. We all have the old-school plunger at our house. One is for the toilet and another for the kitchen sink. Though old-school, it is still the best way to unclog a clogged line. You can use the basic plunger to unclog the bathtub drain as they are flat and suits best for the kitchen sink or shower or bathtub drain.
However, if you are using a plunger to unclog a toilet, then make sure the plunger you are using is a flange plunger. The flange in the outside rim helps to properly set in the bowl hole and suck the air, creating pressure to unclog the toilet.
2. Drain Auger
Not familiar with the term drain auger? No worries. We are talking about the plumbing snake. It is called a drain auger and is almost like a drilling machine. You have a machine with a long metal cable. With a press of the button, the cord starts rotating. Just like how you drill a wall, you are basically drilling the clogged waste. To reach the clogged portion, the metal cables in this tool are made to be flexible and long.
To unclog a toilet, you need to feed the metal cable till the time you feel it hit the clogged waste. The moment you reach the clogged portion, start the machine, and it will drill and break the clogged substance. Sounds easy, easier than the plunger. Use the plumbing snake the same way to unclog the bathtub drain but first take off the strainer.
3. Boiled Water
Though it might seem, it is not going to work, because what is there to melt with it, but it actually works. The hot water helps the clogged substance break into parts due to the heat. If it is not a massive blockage, you might unclog your toilet or bathtub drain by pouring hot water. You mostly use soap in the bathtub. A bar of bath soap is full of grease and fat.
So, it can be the prime reason for a clogged bathtub drain. With boiled water, the substance will easily melt and unclog the bathtub drain. For better results, pour hot water and wait for a couple of minutes. Then just use the plunger to unclog the toilet or bathtub drain. You can add a bit of dish soap in the water and let it boil. That mixture is going to work better than just the boiled water.
4. Chemicals
If you think you are okay using chemicals in your toilets and drains, there are a few chemicals for unclogging the blockage. Either use the beneficial copper sulfate or the very safe citrus cleaner. If you want to unclog the toilet with just one attempt, then you can pour the very powerful Dichlobenil. You need to be extra careful while using the chemicals because these are not just boiled water or a plunger. These are solid chemicals. If you know how to use it and are wearing protective gear, then chemicals to unclog a toilet or bathtub drain are the best you can get.
5. Baking Soda And Vinegar
We can bet you wouldn’t expect this combo to work in a clogged toilet. If you thought the baking soda and vinegar combo are only a great dish cleaner, then you were wrong. This combo basically breaks the stubborn dirt. Be it to break the stubborn stain into particles on a dish or a clogged toilet, the chemistry of the two works, and how! Do not expect it to work like a Dichlobenil. However, the combo pretty much helps to unclog the mild clogging.
6. Shop-Vac
Frankly, who would have thought there would be vacuums to unclog a toilet! However, they exist. These are not regular vacuums. So do not get excited and take your home cleaning vacuum to unclog the toilet. It is risky, will not work, and you might get a shock too. As you are going to use the vacuum in the wet substance, it has to be shock-proof. So, the only vacuum you can have is a vacuum made by Shop-Vac. Shop-Vac constructs the wet-dry vacuum. Thus safe to unclog the toilet and bathtub drain by suction and pressure.
So, we have shared a few practical ways to unclog a toilet or a bathtub drain. Some are basics and some a bit risky. Some you can find in your house and some you need to spend money on. What are the ones you think you can attempt easily? And if you tried any of the processes how much it worked. Please share your experience with us.