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How to Clear a Toilet Blockage Without a Plunger

Plumbing

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Ideally, when a toilet gets clogged, you reach for the nearest flanged plunger and clean things out in a minute or two. But what to do if your toilet is clogged and there is no plunger? Maybe you just moved to a new place. Maybe you’re at your friend’s house without a butt. Are there ways to free a toilet behind the plunger?

Luckily, unclogging a toilet without a plug isn’t as difficult (or disgusting) as you might think! In fact, there are several surprisingly easy ways to clear even the most stubborn clogs without a plunger. Here are the top ways to clean a toilet, in the recommended order, to try:

How to unclog a toilet with hot water

First, take a large bucket of hot water. Important Note: You want hot, but NOT boiling hot. Boiling water could break the porcelain of the toilet bowl. Instead, just fill a bucket with the hottest water your faucet can provide. Pour this hot water into the toilet bowl until it is almost full and let it soak.

The heat should help break down the solid waste enough to flush the toilet. If that doesn’t work, don’t panic, just move on to the next methods. The “hot water toilet trick” is just a start.

Clean the toilet with dish soap

Squeeze a bunch of dishwashing soap into the toilet bowl. Use a Dawn brand heavy-duty grease cutter. Leave for fifteen minutes. The soap helps break down solids. This will also lubricate the bowl and pipes themselves, making it easier to push the clog down the drain.

After pouring the dish soap down the toilet, try the “hot water trick” again. Pour a pot of hot (not boiling!) water into the bowl and let sit for another 30 minutes.

After giving the soap and water time to clear the clog, try rinsing again. If that still doesn’t solve the problem, try repeating this process or leave the detergent in the toilet overnight.

Epsom salts to unclog the toilet

If you have Epsom salts lying around, you’re in luck. Pouring Epsom salts into water triggers a chemical reaction that causes the water to fizz and bubble. All that hissing and bubbling can seriously help clear clogs.

Pour a good amount of Epsom salts into your toilet bowl. Leave it on for fifteen minutes and then try rinsing it off. You should see positive results after the first rinse. You can also combine this technique with dish soap and the “hot water trick”.

Use a wire hanger or toilet brush

This is the most direct way to clear a blockage. If you’ve tried heat and chemical reactions to no avail, it’s time to give it a try. If you have a toilet brush handy, use it, if not, flip open a wire hanger. Insert the tool of your choice into the toilet bowl and wiggle it into the opening.

Depending on what’s causing the clog, it can be a little rough, so we recommend wearing gloves. Be careful not to accidentally damage the toilet bowl while working. Metal hangers can easily scratch porcelain if you are too rough or haphazard.

Buy a toilet plunger

I hope you managed to unclog your toilet. Now that it’s working, there are a few things you should do.

First, go out and buy a flanged piston. These pistonless techniques will suffice in a pinch, but are not a substitute for the original product.

Second, determine why your toilet is clogged in the first place. Does this happen often? If so, it may be because there is a larger problem with the plumbing in your home.

Call your local plumber

Sometimes drain plugs, with or without pistons, just can’t be removed without professional help. In other cases, major plumbing problems cause frustrating recurrent clogs and other problems. In any case, contact the experts at Wisler Plumbing and Air. We’ll examine your home’s plumbing and determine why you’re dealing with those clogs. We can help ensure you don’t need that new piston for a while.

 

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Plumbing issues are among the most common problems you might encounter as a homeowner. Unfortunately, many owners, without experience or proper tools, try to fix these problems themselves to avoid the expense of repairs. This can often lead to larger and more costly problems and injuries if you are not careful. In this blog post, Wisler Plumbing & Air Services explains the dangers of DIY repairs and why you should always leave them to the professionals. Read on to find out more!

Don’t Have the Proper Tools

One of the dangers of home repairs is that homeowners often don’t have access to the right tools they need. Plumbing problems can be very complex and require specialized tools that most people don’t have around the house or in their toolbox. Without these tools, you could do more damage to your home, which will cost you more in the long run. No matter how handy you are, the best thing to do is give us a call at (504) 483-9382 to fix any plumbing issue you may have.

Can’t Identify the Exact Problem

Not being able to pinpoint the source of the problem is another reason why you should leave plumbing repairs to the professionals. For example, you might think that the reason your water is draining slowly is because of a small clog that chemical drain cleaners can fix. However, the clog could be more severe than you think, and chemical unblockers could end up damaging your pipes even more.

The Plumbers can diagnose the problem and determine where the problem is coming from, which means a solution can be offered and a repair made. If you don’t know how to identify the problem, you could end up trying to fix something that doesn’t even need fixing and creating an even bigger problem.

Don’t Have Plumbing Experience

Another danger with do-it-yourself repairs is that homeowners are often inexperienced in plumbing. This means they are more likely to make a mistake when trying to fix the problem. This can often lead to larger and more costly problems later. In some cases, it can even cause injury if you’re not careful. All plumbers are specially trained and are certified professionals, which means they have learned how to properly deal with plumbing issues. Relying on professionals is one of the best ways to ensure your plumbing system stays in tip-top shape.

Could Make the Problem Worse

The last thing we want to mention is that even if you manage to fix the problem yourself, there is still a chance that you could make it worse. For this reason, we recommend that you always call a professional plumber if you have any problems with the installation. They have the experience and knowledge to quickly diagnose and fix the problem without doing further damage. While plumbers may not be the most dangerous profession, there’s always a risk of making the problem worse if you try it yourself, so prevention is better than cure. Instead of searching the internet for video tutorials on how to fix your plumbing problem, give Wisler Plumbing & Air Services a call.

So next time you have a plumbing issue, don’t forget to call us at (504) 483-9382. We can solve the problem quickly and efficiently without endangering your home or safety. DIY plumbing repairs might seem like a good idea at first, but they’re usually not worth the risk, and video tutorials can only be so helpful. Please fill out our online contact form to arrange your repair appointment.

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When we go fill our vehicle up with gas, it’s expensive. When we go to the doctor, we’re always surprised of how expensive it is. Rising prices are a reality. For plumbing specifically, you don’t hire a plumber very frequently. It might have been five years ago when, when you had the plumber in your home last time. So your perception of what it’s going to cost today might be based on what it cost five years ago or 10 years ago.

There’s a wide range of expertise out there when it comes to plumbing. So, you may not be comparing apples to apples all the time. A plumber that’s in a one truck operation, that’s just working out of his home is probably going to be less expensive, but he may not be insured! He may not be available. He may not have warranties on the project. So, make sure that you’re comparing apples to apples whenever you’re thinking of pricing. Just because a company gives you a quote twice as much, doesn’t mean that they’re ripping you off. The question to ask is what’s included in that cost and making sure that you break that down and understand what the value points are.

And we’re currently in a time where demand is high for plumbers, and there’s just not many skilled people out there to do the work. And so therefore that raises the costs of a company to provide that service because there’s just such a high demand and not much supply of competence. So, they have to train people and all those costs get rolled into the business. So that does increase the cost as well.

A company that wants to keep good, competent plumbers on hand has to pay them enough that they’re happy.

So…is this is a good time to become a plumber?

Absolutely. At Wisler Plumbing and Air we have an apprenticeship program. So you don’t have to have experience to come to work for us. We’re looking for humble, hungry, and smart people to join our team. And we provide training for them and get them in a career that’s going to be very fulfilling for years to come.

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“Flushable” wipes might be very convenient in the short-term, but they probably won’t be in the long-term. Many are advertised as flushable, but they’re still not healthy for your plumbing system. If you Google it, you’ll see that even public sewage disposal systems have had to adapt in the recent years to take on a high level of fiber-type material that’s in the sewage.

A septic system works because of bio material that breaks down biodegradable materials like toilet paper. Wipes are generally much stronger and thicker than toilet paper. So yes, they may be flushable, but it’s not toilet paper. They’re going to sit in the storage tank, and if you’re using a lot of them, they’re going to build up and cause problems.

They aren’t too common in the United States yet, but one thing to consider is a bidet. They have tremendous benefits, especially around hygiene. Using a bidet is cleaner than toilet paper, and if you’re caring for someone sick or elderly, they can be very handy.

I think of a client I had one time that had a cancer patient in their home that was constantly getting sick. They were using a lot of wipes and causing problems with their system. If you’re dealing with that, you definitely want to look into other solutions. One of them might be a bidet, or if you need to use wipes, put them in the waste basket instead of flushing.

If you’re interested in a bidet, you can reach out to us at Wisler Plumbing and Air. We generally use what’s called a bidet seat, which essentially transforms your toilet seat to second as a bidet. If you’d like more information, you can call us at 540-483-9382.

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If you’re traveling for a long winter vacation, here are a few things you can do to prepare your home’s plumbing system so it stays safe.

Winterize outdoor plumbing.

Make sure that you winterize all outdoor plumbing, especially if you have a home down by the lake around our area. Any outdoor showers or kitchens need to be winterized by removing all the water, not just by shutting off the water. (A lot of times the water is removed by blowing air through the pipes.)

Check the insulation.

There are certain situations where a house has a well/well pit or crawlspace surrounded with insulation. If the cover has leaked or the insulation has gotten wet, it’s not going to do a very good job of insulating the pipe. Check the insulation to make sure it’s in good order and not torn apart.

Check the heat.

Some houses have areas that aren’t heated or cooled by automatic means, with a heat lamp or heater with thermostat. Turn them up to make sure they are functioning properly and the lamps are working. Nobody wants to find out the bulb has burned out during a cold night.

Keep the cold air out.

For crawlspaces and cellars located underneath the house, make sure any vents or doors are closed securely. You don’t want cold air blowing into those spaces.

Shut off outdoor faucets.

Outdoor faucets sometimes have shutoff valves. We always recommend shutting off the valves to outdoor faucets to prevent anything from freezing and/or bursting.

If you want a professional to come winterize your home and make sure it’s prepared for winter vacation, reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air by contacting us online or giving us a call at 540-483-9382.

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This year there are plenty of things I’m thankful for. I believe that there is a creator who sustains life, so for me, every moment of my life and all my blessings are from God and His grace. I’m very thankful for that. I’m also thankful for the health of my family and my own health. We just recently got a new addition to our family, so my wife and I are super excited and thankful for the new child in our lives.

Every day I get to come in and work with the best team I’ve ever been a part of, and I’m just so thankful for the team members who put their faith and trust in this organization and contribute so much.

We try to be a positive impact on the community around us. I am very thankful for the community that I live in. We generally do not have a lot of unrest or civil issues. We’re pretty low-key and this is a great place to live in. The community has been very good to me, my family, and this organization and we’re very thankful for that.

As we’ve gone through the last couple of years with COVID, society has changed profoundly. There are lots of people who are tense and on-edge. We’ve even failed in certain situations, so I’m very thankful for my customers’ patience. It can be very challenging to meet the demands of others, but people have patiently waited for us to solve those problems and be better in the future. That patience goes a long way.

If you have any plumbing or HVAC issues in your home, reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air by contacting us online or giving us a call at 540-483-9382.

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