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DIY guideToilet bowl

Unclog a toilet

Clear a blocked toilet with a flange plunger, without flooding the floor.

  • 5 to 15 min
  • 6 steps
  • Every step animated
Unclog a toilet: the animation’s first picture

6 steps

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  1. If the bowl is filling up, stop the water: lift the tank lid and press the flapper down, or turn off the water to the toilet.

    Flushing a blocked toilet again can make it overflow.

  2. Put towels around the base and put on gloves. There should be enough water in the bowl to cover the plunger's cup.

  3. Fold out the rubber sleeve and set the plunger into the hole at the bottom of the bowl so it seals all the way round.

  4. Push down gently first to let the air out, then pump firmly up and down a dozen times or more, keeping the seal. Pull it away sharply. Repeat a few rounds.

    If you've poured a drain cleaner in, don't plunge: it can splash onto your skin and eyes.

  5. Once the water drains away, flush once and watch. If the water rises, stop the flush and plunge again.

  6. If it's still blocked after several rounds, or other drains gurgle or back up, stop and ask Handyman for a plumber.

What you need

  • A flange plunger (the kind with a rubber sleeve under the cup)
  • Rubber gloves
  • Old towels

Call a pro if

  • It's still blocked after several rounds of plunging
  • More than one drain is backing up or gurgling
  • Sewage is coming up into a tub or a floor drain

Handyman says: Still blocked? I'll find a plumber.

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