An item being flushed down the toilet can be a harrowing experience that is too frequent and annoying. One such example is a key that gets flushed down the toilet quite often. Because most toilet drains are designed only to let water through, objects tend to become stuck in the drain or at the bottom of the toilet.
Retrieving an object flushed down the toilet is as simple as using a drain snake, a wire clothes hanger, or your hands. Using a wet vacuum or lifting the bathroom off the ground and laying it on its side may help you locate the object if you can’t get it out by fiddling with the handle.
Is It Okay To Flush Keys Down The Toilet?
No, you can’t flush keys down the toilet as they can cause blockage of the pipe. The flushing of keys and other small objects down the toilet, especially by children, is not uncommon. If you don’t succeed in grabbing the keys with a coat hanger, you can sometimes end up with a broken toilet bowl.
This can be a source of anxiety as you try to track down a spare set of keys while also worrying that using the old set will result in a clogged toilet.
What Happens When You Flush Your Keys Down The Toilet?
If you accidentally flush your keys down the toilet, you can contact a professional. Plumbers are used to dealing with various bizarre and unusual things that have been flushed down the toilet.
While this is not always the case for typical situations such as having your keys flushed down the toilet, the p-trap should be able to snag the object and allow you to take it out with a drain snake or a bent wire hanger.
Can a Key Clog The Toilet?
Yes, a key has the potential to clog a toilet. An unsuccessful attempt to grab the keys with a coat hanger might result in a damaged toilet bowl. Accidental flushing of keys and other tiny things down the toilet, particularly among youngsters, is common.
This may result in stress as you scramble to locate your backup keys while simultaneously fearing that the old set will result in a blocked toilet.
How To Get Flushed Keys Out of The Toilet?
It’s a good idea to keep your hands away from the flush handle when you’re collecting items that have been flushed down the toilet. As a result, the best place to begin is by closing the shutdown valve. Close the valve by turning it counterclockwise. When the toilet’s tube joins the wall, you’ll find a little knob on the wall.
Getting rid of the toilet may need emptying the bowl of water to make it simpler to find keys that have been flushed. Using a wet/dry vacuum to remove the water is possible, or you may use a plastic cup to scoop it out manually. In the best-case scenario, likely, you won’t need to empty the toilet bowl if the keys are trapped in the trap, just out of your line of sight but still available.
Putting on a pair of rubber gloves before going into the bathroom may seem like common sense, but it’s worth noting.
Reach down down the toilet hole as far as you can to check if you can feel the keys, and don’t forget to put on your gloves beforehand. You’ll be limited in how far you can reach by the shape of your toilet, the weight of your keys, and the size of your arm. You may also use a flexible magnetic pickup tool if that doesn’t work. If the keys are really in the trap, you should be able to feel the magnet’s attraction to the key ring.
Another alternative is to use a clawed toilet snake to search for and retrieve flushed keys, but avoid making your toilet snakes. They’re lovely for forcing a clog farther down the drain, but they won’t help you remove anything.
The keys may be stuck in the toilet trap or the curve of the closet if you can’t discover them via the toilet bowl. Alternatively, you may remove the toilet and check if they’re stuck there (the pipe just under your bathroom). Two people are required to remove the toilet. Disconnect the toilet connection tube from the wall after turning off the water valve and removing the toilet tank’s tank. Be prepared to collect any remaining water from the pipe.
Cut any caulk securing the toilet to the floor using a utility knife. If required, use a screwdriver to loosen the nuts that hold the bathroom to the floor and remove them using pliers. After that, you should be able to raise the toilet with the assistance of another person. To prevent the keys from falling into the hole in the floor, you need to have a third person hold a piece of cardboard beneath the toilet as you raise it.
Try to discover the keys by placing the toilet on its side (you may need to remove the tank first, depending on the type). A flashlight may be necessary if the closet curve is obscured by clothing. Then, with the aid of your friend, replace the toilet. Reinstall the bolts, reattach the water supply, and reapply fresh caulk to the base.
Different Ways To Unclog a Toilet
When anything goes wrong, we tend to forget about the toilet. No plunger means that a toilet breakdown or blockage is more than a bit of annoyance. Remember that a clogged toilet might significantly disrupt your family’s day-to-day activities.
Even while plunging the drain usually does the trick, you may need a drill to get the clog out.
Some blockages may be so deep or difficult to remove that you’ll need Pompano Beach Plumbing Services to get them out. Because of this, you may use these strategies to unclog your toilet.
1. Plunger
Even though it seems simple, the easiest method to unclog a toilet is using this simple gadget. You should have this item in your home since it is the most pleasing way to unclog a toilet.
The first step is to remove all of the air from the system. This instrument requires that you insert the plunger into the toilet bowl and gently push it down. Do not slam on the brakes, as you may splash filthy water on your face.
Pump the plunger down and up vigorously while maintaining the seal after achieving a good seal. Finally, break the air seal by pulling the tool forcefully up. Once the water starts flowing, you’ll know something’s wrong. To clear a clog, continue these methods until it is no longer obstructed.
2. Vinegar and Baking Soda
If you don’t have a plunger and your toilet won’t flush, you may use vinegar and baking soda, two non-toxic home cleaning products. You’re undoubtedly aware that vinegar and baking soda are excellent cleaners, deodorizers, and aid in keeping your drains clear.
You may also use these home products to unclog a toilet if you don’t have a plunger. Wait a few minutes before flushing the bathroom with a cup of baking soda. Pour two glasses of vinegar into the toilet, and then flush.
Make sure you pour vinegar and baking soda slowly and carefully to avoid spilling or spraying the toilet water. Allow the baking soda and vinegar mixture to sit for a few minutes before using.
Flushing the toilet will reveal whether the obstruction has been removed. If the blockage persists, repeat the procedure. Clogs are cleared when your bathroom produces a quick suction sound and usually empties.
3. Hot Water and Dish Soap
When it takes a gallon of water to heat up, make a solution of dish soap and hot water. Pour the water cautiously into the toilet when it is hot but not boiling. The blockage will soften in 10-15 minutes, so be patient.
Afterward, the toilet will flush easily and unclog. If you don’t want to leave your bathroom, you may use hot water and shampoo from the sink to clean your toilet.
4. The Snake
You can buy a toilet snake for about $25. To prevent chemical usage, you need to buy it once. It’s possible to thread the handy gadget and wrap it around until the obstruction is released. This procedure is helpful when the clog is more profound than the bowl itself. Even though it’s a pain, this is preferable to using your bare hands.
When everything else fails, get a licensed plumber to come out and have a look. You might badly damage the porcelain surface of the toilet bowl by using a clothes hanger as a replacement.
5. Household Bleach
Household bleach, like soap, aids in the decomposition of garbage. Using dish soap is a lot like this method. Use 2-3 cups of bleach instead of dishwashing soap, whether solid or liquid.
Pour one cup of powdered soap into the mixture after agitation for about a minute or two. Wait a few minutes before flushing the toilet. You’ll find this method more effective if you have a blocked toilet.
6. Contact a Plumber
This method is simple, but it’s probably the most effective method for clearing a clogged toilet. Most plumbers have everything they need to handle even the most severe blockages, which is one of the most remarkable things about working with them. Our prices are lower than you may expect, and we’ll be finished in a short period.
There are times when a plunger isn’t available, which may be a real problem for those who have had to deal with blocked toilets. As a result, you must use additional methods to clear your toilet. Consider these recommendations if you’re unsure about where to begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Retrieve Something Flushed Down Toilet?
Yes, it is possible to recover anything that has been flushed down the bathroom. Drains in most bathrooms are primarily meant for water flow. Therefore things tend to become stuck in the drain or the bowl itself. You may use a drain snake, a wire clothes hanger, or your hands to fish out the object that was flushed down the toilet.
Does Dental Floss Block Toilets?
Dental floss has been known to cause clog incommodes. Dental floss is not biodegradable, even if it is tiny, thin, and fragile. Chaos ensues as more and more material is flushed down the drain, as it becomes entangled with each other and clings to whatever it can find.
Can You Drink Toilet Water?
No, you can’t drink toilet water; however, toilet water is recycled and used as drinking water in some countries. Several countries are already filtering and treating the wastewater down the drain to make it as clean as spring water, including toilet flushes. Recycled water may not seem appetizing, but it’s perfectly safe and has the same flavor as tap or bottled water.
Is There a Trap in a Toilet?
It’s a curved channel inside the base of a toilet that goes from the bowl’s bottom hole to the drainpipe. A toilet traps or trap way When a toilet backs up, the clog is most likely in the trap, not the drainpipe.