Have you ever been in a bathroom that has a clogged toilet and there you are with no plunger? Most likely you’ve probably asked yourself whether the toilet will eventually unclog itself? The answer is most times, Yes.
A clogged toilet will eventually clean out itself over time. This is due to the fact that most of the stuff that clogs a toilet is water-soluble and this means that they will at the end of the day dissolve in the toilet water. When the item that is clogging the toilet is given an adequate amount of time to break down, the force of a flush should be adequate to clear the pipes.
As simple as this might sound, there are however a few other details you should really know before you allow the poor clogged toilet to fend for itself. When you want to decide if allowing your toilet unclog itself is a good option, there are two things you need to consider:
Read: Toilet Water Splashed on Me: What To Do?
What Caused the Clog?
Allowing the toilet to unclog itself is only going to be a good option if the item that caused the clog is an organic, degradable material. Essentially, if you flushed anything other than septic-safe toilet paper (this is toilet paper that dissolves quickly and they will either be biodegradable, recycled, labeled as septic-safe or eco-friendly, or a combination of the four.) or human waste, the toilet will not unclog itself.
A lot of commonly-flushed items should not be flushed down the toilet and these include diapers, feminine hygiene products, and flushable wipes. These items are non-degradable and this means that they can cause a clog in your toilet, they also can back up your septic system, which is a situation you do not want.
If any of these items cause your toilet to clog then it’s time to put in some money towards a plunger and, for future purposes and the sake of your septic system, it is advisable to stop trying to flush them.
It is also worth mentioning that various toilet brands and models could take care of clogs in various ways. As a result, depending on the toilet you’re dealing with, you could be better off (or have worse luck) letting the toilet to unclog itself.
How Big is the Clog?
The other thing that needs to be considered is the severity of or how big the clog is. If the toilet backs up a bit and then begins to drain slowly, then what you have is a partial clog. This type of clog is the most stress-free to clear and the most probable to unclog by itself.
If you’re speculating on how much time to wait, I’d say 30 minutes to an hour should be adequate to liquefy a lot of clogs. On the other hand, if you can have the time to wait longer, then wait as the more time it has to dissolve the better.
Though, if the clog is severe and you have a blockage so that your toilet does not drain at all, it is more doubtful that the toilet will unclog by itself. And in my opinion, it is better to be safe than sorry, more especially when the consequences require you to mop up dirty toilet water.
However, if you have a large clog, or it is a situation that just does not seem like the toilet can clear itself, it is advisable that you grab a plunger and begin fixing it as soon as possible. However, if you do not have a plunger and you are getting desperate, then keep on reading because, in the next section, we list some nifty ways to plunge without a plunger.
How Long Does It Take for a Toilet to Unclog Itself?
If you’re speculating on how much time to wait, I’d say 30 minutes to an hour should be adequate to liquefy a lot of clogs. On the other hand, if you can have the time to wait longer, then wait as the more time it has to dissolve the better.
Though, if the clog is severe and you have a blockage so that your toilet does not drain at all, it is more doubtful that the toilet will unclog by itself. And in my opinion, it is better to be safe than sorry, more especially when the consequences require you to mop up dirty toilet water.
However, if you do not have a plunger and you are getting desperate, then keep on reading because in the next section, we list some nifty ways to plunge without a plunger.
Can You Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger?
Yes, you can, and here are 3 simple methods to unclog your toilet with things most people have around their homes.
1. Toilet brush
The very first way you can be able to unclog your toilet without a plunger is derived from personal experience. On one occasion, in the midst of moving into a new apartment, a friend’s toilet got clogged and his plunger was still packed in a box.
Nevertheless, using his quick thinking, he laid hands on the next best alternative, his toilet brush. Despite the fact that a toilet brush possibly will not be as effective as a plunger, it can still get done the same task of unclogging a toilet.
A plunger works by driving the water through your toilet plumbing with a lot more pressure than a normal flush would give. This helps to dislodge the clog and lets water flow freely. Subsequently, even though the toilet brush might not be able to drive as much water through the pipes with as much pressure as a plunger would, it can still produce enough pressure to get out of the small clogs. Desperate times, desperate measures.
2. DIY Plumbing Snake
If what you have got is a clog that is too big for your toilet brush to take care of then you can create your own plumbing snake just by making use of a clothes hanger. A plumbing snake is just a lengthy bit of wire that plumbers put through the drains in order to break up the clogs. Basically you just unfold a clothes hanger and move it through your toilet drain. Once you feel any resistance, you try to work the hanger around it in order to break up the clog.
If you decide to go ahead with this method, it is advisable that you use a plastic-coated wire hanger or bend the end of a wire hanger because the sharp metal on the end of a wire hanger could scratch the porcelain of your toilet.
3. Dish Soap
Head over to the kitchen for some dish soap as the slippery soap will help lubricate the clogged pipe and allow any lodged debris to slide down more easily. Pour about a half-cup into the toilet. However, if you are out of dish soap, you can chop a bar of hand soap into little chunks and drop them into the toilet.
4. Baking Soda Mixture
As another alternative to using dish soap and no plunger, there is an all-natural solution. Pour one cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar down the toilet. Allow it to fizz for half an hour, and if the clog does not dissipate, try the hot water trick.
5. Hot Water
If after all the above, the water in your toilet still drains slowly, then pouring some hot water down the drain could help dissolve the clog. Do not make use of boiling water, this is because the shock from it could cause your toilet to crack. Instead, get some hot tap water from the sink or your shower and this should work just fine.
As soon as you have gotten your hot water, just pour it right in. If the toilet is draining sluggishly or not at all, be careful with this method because it could cause your toilet to overflow on accident.
If the clog is still persistent, try a combination of these three methods to break it up.
How to Prevent Your Toilet from Overflowing When its Clogged?
To prevent your toilet from overflowing when its clogged, you have to keep the tank on your toilet from refilling. If you have got a clogged toilet, it is a decent idea to be acquainted with how to keep the toilet from overflowing while you try to get it unclogged. The first thing you want to do, if your toilet is clogged and not draining is don’t flush it.
Now that essential part is covered, the other main way to keep your toilet from overflowing is to keep the tank on your toilet from refilling. The first and simplest way to do this is to turn off the water to your toilet or to shut off your main water valve.
1. Turn Off the Toilet Water Valve
Almost all toilets installed have a pipe and valve that is connected to the tank. Most likely this is located towards the back of the toilet, sometimes it is located at the side of the tank. Once you turn this valve off, water is prevented from refilling your tank. You turn it to the Righty to restrict the water flow, and then to the left to free it up.
If the toilet model does not have one of these water valves, is in a difficult position, or is just too hard to turn, don’t worry, you can still use the next method to stop the toilet from refilling.
2. Raise the Toilet Float
An additional way to stop your toilet from topping up is to raise the toilet float. The tank on a toilet is designed to refill when the float in the tank goes below a certain level. You can stop it from refilling by raising the toilet float.
Be at ease. even if you have no idea what a toilet float is and how to raise it, it’s super easy. When you lift the lid off your toilet tank, you’ll most likely see a jumble of things, but all you have to do is take hold of the float, it is the ball-shaped object (most likely plastic) on the end of a pole, then you raise it out of the water, and keep it secure there.
You can secure the toilet float by raising its level with the top of the tank and then sliding something under it to keep it secure there. Do not worry yourself about coming into contact with the water in the toilet tank, its clean tap water. This method will stop the toilet tank from refilling with water as a result, even if you might by accident flush it, you will not be able to flush it again.
3. Turn Off Your Home’s Water Mains
Your home’s water main shut off is most likely located close to your water heater which can typically be found in a basement, a maintenance closet, or in a garage. If you live in an apartment complex, then sometimes you will not have right of entry to the water shut off. If that is the case and you have water spilling over, you will need to call your building maintenance or call a plumber to help you take care of the problem.
6 Common Reasons For the Toilet to Get Clogged
There are countless reasons why a toilet could clog on frequent occasions. The need to recognize the foremost issues causing the clogs is the best way of making sure the problems are removed.
1. A Clogged Drain Line
A toilet can clog due to regular waste and paper items being pushed into it. Hair, paper, waste and foreign objects can clog
2. Too Little Water to the Tank
Pressure has to be applied to any waste going out of the toilet, the tank of the toilet might not completely full when the toilet is flushed.
3. Hard Water Problems
Home-owners are often not acquainted with what hard and soft water is and this can lead to difficulties with your system. Hard water can calcify and form a white stuff that is problematic to get rid of from a toilet and contracts the gap waste that can pass through.
4. External Factors
Difficulties can be triggered by other water carrying lines into the drains, washing machine obstructions can cause problems that disturb the entire system and clog a toilet consistently. Common maintenance issues are clog creators as well. The pipes that lie on the exterior of your home can cause drain clogs that may result in sluggish or non-moving toilet drains in your home.
5. Slow Septics
Slow-moving septic systems, or systems that are delaying and not turning over rapidly enough, can cause toilet clogging. A healthy septic system is vital to keep; with good stability for ideal drainage flow.
6. Older Pipework
Failing pipes can create clog complications as well. Typically, it’s the primary sign is sediment backwash, but sluggish drains in numerous toilets or additional drains in the home is a signs the problem may be larger. This can be expensive over time and is a sign an expert is needed.
What Can Happen If You Don’t Unclog Your Toilet?
You should always unclog toilets immediately in order to avoid water damage. Sometimes a valve inside your toilet could have deteriorated over time and could be slowly leaking water into the bowl. It could be so little you could not see it with the naked eye.
Over the course of time though, this little bit of water can turn into a lot with a clogged toilet, overflow, and cause some water damage.