Unclog Your Toilet
If your toilet is not overflowing but not flushing properly, try plunging first. There is no need to turn off the water if the water isn't rising close to the rim.
1. Get a bucket filled with water and have it at the ready.
2. Plunge vigorously fifteen to twenty times.
3. Pour water from bucket into the bowl until bowl clears or until you're in danger of overflowing the toilet.
4. Repeat plunging 2-3 more times, if necessary.
If the plunger does not clear the clogged drain, use a closet auger. Start the auger or snake into the bowl and continue to crank it until it becomes tight. All Plumbers have augers, but you may not, so this may be the time to start calling plumbers. This cranking and pulling action will usually bring up the object that is causing the clogging.
If the closet auger is not effective, use a small snake in the same way as described for opening lavatory drains.
If neither the plunger, the closet auger, nor the snake removes the obstruction, it may be necessary to remove the toilet from the floor, turn it upside down and force the obstruction out from the top or bottom.
If the drain is only slightly clogged, you can sometimes open it by removing the drain stopper and probing for hair and other debris with a short piece of wire.
If this does not work, try a plunger. Since drains have overflow outlets, it will be necessary to plug these with tape or rags before using a plunger. After plugging these overflow drains, use the plunger exactly as you would in opening an ordinary sink.
If the wire and plunger treatments do not work, use a sink auger or plumber's snake. This can sometimes be done without removing the sink trap.
If none of the previous suggestions work, then set a pail under the lavatory, and remove the trap. Cover the chrome nut with a rag or tape to prevent marring by the wrench.
Loosen the thumb screw on the plumber's snake and move the handle back about 3'. Insert the snake into the drain pipe, rotate the auger, feed it in, then rotate again. By repeating this process, the snake can be driven deeply into the drain pipe to unclog the drain.
