When a toilet bowl gets choked up, it can be an
unpleasant strain on your time and efforts, but there are some easy ways
to fix the situation before things get messy.
The Simple Approach
First, evaluate the situation to determine how bad the choke is. If you have a short toilet and not a lot in the bowl or if it is clear that the choke is a minor one, you may try the simple approach.
1. Wait for the water and plumbing to settle and become totally silent.
2. Slowly press down the toilet bowl handle and hold it.
3. If you hear the bowl having trouble, release the handle immediately.
3. If the flush sounds fine but prolonged, keep holdi ng until you hear the clog release. It should make a distinct thick and muted popping noise as the toilet paper lets go and clears the pressure.
Sometimes this is sufficient to clear a minor choke. However, sometimes a choke is not minor and it's time to escalate to other household tools.
The Troubleshooter Approach
If the toilet bowl clearly has more than a minor choke or there is significant debris inside the bowl, troubleshooting the problem will be more effective and avoid making an unpleasant mess.
1. Locate and retrieve the household plunger.
2. Evaluate the water level to determine whether inserting the plunger will cause an overflow.
3. If the water level is too high, wait up to twenty or thirty minutes to allow it to settle.
4. If the water level is low enough, insert the plunger over the drainage hole.
5. Press on the plunger handle until you feel or hear it create a suction. Hold it down until you hear the clog release.
6. If you lose the suction and do not hear a release, repeat as necessary.
7. Once the clog has released, flush the toilet and clean.
The Simple Approach
First, evaluate the situation to determine how bad the choke is. If you have a short toilet and not a lot in the bowl or if it is clear that the choke is a minor one, you may try the simple approach.
1. Wait for the water and plumbing to settle and become totally silent.
2. Slowly press down the toilet bowl handle and hold it.
3. If you hear the bowl having trouble, release the handle immediately.
3. If the flush sounds fine but prolonged, keep holdi ng until you hear the clog release. It should make a distinct thick and muted popping noise as the toilet paper lets go and clears the pressure.
Sometimes this is sufficient to clear a minor choke. However, sometimes a choke is not minor and it's time to escalate to other household tools.
The Troubleshooter Approach
If the toilet bowl clearly has more than a minor choke or there is significant debris inside the bowl, troubleshooting the problem will be more effective and avoid making an unpleasant mess.
1. Locate and retrieve the household plunger.
2. Evaluate the water level to determine whether inserting the plunger will cause an overflow.
3. If the water level is too high, wait up to twenty or thirty minutes to allow it to settle.
4. If the water level is low enough, insert the plunger over the drainage hole.
5. Press on the plunger handle until you feel or hear it create a suction. Hold it down until you hear the clog release.
6. If you lose the suction and do not hear a release, repeat as necessary.
7. Once the clog has released, flush the toilet and clean.
