As a parent, if you haven’t had a toy stuck in your toilet causing a clogged toilet, (spoiler alert) it may be only a matter of time. Unfortunately, when dealing with a lodged toy, a plunger is typically not doing to do the job. So what to do? Here is one way to attempt to handle this common problem:
- First, if you don’t have one, go to your local hardware store and purchase a toilet auger, also known as a plumbing snake, that can move through the drain of the toilet to remove obstructions. It is constructed of a long flexible shaft that has an auger bit at one end and a crank handle at the other.
- Insert the open end of the auger into the toilet bowl and push the cable down while cranking.
- Use a pair of pliers or another similar tool and separate the last turn at the end of the cable. This will make the hooking mechanism bigger to help grab the toy or other object.
- As you run the auger through the bowl, stop feeding the cable in as soon as you have enough cable in to reach through the drain passage in the toilet and you begin feeling resistance.
- Crank it a few times and then pull the cable out while maintaining the pressure on the crank. You’re basically trying to grab the lodged item and extract it.
- Once you have secured the lodged object, pull it out through the toilet bowl.
Success?? Or no? If that didn’t work, the next best option is going to be removing the toilet entirely and accessing the toy or lodged object from the base of the toilet.
If you are an experienced DIYer, you may consider attempting this yourself. That said, it can be a dirty and somewhat complicated process, so it may be best to contact a professional plumber to handle this delicate process.
Have more questions? Call us—we’d love to help! Call the professionals at Go Green Plumbing at 336-252-2999 for service 7 days a week/24 hours a day. If water runs through it – We Do It!
