Don’t Underestimate the Power of the Plunger!

It’s one of the most common but not often talked about household tools…the plunger. Where’s yours? Is it in the garage, the basement, or tucked away in the laundry room? If you think you own one but you have yet to use it, you likely have one of those newer toilets, which are great because they are less prone to clogging.

Then again, if you happen to have toddlers, a big family or a kid that always tends to use too much toilet paper, then you may know your trusty plunger all too well. In that case, did you know that plungers are not just useful for toilet clogs, but they can be used to clear other clogged drains?

You read that right, plungers can clear other pesky drain clogs. We’re talking about clogged sinks, bathtubs, and showers!

The next time your teenage daughter’s long hair causes the shower to fill up with dirty water, try pulling out the plunger and seeing if a good plunge can save you from having to dig the sludge-filled hair out of the drain, or driving to the store for a harsh chemical drain cleaner.

Plungers and Other Types of Clogs

What about garbage disposals? Plungers can help with those too. When you throw a big dinner party, you’re busy peeling carrots and potatoes and you don’t realize it but when you turn your back, one of your friends try to grind up celery and potato peels instead of scooping them up and throwing them in the trash.

Next thing you know, your kitchen sink is full of six inches of dirty water. After clearing the debris by hand, bring in the plunger. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that 30 seconds of plunging could save you a service call from a plumber, not to mention a huge pile of dirty dishes that would be an eyesore to your dinner guests!

So, the next time you have a drain clog, we recommend plunging. After about 30 seconds to a minute, if you hear a whooshing sound, you can pat yourself on the back for a DIY job well done!

Plungers can be used for all kinds of household drains, they don’t have to be limited to clogged toilets. If you prefer not to mix and match their uses, you can keep two plungers on hand, one for toilets and one for all the other drains in the house!

If you tried plunging a clogged drain and it didn’t do the trick, contact us to have one of our Austin plumbers resolve the problem for you. We’re happy to help!