Pro Handyman Blog

Unclogging your toilet can be messy. Most people think of nasty toilet augers, or at the very least a plunger, and how dirty their hands will get. Well before you start putting on the gloves, you might try the old bucket trick.

A five gallon bucket works well because it can hold plenty of water. If all you have is a small household bucket, give it a shot. I usually fill the 5-gallon bucket about half full and hold it at waist level. The higher you hold it, the more force the water will exert into the bowl. Also, this works best if the water in the bowl is at a low level. If the water is near the rim of the bowl, don’t do it. Ideally, you want as little water remaining in the toilet bowl as possible.

The trick here is to dump a large volume of water into the trap of the toilet. This will hopefully push the clog through the trap and into the drain to the sewer. The higher you hold the bucket, the more force you get, but also the less accurate you will be. If it works, you will see the level in the bowl rise and then everything will go down the drain. Use your best judgment, if you see the level in the bowl approaching the rim, stop pouring.

You want a sudden rush of water to enter the trap, so don’t gently pour it. Dump the water accurately into the trap and cross your fingers. If it doesn’t work, you can put on the gloves and use the plunger or snake.