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4 Different Plungers and How to Use Them

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A clogged up sink, shower, or toilet can cause mayhem in your household. Your health, daily routine, and plumbing structures are all at risk when this occurs, and solving a clog quickly is ideal. One of the safest and most effective ways to unclog drains is plunging. In order to get out of a jam, knowing the different plungers to use for specific appliances and issues is crucial.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide on how to get unstuck with four different types of plungers. Let’s get that water flowing again!

Types of Toilet Plungers

Many times, people consider plungers as a toilet-only tool, but that is a gross misconception for solving plumbing issues. While the toilet drain is most commonly unclogged using these devices, plungers can be used on any drain clog, including sinks and showers. Here’s what we recommend for your home-use dirty duty:

Bathroom With a Sink and Toilet

1) Sink/Standard Plunger: The most basic plunger that most people picture, usually a straight handle with a rubber cup at the end. The handle is typically made of wood, and the cup size may vary. A standard plunger is also referred to as a sink plunger because they work best on flat surfaces.

In order to unclog a sink, the cup should lay flat over the drain in order to create a proper vacuum, which will help you plunge and unclog the drain. Thus, use this on sinks and flat showers, but also on toilets in a pinch.

2) Toilet Plunger: Also known as a flange plunger, a toilet plunger is similar in shape and size to a standard plunger but has a rubber extension at the bottom of the cup. This fold-out flap will fit into the toilet drain in order to create the proper vacuum effect to clear your bowl.

This extension component can also fold in to allow a toilet plunger to work on showers, tubs, or sinks. We recommend a toilet plunger as the best all-around home use tool due to its versatility and ease of use.

3) Accordion Plunger: Accordion plungers are perhaps the best tools for unclogging toilets specifically. With a smaller cup and more force behind its ribbed plastic design, it is up to the toughest toilet bowl task.

The drawback of accordion plungers is that they are sometimes difficult to create a seal in smaller drains, and are not useful on many other appliances. If you are consistently having issues with your toilet drain, we recommend an accordion plunger – and maybe a courtesy flush here and there.

4) Taze Plunger: The heavy-duty plunger for larger drains, a taze plunger is typically a specialty tool for professionals. They come with specifically sized discs that fit to pipe openings and use a steel rod to push the disc into the pipe.

Though this is not a common household plunger, if you live in a rural setting or are having drain issues that require industrial solutions, it might be an option. It is more likely you should be contacting a plumbing professional if you think you need a taze plunger in a residential setting.

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Owning any one of the common household plungers will keep you ahead of most bathroom and kitchen clogs. A high-quality plunger should last you for years if you clean it and store it properly, so invest wisely in your tool and educate yourself accordingly.

How to Clean a Plunger

Cleaning your plunger is important for your household health and the longevity of the tool itself. After all, having a toilet plunger sitting around after being exposed to filthy situations seems like the worst way to compound a problem.

You can feel free to clean your plunger in the same toilet boil it has been servicing following the steps below.

Step 1: Pour either 2 caps of bleach or a healthy amount of 5% apple cider vinegar into your toilet bowl.

Step 2: Swirl the plunger around vigorously to remove particles and saturate it in the water.

Step 3: Flush the toilet to run clean water over the plunger. Swirl again for good measure.

Step 4: Let the plunger dry and put it away in a holder or a plastic bag.

If you don’t want to use this method or don’t have the items for it, you can also use a plastic bag + aerosol spray to store and disinfect your plunger – but we recommend the toilet cleaning route.

How to Tell when Your Plunger Needs to Be Replaced

The best toilet plungers will have many years of life if cleaned and stored properly. They are simple devices and have straightforward applications, so it will become evident when there is a problem.

View of a Modern Bathroom

If your plunger is cracking or misshapen, it will not be able to create the proper vacuum. A leading cause of drying out rubber plungers is bleach residue – so if you clean it this way, make sure to wash it well afterwards. So long as your plunger remains suitable for creating suction on your affected drains, it should be fine to keep using.

Contact Deer Valley Plumbing for Your Plumbing and Drain Needs

At Deer Valley Plumbing, we make sure homeowners have all their plumbing bases covered. If your home plunger and other tools aren’t cutting it, we’ll send a licensed professional out to fix any issue your appliances and drains might have.

To keep your drains and pipes flowing cleanly, contact us to schedule an appointment today – our lines are always open.

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