Why does everyone think they can fix a toilet with a plunger?

I swear, half the calls I get from neighbors start with "I tried plunging it but it didn't work." If the toilet is overflowing from a clogged drain line past the bowl, a plunger just pushes water back up. Last week my buddy spent 20 minutes plunging before I walked over and just pulled the toilet, flipped it, and found a kid's toy stuck in the trap. Anyone else deal with people who think a plunger fixes everything?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy69212d ago

Wait, you mean a plunger doesn't actually fix everything? I used to be one of those people who thought it was the magic solution for any toilet problem. I had a toilet that kept gurgling and backing up slowly, and I spent a whole afternoon plunging it over and over thinking I just wasn't doing it right. Finally gave up and called a plumber, and turns out I had a clog way down the main line that the plunger just made worse by pushing air and water around. Felt pretty dumb after that, now I know better.

beth_baker6912d ago

Totally been there, I once fought a clog for two hours before finding out it was a toy truck my kid flushed!