A toilet that will not flush
If the water is rising, do not flush again. Lift the tank lid and push the rubber flapper down over the hole at the bottom, or turn the valve on the wall behind the toilet clockwise until it stops. A toilet needs a flange plunger, the kind with a sleeve that folds out of the cup, while the plain cup plunger is for sinks and tubs. Seat it over the outlet with enough water to cover the cup. Make the first push slow to force out the air, then pump hard fifteen or twenty times without breaking the seal, and pull up sharply on the last stroke. If that fails, a toilet auger, which costs twenty to forty dollars, cranks a cable through the bend to hook the obstruction or break it up.
Sinks and tubs
Most bathroom clogs are hair and soap within a few inches of the stopper. Lift or unscrew the stopper and pull the mass out with a barbed plastic drain strip, which costs a few dollars. If you plunge, first block the overflow hole with a wet rag, or the pressure simply escapes through it. On a double kitchen sink, plug the other basin. The next step is the curved trap under the sink. Set a bucket beneath it, unscrew the two slip nuts by hand, clean the trap out, and reassemble it hand-tight. Beyond the trap, a 25-foot hand auger fed into the wall pipe reaches most clogs.
A humming disposal
A disposal that hums but does not turn is jammed. Switch it off and never put a hand inside. Fit a quarter-inch hex key into the socket in the center of the underside, work it back and forth until it turns freely, then press the red reset button on the bottom and try again with cold water running.
Why not the chemicals
Drain openers based on lye or acid generate heat, can damage old pipes and finishes and often fail on a full blockage, which leaves a basin of caustic water for you or a plumber to work over. Never plunge or snake a drain after pouring one in.
When to call
Several fixtures backing up at once, sewage rising in a tub or floor drain, or gurgling from drains you are not using all point to the main line, which is a plumber's job. Renters should call the landlord before paying anyone.
Tip Put a two-dollar mesh strainer in every tub and sink, and keep grease, wipes labeled flushable and coffee grounds out of the plumbing.
