Toilets tend to clog all the time. Especially when someone has the bad habit of flushing solid stuff. If you have kids at home, you’ll probably find things like toys and cell phones stuck in the toilet trap. Most of times, you can easily solve the problem by pulling out the stuck object with your hand.
However, if you work as a professional plumber, it isn’t recommended to use this method to unclog toilets at public bathrooms. For example, in public schools, some students usually flush syringes through the toilet. In these cases, the pointy needle may penetrate your glove and prick your skin.
If this happens, you take the risk of getting a serious infection or even worse, a dangerous disease. So, if you want to keep healthy, keep your hands away from unknown toilets. So, how can you unclog a toilet in a safe way?
In this article you’ll learn all the secrets to unclog a needle from a toilet without getting hurt.
What is Unclog of A Toilet?
Unclogging a toilet consists on removing any obstacle inside the toilet trap that impedes the free flow of water. When a toilet clogs, the water may overflow from the toilet bowl, causing a huge disaster. And things get worse when there are urine and feces mixed with the water.
Certainly, there are many ways for unclogging toilets. The simplest one is wearing a rubber glove and using your hands to remove the obstruction. However, it isn’t the safest method. The water on toilet bowls is full of pathogens than can cause serious diseases when they reach your skin.
So, it’s more convenient to use special products like toilet plungers, drain blasters, drain augers or chemical dissolvers to get the job done. Plumbing tools are by far the best to remove solid objects. On the other hand, chemical dissolvers are recommended for soft obstructions, like human hair, feces or toilet paper.
Step by Step Guide to Unclog A Needle from A Toilet
Certainly, there are many ways to remove needles and other pointy objects stuck in a toilet trap. However, not all these methods are 100% safe. As said before, just a little prick is enough to cause a serious health problem. So, you must be careful when trying to unclog a toilet in public places like schools, hospitals, shopping malls and other.
Below, you’ll find some useful methods for unclogging a needle from a toilet with no risk.
Method #1
Things you’ll need:
- Plunger
Procedure:
- First of all, locate the rubber head of the plunger on the drain hole. Make sure the plunger head is totally covered with water to guarantee an optimal suction.
- Then, push and pull the shaft with quick and strong movements. Do this for about 20 seconds.
- After that, remove the plunger from the toilet bowl with a quick movement. The applied suction will make the needle return to the toilet bowl. If nothing happens, repeat the same procedure until it happens.
Method #2
Things you’ll need:
- Drain blaster
Procedure:
- First of all, push and pull the force rod of the blaster to compress air inside the chamber. Repeat this until the air pressure impedes the movement of the rod.
- Place the rubber seal of the drain blaster on the drain hole.
- After that, press the trigger of the drain blaster. The high air pressure will push the obstruction to the drainpipe. After that, flush your toilet several times to verify that the problem is solved.
Method #3
Things you’ll need:
- Drain cleaner machine
- Work gloves
Procedure:
- Insert the cable of the drain cleaner inside the drain hole. Deploy as much cable as you can to reach the drainpipe.
- After that, turn on the drain cleaner machine. Push the cable so it gets deeper inside the drain hole.
- Then, put the drain cleaner to work in reverse to remove the cable. Probably, you’ll find the nail and other obstructions tangled between the wire loops.
Conclusion
As you can see, you can safely remove a needle stuck in a toilet trap without exposing yourself to a contagious disease. Always remember that safety comes first. So, use the required protective equipment before starting work.
Certainly, if you apply these tips every time you’re going to unclog a toilet in a public place, you’ll have peace of mind. Best of all, you won’t have to visit a doctor in case of an accidental prick or scratch with a pointy object.
Also read – Can you use boiling water to unclog toilet?
