Less water per flush = more plunging!

[bennybmn]

So I was up at my parents' over the weekend, and my dad was all ready to show off his new throne, and frankly I was excited too, since the circa 1990 pink squared off thing it replaced always brought back bad memories for me. But then he told me he clogged it on the second use. And he needed to use the snake. I've also had little luck plunging at home with mine, and I think I know why. These new super-low volume flush models have an opening right in front of the drain that shoots some water at the drain to encourage waste to go down. Problem is, it's still not a lot of water... and if and when a clog does happen, a traditional plunger will cover both holes. That means your plunge pressure goes back up that secondary water feed rather than flushing your troubles away.

So Paps and I did a little internet research while watching TV ("I see everyone is on their devices" my mom says...), and most of what I could find online had people complaining about their plunger not making a seal on the funny shaped drain opening. I suspect they're actually having the same problem I'm postulating above. I then looked for "low flow toilet plungers" and found something like this:


I suspect this narrower accordion style could bend and isolate it's power onto just the drain itself, but before I take the... ahem.. plunge and buy one, I thought I would tap the brain-trust here, as I'm sure you all have great experience in this arena. In fact I imagine a decent fraction of you are reading this atop your personal porcelain pedestal right now.

So... Anyone have any personal recs for a good plunger that isolates that little opening? My dad and I thank you.

[who]

Quote:

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So... Anyone have any personal recs

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Eat more fiber.

[bennybmn]

My dad eats about a quarter pound of raisins every morning with his cereal. Not sure that's gonna help

[Phil Thien]

Hold the flush handle until you've emptied the entire tank into the bowel. The toilet may claim 1.x or whatever per flush, but the tank is holding substantially more water than that and holding that flush lever until the tank is emptied puts all the extra water in the tank to work. Also helps keep your lateral clean if you have longer runs with limited pitch.

You don't have to do this each time and you can be your own judge as to when it is necessary. For guys I'd say if you had to sit, blast the [censored]. If you only stood, a tap is good.

[Robert Adams]

Some of the low flow toilets are pure junk but it seems those are getting fewer now as even the cheap ones are learning and getting better.
Our toilets are the $89 ones from sams club. They work great and we are a household of toilet pluggers... A toilet might get plugged once every 6 months at most and they clear very easy. Great toilet for the price. The old big tank toilets plugged up way worse than most new ones. The old ones just let water swirl around the bowl without really any flushing power.

I haven't ever seen a plunger that fits any toilet ever made. They always have big gaps and squish out water from the sides. New old doesn't matter they never fit.

However the one place that always has problems with plugging toilets is hotels. I don't care where it is or what hotel chain from cheap to expensive they all plug up if you just look at it funny. With the amount of plugged toilets they have at hotels why on earth don't they put plungers in the bathrooms. If there were ever a place that needed one it's at a hotel.
Whatever you do never buy the same brand of toilet they use....

[R Clark]

We have one of those accordion style plungers. Used correctly, works much better than a traditional plunger. Less splashing. Have only used it once in the past four years or so, and never here in the new house (past two years).

[K. L. McReynolds]

Just replaced(2 years ago) the two toilets in our 1965 built house. Bought Amer. Standard Cadet lll models, something like 1.6 gal. per flush.

I think we have had two plugged toilets, and a conventional plunger cleared both on one plunge.

All low flow toilets are not equal.

[rwe2156]

I think its the toilet design, not the low flow.

Kohlers work good. Supposed to flush 11 golf balls or something.

[EricU]

I got 2 new Cadet III's in the last couple of years, and I am not sure either has plugged. OTOH, I replaced the flapper on one and now it seems that the flapper is bad on the other. One of these toilets replaced a cheapie, that toilet would clog all the time. Can't believe I left it as long as I did.

[bennybmn]

Yeah my friend has the bucket of golf balls model, he has high praise... But the fact is neither my father or I are going to replace a toilet on the off chance a different brand will flush better. And I really think the main problem with plunging is the extra little port down there. I guess I'll try the smaller diameter accordion style plunger. That's a sub-$10 gamble I'm willing to take.