There are certain topics that are considered too controversial to discuss in polite company. For some it might be politics, for others religion. But most would agree, the topic of what goes on in the bathroom can be a real conversation stopper – no pun intended.
For example, when was the last time you volunteered something like this at a dinner party: “Hey, I just bought a new plunger and wow is it great!” Wrong place, wrong time. Still, every home owner should know a ball plunger from a bellows plunger from a standard sink plunger, and when to use them. Not quite there yet? Then this blog is for you.
For starters, some plungers are made for sinks and flat surfaces like shower stalls, while others are better suited for curved drain openings like those found in toilets. So ideally, every home should have one of each.
The standard sink plunger is what most people simply call a “plunger”. It has a wooden handle attached to a rubber champagne glass style cup and can be purchased for as little as $3.00. It might work on kitchen sink clogs just fine, but it won’t provide enough suction or a tight enough seal to get through a tough toilet clog.
he standard sink plunger is what most people simply call a “plunger”. It has a wooden handle attached to a rubber champagne glass style cup and can be purchased for as little as $3.00. It might work on kitchen sink clogs just fine, but it won’t provide enough suction or a tight enough seal to get through a tough toilet clog.
Like sink plungers, toilet plungers also come with a straight, often wooden handle. But that’s where the similarities end. The rubber cup of a good toilet plunger is deeper and bowl-shaped to match the shape of the opening to the trap inside the bowl.
A ball plunger has an extra piece of rubber, or flange, at the opening of the cup that allows it to be inserted into a drain trap and form a proper seal. A bellows plunger has an accordion style cup and flange and delivers up to seven times more plunging power than standard-cup plungers.
TMI? Nah, just good useful information to help you handle the majority of clogged sink and toilet problems on our own. Still, when plunging and other DIY measures don’t produce the desired end result, Arnold & Sons Plumbing can and will, and all you have to do is call!
