I used sink plungers in toilets pretty much my whole life until i scrolled across a similar diagram one day and discovered the truth.
My new toilet doesn’t fit either of the above shapes, but a “Beehive” plunger works great. The toilet also flushed really well and hasn’t gotten plugged up even once yet, but I made sure to have one that would work as soon as the toilet was ready to use.
Here’s the second iteration of the OG patent.
Originally the simply device on the left was the one plunger to rule them all. It works in sinks and toilets. The flange and the concept of a toilet-specific plunger was a later concept.
Yup, started with the cup and derived into the flange.
Thanks for linking the US patent!
Growing up my mom didn’t understand this and always insisted that the sink plungers were the only kind that worked (she also called them toilet plungers) and that toilet plungers (the fancy kind) were some kind of trick. Took until I was in college that I learned you shouldn’t have to break a sweat unclogging your toilet.
I strongly identify with this story.
I’ve used both and there’s not really an appreciable difference in my experience.
Hm, doubt it.
Wow, jackpot upvotes!
Thanks.
I was just as excited as everyone here is when I found out what the flange is for.
cringe
okay…
nope, didnt get anything out of that.
try harder, if you do it right you’ll achieve nirvana
that must be it, i achieved nirvana ages ago.
Well that’d do it, what are you doing slumming it with us normies
hanging.
being all bodhisattva and shit.
it’s a fun way to encourage development.
Until they start stiffening with age.
Usually age has the opposite effect, but I hear they make pills for that.
The epdm mine is made of is quite stiff after about 10 years of use
They’re talking more like 40 or 50 years. You’ve got plenty of time
Lkke i said mine is already stiffening after 10 years. Its almost like hard plastic now
It’s important to have the right-size flange for each hole, yes.
The Sink plunger is more versetile.
Some sink plungers have a collapsible flange hidden inside
I also enjoy touching the inside of a plunger
Call me crazy but I wear gloves when cleaning toilets
Not gonna say that I always grab some gloves before I plunge away my horror.
But I DO wash the ever loving hell out of that plunger after every use. I still prefer dedicated toilet (poo) and sink (gunk) plunger because obvious reasons, but in a pinch?
That’s a toilet plunger. Exactly. Sink plungers have no flange. :)
Howww so?
Like as a training sword?
I do love a good swordfight.
If the flange is not collapseble it can’t be used in sink.
Soup bowl for feeding tall people
A manual auger works even better and doesn’t splash
Or start using the shower instead, and stomp it through the grate.
wafflestomp
manual auger
This is just code for ‘poop knife’, right?
I mean, it basically is a poop knife that can reach further down inside the toilet.
Poop drill.
Every home should have an auger, but a plunger will work quicker, easier, and cleaner, 99 out of 100 times.
Yeah, I’ve had to help a neighbor with that 1 time out of 100. The plunger was just causing the water to slam against the turd that had created a perfect seal and splash back outside the toilet. It probably took at least 5 uses with the auger to finally clear out enough crap to finally break it apart enough to let it flush.
Fortunately, the second time I helped them with a nearly identical situation, the plunger worked. But it still took a few forceful plunges in quick succession. I was worried I might have to use the auger again.
Yeah, but getting it past the s trap is a pain. A plunger works for 90% of clogs.
The toilet plunger doesn’t splash, but toilet augers whip back and forth while you crank them, causing splashing, plus scrape up the toilet bowl.
Augers are way more work than a toilet plunger.
Am I the only one who’s never used a plunger (and never needed to)?
Of course you are. Every other human on the planet is issued a plunger at birth. What’s wrong with you?
You elfin anomaly.
Some us don’t poop in the woods every day.
Nope, same and never heard others talking about it in real life. I’m guessing there is some design issues in the American toilets that is not a problem in Europe. Or it’s the large portions of low quality food?
American plumbing is shit (pun intended) compared to Europe’s. Source: I lived in Germany for 10 years and never once needed a plunger, while I’ve needed them regularly in the US.
I think it has to do with the fact that most European toilets put the reservoir up high either on or in the wall, and gravity helps blast the dook down the drain. I have one of those up high ones with the chain flush in my house (US), and that toilet never clogs.
Australia- never needed a plunger and unless your house is 70+ years old, the cistern and pan are always close coupled.
That said, for a Toilet the sewer connection is 100mm DWV and we use washdown toilets (as most of the world does) vs. American siphon toilets, which use an absolutely massive amount of water and a tiny little trapway to create a siphon that sucks the waste down - that tiny little trap is what gets clogged.
I think Americans would probably sooner move the Metric system than change to a better pan design.
The comments do seem to hint at this being a big problem in the US.
Indeed, it was very noticeable to me when I moved back here and had to actually consider how much toilet paper there was before flushing. German toilets took whatever I put in there!
Even with the weird “shit shelf” toilets?
Yup, and I had shit shelf toilets pretty much the whole time since it was the 80s and 90s. They probably would have been harder to plunge, so good thing they never needed it!
Eat more fiber.
Are you American though? Here in the UK, nobody really owns a plunger and they don’t need to, the plumbing is different, it doesn’t clog. Do need to own a toilet brush though, to wipe off the skidmarks, which is more rare in the US.
It’s not just the UK that nobody needs a plunger, it’s every modern country except the US. Their plumbing is a century out of date and they eat ultra-processed junk
A recipe for dis-ass-ter
Plungers are extremely common in germany. To be precise i can’t remember ever being in a bathroom without one.
Yeah that’s why I specified modern countries, Klaus 😂
It’s kinda weird that the country where everything is MOOOAR they don’t have gigantic shit pipes
Someone watches reddit stories on smosh
Sorry, not this guy. I’ve never seen smosh.
I use a bidet and that cuts down on TP usage, but sometimes you get a big ol’ honker of a log ploppin’ out and that sucker just says, “Not today.” That’s when the trusty turd wrangler is your best friend.
One time I was at my mother-in-laws and clogged that some bitch. I couldn’t find a plunger. Turns out my sister-in-law took it when she went away to college, because she was too scared to buy one. I tried to text my wife, but I had no service. So I left it there and went and told my wife. My mother-in-law took a golf cart to the neighbor’s house and explained the situation and they let her borrow theirs. Meanwhile, I’m fucking mortified that the neighbors now think I have fiber intake issues.
Always keep a plunger in a bathroom with a toilet.
That’s what the poop knife is for.
I try to get out… BUT THEY KEEP PULLING ME BACK IN!
Proclaim the Gospel of W. C. Jesus!
Hey I have this very specific problem whenever I use this thin-USE BIDETS, USE BIDETS OR YOU WILL REGRET IT FOREVER, IT USES LESS TOILET PAPER AND WHY AREN’T YOU USING THEM YET THEY’RE PERFECT AND GREAT AND…
How you sound right now.
Say that to my face. I fuggin’ dare you, dude.
Doesn’t surprise me that I’m talking to a literal mongoloid Neanderthal whose two neurons only have one function and that’s to bash against each other.
Bidet is the way.
There’s a lot of intriguing family history in your story. SIL scared to buy a plunger. MIL took a golf cart. Interesting group.
Bro, that ain’t the half of it. My father-in-law built an entire western town in his backyard and when he was done he built a Jurassic Park with dinosaurs essentially made of trash. Here is a shitty picture of the saloon with a bar in it. I’ll see if I can find some of the dinosaur pics too.
Yes PLEASE!
Sounds like you married right.
The signs and storefronts are amazing.
I see The inside of the saloon, is the general store. a whole room are just the storefront?
that is amazing, give him my maddest of props.
Here’s a video of Western World. https://youtu.be/ug2U5PUSwA4
Here’s another one of his annual go cart track. https://youtu.be/E5ljFgmQ0MQ
I’ll have to find the Jurassic Park videos.
his annual go-kart track…I knew I wanted land when I eventually buy a house, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted it for.
now I have a lot of valuable inspiration.
please pass on my sincere congratulations and respect, Western World and the go-karts are awesome.
And yes, I’m ready to see the trash dinosaurs.
Yeah just casually dropping in there that his dad sets up a go-cart track for the family get-together in the garden, sure.
Im appreciative he did, i need to know eccentric wackadoos that build scrap dinos and saloons are around.
I’m bored as shit at work.
I found them. There was a zip line through this area too.
Oh man!
I didn’t realize they were fully fleshed out dinosaurs!
they look great!
I actually saw some scrap dinosaurs in Arizona, but they’re still metal and skeleton, no skin or color on them.
wow and the skin is even pebbled. that is so cool.
thank you for getting back to me and sharing those pictures. wow! those are huge dinos too
Damn that’s some impressive stuff! :o
I love this so fucking much. Eccentric people are the best.
Also somebody please invite this old dude to play D&D
He would very much rather smoke cigarettes and drink Bud Light in the yard.
He can do all that but not have a toilet that gets clogged so frequently his daughter is stealing plungers out of anxiety?
I’m not even joking, they got divorced last week.
I’d love to read more of these stories, if you have time to share them. Maybe !casualconversation@lemm.ee?
Ok, I’ll join.
damn that’s cool
often, the toilet plunger will look like a sink one on the shelf because they pushed the flange up inside
This little bad boy here has changed my life.
Haha, that commercial is very funny, but it actually works?
is it shooting compressed air?
it has a 12 shot magazine?
I don’t quite understand what it is.
It’s essentially a handheld air cannon. The kit comes with a handle and a suction that covers the toilet hole or whatever. You press down and yeah…it’s basically a air-gun shot to the clog.
And yeah. It works great. Not always on the first blast. But I’ve never had it fail me.
awesome, good to know about.
I refuse to acknowledge someone is plunging enough to have their life changed by a plunger. Unless you’re using that thing to do whipits.
Ha ha. No no. I’m pretty good. No problems with the old downstairs plumbing. But it’s not just for toilets. It’s for bathtub sinks clogged with hair. Kitchen sinks, etc… It’s just handy to have around the house. I even used it once to blow the dust out of my dryer vent.
Why has no one mentioned this style? I’ve had one for years, and there’s never been a clog it couldn’t fix.
I agree, although the plastic will crack /split along one of the folds eventually, rendering it unusable
Still, that style is my goto
They sell these in dollar stores here.
I didn’t have to unclog a sink for years and didn’t own a plunger. I was looking for a “classic one” but they only had these and I wasn’t sure. I gave it a try anyway and to my surprise, it was very efficient.
Never tried on a toilet and I suspect it would work fine too, but I tried it on my bathtub drain and unfortunately it fails to make a seal.
Why do you have a man-portable Tesla Coil as a plunger?
They’re too Giger.
the regular toilet plungers also have a flange and work every time without implanting xenomorphs in your chest cavity.
