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A little too eager I bought a drain auger in order to clear out a constantly / randomly backing up toilet. After I got it home I thought I should then do research and I realized there is a completely different auger just for toilets.

So, can I use a drain auger on a toilet clog?

iambriansreed
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2 Answers2

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The toilet auger is designed to protect the visible finish at the bottom of your toilet where a drain auger could leave scratch marks. It's also possible for a drain auger to get twisted inside of the large diameter of the toilet drain. Given the issues with the drain auger, I'd recommend going back and getting one designed for the toilet.

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BMitch
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  • Should I get the 3 ft or 6ft? It's an upstairs toilet if that matters. – iambriansreed Aug 31 '12 at 23:27
  • @iambriansreed It depends on where the clog is. If the clog is further down stream, a 3' may not reach it. If the 6' doesn't reach it, then you'd need to remove the toilet and go directly down the drain with a larger diameter auger that won't kink in the large drain pipes. – BMitch Aug 31 '12 at 23:36
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You should not - the geometry in a toilet trap is different and a regular drain auger isn't the proper tool. That being said, it most likely won't make it worse.

Aaron
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