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Originally contributed by Jeff Butler
Jeff's experience designing content solutions lead him to be one of our first contributors. He helped draft Makey's blueprint and is one of the best explainers of technical details we know.
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If you’re like most people, you probably have a deep-seated fear of accidentally clogging a toilet. When it happens, your first thought should probably be to clear it with a plunger. But, if that doesn’t work, you might need to grab a toilet auger.
Definition
A toilet auger (sometimes referred to as a closet auger) is a relatively short and slender cable made from coiled wire that is fed into the drain at the bottom of the toilet bowl through a hook-shaped length of tubing. The cable is then rotated, extended, and retracted to clear the clog using the attached hand crank. The hook-shaped tubing makes it easier to feed the coiled wire through the toilet drain and helps to prevent damage to the porcelain.
Why Not Use A Plumber's Snake?
A toilet auger is basically a shorter, more manageable type of plumber’s snake. Like a regular plumber’s snake, it’s designed to get deep into the drain to clear out any clogs that are preventing water from draining properly. However, there are a couple minor differences that make it more suitable for use in a toilet:
- Not only is a toilet auger shorter and more manageable, it’s also fed through a hooked shaped tube to guide it further into the toilet bowl for better access to the clog.
- A toilet auger also comes with a special rubber sleeve that covers the auger tip to prevent it from scratching the porcelain finish in your toilet bowl.