139
My wife put the shit pusher in the dish washer (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
70 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I had used it the other night and had to pull it out from the other bathroom in order to make it work. It was dirty and she putit in the dishwasher with almost nothing else, but I’m a little fucking skeeveed by it.

Edit: thanks all. I’ll run it again with vinegar at the hottest and feel better about it. No divorce. Thanks for your help.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 10 points 1 year ago (8 children)

I mean, it always seems like it is pulling water into the cup and pushing it down the pipe at great speed to unclog it, but maybe I’ve been using a plunger wrong. I don’t really get enough of a seal around the edge to create a pulling force.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 8 child comments
    •
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (6 children)

    You don't have to get a seal. You just push it in. Then quickly pull it out, push it in, pull it out, push it in, ... until the water drains freely again. The pushing-pulling iteration creates enough negative pressure to get the job done quickly without a seal. But don't wear your best clothes.

    I always did it wrong, until a plumber showed me how to do it.

    (Side note, this is for a european/german toilet. Might be different in the US, US toilets are just insane.)

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
    •
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (4 children)

    Interesting. I usually do a hard push in, but release it more slowly so that the water doesn’t slosh back and get on the floor. The primary force is applied through the down push.

    Is it really doing it wrong if it still works though?

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago*

    Wrong isn't the word ide use use, but it's good to understand how everything works for when you can't get by with just a push.

    The suction force is noticeably stronger when you get the knack of it. If you start with a push you are more likely to compact the clog and make it more difficult to unstick. Try starting with a good strong pull. My rule of thumb is is it's slowly draining, I be very careful not to send a push down when first putting the plunger in sand getting the air out of the cup

    It's again not wrong, and depending on what went down there, it might need that push to break it free, but best practices makes your life easier when it matters, not when it doesn't.

    Prepare for the worst type thing.

    Other note, a common problem people have seems to be not having enough water in the bowl for the plunger to be doing much good. You can just add it from a sink if you don't want to risk a full flush(or just don't know the toilets flush quantities) and don't want to risk overflow

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago* (2 children)

    If it works, it works, I guess. It didn't at our case (clogged too badly, the previous inhabitant did some, weird shit), hence the plumber.

    I did it like you did and then the shit water came up the bathtub several cms high. Later attempts changed nothing. Was a disaster. But the plumber went wild and it worked.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (1 child)

    That is pretty odd that your black water and grey water pipes are connected. I thought they were usually separate so that your shower didn’t smell like shit.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    That is completly normal in Germany (and most of the rest of this world). Only very few buildings have separate grey water lines.

    A"siphon" or "trap" is why this doesn't cause a smell problem.

    Normally a separate grey water line is only used, if the grey water can be used on the property. A separate public grey water collection system is almost unheard of, except in some scientific project related developments (there has been some research into this, but it hasn't proven to be a reasonable solution, for now at least).

    I might have to add that I am a civil engineer specialiced in urban water management. :)

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    I see a lot of people having sink plungers next to their toilets. That might work for some things, but they might as well be using any other object.

    When a pipe is clogged it's basically impossible to push anything through. It's stuck for a reason. The pushing motion might compress the clog somewhat, but it's really the pulling which causes it to move backwards and hopefully unclog it. This usually requires a plunger that actually seals the opening, or you'll have to push and pull until the water itself gets in motion to pull back the clog.

    Another trick for unclogging toilets is to fill a bucket of water and pour it in a steady stream from as high as you can reach. Obviously start pouring from the seat and then lift the bucket while pouring. The gravity from the height will create a very strong narrow stream with enough force to pierce through or wash back the clog.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent