Different Types of Plungers, and Where to Use Them

Plumbing Advice for Home Owners in Mundaring & Midland

“Sweetie, look what I brought home:  a brand new plunger!  You won’t believe how awesome this thing is.”

We’re willing to bet, right now, that neither you nor anyone else in your home has ever walked through the door uttering those words.  And if you did, frankly we’d be more than a little surprised.

But that doesn’t mean that a little “plunger talk” is a bad idea, especially if you’re only a one plunger family!  (And all this time you thought it was only cars and tellies worth counting, right?)

Okay, all silliness aside, there are two basic types of plungers, and each designed for a different type of drain.

The less common of the two is a short-handled cup plunger with a flat rubber suction cup on the bottom.  These are designed for sinks, baths, and shower drains where the surfaces are generally flat themselves, thereby allowing a smooth fit with a broad enough surface to cover the “hole” area.

Next, there’s the more common toilet plunger, of which there are two basic types.  Both have longer handles and rubber bottoms to match the size and shape of the trap opening inside the bowl.

A ball plunger has one more piece of rubber (called a flange) than its sink counterpart to help form a proper seal. A bellows plunger has an accordion style cup and flange and delivers up to seven times more plunging power than ball plungers.

For certain of life’s little emergencies, you’ll want to keep a toilet and a sink plunger handy at all times.  But when even your best efforts do not deliver the desired result, contact Kalamunda Plumbing for prompt action with your 100% satisfaction guaranteed, just like always.