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Buddahriffic ,

I once lived in an apartment where the bathtub drain was pretty plugged. It would drain but every shower was done in a slowly rising puddle. I tried draino but it didn’t make a difference.

I eventually had a roommate move in and noticed right away that the tub drained better, asked him how he fixed it. He used the plunger. It blew my mind because up until that moment, I had thought a plunger was specifically for use with toilets.

Now I have a toilet plunger plus a smaller sink plunger since the size of the standard one can be awkward to use on a sink, plus the whole not wanting to use something that’s been in the toilet on things outside of the toilet.

Not that I’ve even had a plugged toilet in years, and, having a bidet, it’s even less likely going forward.

Varyk OP ,

Bidet for the win.

that’s cool, I love stories with aha and oh-whaaaat moments.

i like the smaller sink plungers also,very useful little guys

simplejack ,
@simplejack@lemmy.world avatar

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.

patents.google.com/patent/US186206A/en

Varyk OP ,

Yup, started with the cup and derived into the flange.

Thanks for linking the US patent!

Etterra ,

I’ve used both and there’s not really an appreciable difference in my experience.

Varyk OP ,

Hm, doubt it.

Asifall ,

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.

Varyk OP ,

I strongly identify with this story.

Varyk OP , (edited )

Wow, jackpot upvotes!

Thanks.

I was just as excited as everyone here is when I found out what the flange is for.

https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/29197799-f757-4fcf-94a3-a3b07a8fa328.png

Oh snip snaps cumulative upvotes jackpot!

https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/64be13fa-a2d8-4689-ab5e-af75fe01f83a.png

Daxtron2 ,

cringe

Varyk OP , (edited )

okay…i cringed.

nope, didnt get anything out of that.

Daxtron2 ,

try harder, if you do it right you’ll achieve nirvana

Varyk OP ,

that must be it, i achieved nirvana ages ago.

Daxtron2 ,

Well that’d do it, what are you doing slumming it with us normies

Varyk OP ,

hanging.

being all bodhisattva and shit.

it’s a fun way to encourage development.

uriel238 ,
@uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Sink plungers without the flange work better on sinks, in my experience. So it’s nice to have one of each.

There are different builds for drainage snakes for sinks and toilets as well.

One way to be a better neighbor is to get a good drain snake and lend it out as needed.

Sam_Bass ,

Until they start stiffening with age.

Godnroc ,

Usually age has the opposite effect, but I hear they make pills for that.

Sam_Bass ,

The epdm mine is made of is quite stiff after about 10 years of use

bitwolf ,

They’re talking more like 40 or 50 years. You’ve got plenty of time

Sam_Bass ,

Lkke i said mine is already stiffening after 10 years. Its almost like hard plastic now

BedSharkPal ,

/Arteries have entered the chat

tilefan ,

often, the toilet plunger will look like a sink one on the shelf because they pushed the flange up inside

Smurfe ,

Most plungers are both. Pull down the cone for the commode or push it up inside for the sink.

postmateDumbass ,

Who uses the same plunger for the toilet and kitchen sink?

Smurfe ,

I guess the kind that actually cleans the plunger after use. When I have to use one, after use, I take it outside and hose it off with the hose pipe then soak it in a bucket of bleach water.

Fogle ,

I just rinse off the plunger in the new toilet water. Never had an issue.

nilloc ,

Plus you can do a double check flush to make sure it’s all clear.

EvacuateSoul ,

The sink is one of the easiest areas of your house to clean with soap and water.

explodicle ,

What kind of maniac uses it in a sink after using it in a toilet?

uriel238 ,
@uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Clean it first. Then clean the sink after using soiled plumbing tools.

Dicska ,

Just buy a new sink after you unclogged it.

AA5B ,

I wonder what the history of this was, and why I never knew about this.

Was there always such a distinction? Did it apply to older toilets as well? Were all my parents, relatives, friends parents just cheap and got the wrong one?

Corkyskog ,

I have only seen one in a commercial bathroom and I just assumed it had to do with those industrial shaped toilets they use.

I have IBS so that’s saying a lot.

Varyk OP ,

“Was there always such a distinction?”

No, The first cup plunger was invented as the flushing mechanism in 1777, since the flushing toilet wasn’t invented until almost 1800.

that one looked pretty similar to cup plungers of today.

As far as I can find, accordion and flange plungers were developed later to accommodate the standardized outtake valves of modern toilets.

“Did it apply to older toilets as well?”

Yup, except the first cup plunger was held like a hammer rather than a plunger is held today.

“Were all my parents, relatives, friends parents just cheap and got the wrong one?”

Mine certainly were, and again, this design difference is for some reason not common knowledge, so it’s more likely they just didn’t know that the flanged plunger is specifically made for toilet drains.

iamjackflack ,

This is wrong. Some toilets use the normal “sink” plunger because the exit opening is too large for the “toilet” marked style. You get either or whatever fits your toilet. It’s not specifically for sink only.

Varyk OP , (edited )

Not at all.

“You get either or whatever fits your toilet. It’s not specifically for sink only.”

Incorrect.

The cup plunger is designed to fit over drains on flat surfaces, while flanged plungers are designed to fit inside the outtake valves of toilets.

“Some toilets use the normal “sink” plunger because the exit opening is too large for the “toilet” marked style”.

This is also wrong because:

  1. The flange is as wide as a cup plunger for sinks anyway, so a sink plunger won’t work if a toilet outtake is too wide for a toilet plunger, and
  2. the toilet plunger is made to fit inside the outtake of the toilet, not over the mouth of the drain like a cup plunger.

they are completely different designs and have different use-cases that you will only give you and others more trouble and mess for by not knowing and spreading misinformation.

iamjackflack ,

I am not wrong. There are toilet designs where the flange style literally doesn’t cover the exit chute. I have one. I have to use a “sink” style type. The flange style is small and does not form any type of seal due to the shape and size. It’s literally impossible that it is the correct solution. Everything I said is 100% correct.

Varyk OP ,

you are wrong.

“There are toilet designs where the flange style literally doesn’t cover the exit chute.”

The flange is not designed to cover the exit chute, but rather to fit inside the outtake.

This is also apparently due to your specifically atypical plunger.

“The flange style is small and does not form any type of seal due to the shape and size”

since flange and cup plungers are the same diameter, you are clearly having an anomalous problem that you should not be drawing broad conclusions from.

cup plungers and flange plungers are specifically designed to address different problems, to be used in different manners(the cup covers a uniform drain on a flat surface while the flange creates a seal within the sloped and curved toilet outtake by fitting inside the outtake) and are not interchangeable.

Your premises are flawed and your conclusions are incorrect.

iamjackflack ,

Literally don’t give a shit what you say. I am not wrong. On this specific toilet, the flange style literally doesn’t seal and CANNOT perform a push / pull to unclog a drain due to the exit profile and shaping.

You are not right no matter how smart you think you are.

Varyk OP , (edited )

You are arguing that a baseball cap works equally as well as putting a sneaker on your head.

It doesn’t, because while a sneaker is designed and meant to cover your foot, a baseball cap is designed and intended to cover your head.

A sneaker makes an ineffective ballcap and a ballcap makes an ineffective shoe.

Two separate items with separate designs and use-cases.

iamjackflack ,

I think you are failing to understand the design / curvature / multiple radius features of the exit point and that the flange style literally cannot form any remotely close to passable seal to do its job. Idk what to tell you but your not right no matter how you think you can phrase it.

Varyk OP ,

no, i got it.

no worries.

Harvey656 ,

Babe quick, new toilet lore just dropped!

Varyk OP ,

About 250 years old, thinking it’s new is why I wanted a YSK post.

hswolf ,
@hswolf@lemmy.world avatar

skibidi?

Linkerbaan ,
@Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

Don’t eat it

RampantParanoia2365 ,

Wait…that’s a flange? I always thought those were just pulled out by accident, like turned inside out. I also always just ignored it because it never hinders anything.

TheLimiter ,

Think about where the splashy toilet water goes when they’re flipped up inside the plunger. They’re shipped that way to cut down on carton space though.

RampantParanoia2365 ,

Yes, that makes sense. TIL.

Varyk OP ,

Yup, that’s a flange, designed for toilet drains

Bianca_0089 ,

The toilets at my moms house are teeny tiny so this doesn’t matter on them

But yes… without the toilet plunger on the right: Do not even try the left one with a modern day toilet, it’s sooooo messy

Clinicallydepressedpoochie ,

My favorite with the flanged is all the shit that gets caught inside and splashes when you lift it out the water.

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