When you can’t resolve the toilet clogs with a plunger, you will feel like giving up. Fortunately, there’s another tool that you can use to get rid of clogs. The other option is using a toilet auger.
What size toilet auger do I need? This is a common question among first-time users of this tool. Thus, they must consider a 3 ft vs 6 ft toilet auger.
The three-foot toilet auger can reach around 2 feet of blockages into the waste line. Since the 6 ft auger is longer, it reaches a more profound scope of 5 feet.
Learn more about these two standard sizes of toilet augers in this article.
3 Ft Toilet Auger
It’s the toilet auger that deals with minor clogs. It is generally for household use. Therefore, you don’t have to call the experts and let their professional toilet auger work.
This type is usually easy to handle with vinyl, so it won’t just slip from your hands. You don’t need something too long for a minor toilet clog. Those making toilet closet augers have this size to reach the blockage directly.
There are several 3 ft toilet augers, but I’d recommend those from Plumb Craft, Cobra, and RIDGID with a bulb head. Different materials act as a bowl guard so your toilet won’t be damaged. With features that don’t give you worries, you can use this auger with no physical and mental stress.
PROS
- Easy handling without getting strained
- The right size for minor clogs
- Won’t slip from your hands while doing the job
- It makes you closer to the clog
CONS
- Can’t reach a deeper blockage
6 Ft Toilet Auger
This is the most recommended toilet auger 6 ft. When you cannot eliminate the blockage with the 3 ft augers, you can use this long toilet auger for follow-up. It can reach up to 5 feet of the waste line. Once you’ve used the shorter auger, it will be easy for this one to go through and reach deeper.
It usually has a cable that extends up to 6 feet. RIDGID 6-ft toilet auger snake has a kink-resistant cable that would help you with more extensive blockages. Like its 3-ft version, it’s a no-scratch toilet auger, so you’ll be at ease using it.
PROS
- Can reach deeper into the waste line up to 5 feet
- Deals with bigger blockage
- Made not to scratch the toilet
CONS
- Its extra length is sometimes not necessary and inconvenient when doing the job
3ft Toilet Auger vs 6ft Toilet Auger: Should You Get Only One or Both?
Although it’s mostly recommended to have the 6 ft toilet auger, you’ll find the extra length gets in the way when working. Hence, it’s better to have both. You can have a 3 ft toilet auger if you are not worried about toilet clogs in your household.
Some people buy these two toilet augers in different sizes. They would try to break the blockage by the 3 ft auger. The issue is sometimes resolved, but if not, they would try working with the 6 ft auger. It’s not a waste of money to get both, as the 3 ft auger makes it easier for the longer auger to get the job done.
But note that the cost of a 6 ft toilet auger is thrice the 3 ft because more materials are used for its extra length.
Guide on How to Unclog Your Toilet With an Auger
1. Preparation
Before working on the toilet clog, you must prepare things aside from the auger. It can’t be avoided that toilet water splashes everywhere, so wear old clothes. Put on gloves and safety glasses as well. The auger can reveal some things in your toilet. In this case, you’ll need a disposal bag or trash can as big as your auger.
2. Inserting the auger cable
You need to pull a handle on the auger before thrusting it into the toilet. You do it to dismantle the blockage as the end of the cable gets into the part you can’t see.
3. Feeding the auger
You must twist a handle at the toilet’s top to start working on the blockage. When you rotate the handle, it does the same thing with the cable down into the toilet. While the screwing motion is on, use the other hand to put the auger’s main housing. You have to be patient and attentive with the amount of force when twisting the handle. Too much exertion can cause the cable to get tangled.
Depending on the location of the clog, you’ll need to twist the handle in another direction. You’ll know that the cable is into the clog as you can feel some resistance.
4. Clog removal
Keep on cranking the auger once it’s with the blockage. If the resistance is no longer present, twist it in the opposite direction to retrieve it.
5. Testing the toilet
Even if you feel that the resistance is gone, you still have to check your toilet for assurance. You’re successfully eliminating the clog if the flush usually goes through the sewer.
If the flush doesn’t work as expected, repeat the previous steps. Call the plumber when there’s no improvement, even if you tried twice. It’s also necessary to wipe your auger to prevent rusting.
I am wrapping it Up!
You have to think about the setting of your toilet when deciding over a 3 ft vs 6 ft toilet auger. If you don’t have serious clogging issues with your toilet and there’s no reason to fear this, you can have a 3 ft toilet auger. But it’s best to get the longer auger or both if toilet clogging is an ongoing issue in your house.