This is easily one of the most effective toilet plungers available off the shelf and widely used by professional drainage contractors. Although expensive, they tend to last forever and one purchase may be more cost effective than the call out for a blocked toilet each and every time.
Here you can see how easily this tool can also clear sinks…
What is the Rothenberger Ropump?
If you have a blocked toilet and the blockage is in the pan or beyond the U bend, this is the most effective tool you can wish for! Although it’s the best toilet plunger thanks to the design which minimises mess, it will also easily deal with:
How Does the Rothenberger Plunger Work?
It’s effectively a plunger inside a cylinder. That’s it.
But it’s such a good design due to the way it seals the toilet U bend and applies all the pressure on to the blockage, as opposed to traditional plungers – both on the end of a rod and cheaper toilet plungers – which can cause a mess by allowing the excess pressure to blow the water from the bowl over the floor – and sometimes the person using it!
The way it does this is by placing the bottom of the Ropump in the bottom of the toilet, which fits with or without the adaptor supplied. Always use the adaptor though, as it gives a more secure fit.
Once secure, simple hold the handle on the side with one hand ans with the other one, pull the handle and push in a controlled manner.
Most toilet blockages will be swiftly dealt with just by doing this.
If the blockage is more stubborn or further than the U bend, it may take some more pumps. Just be careful not to get carried away and let it slip from the toilet when pumping.
The smaller adaptor can be used for sinks, showers, baths, etc.
How to Clear Sinks, Baths, Showers, etc with Rothenberger Plunger
By using, or not using, the supplied adaptors, place the Ropump over the plughole, hole the plunger carefully with the handle and with the other hand carefully pump. If the blockage is in the U bend or fairly close, this should dislodge the blockage quite easily.
Things to Bear in Mind when using Rothenberger Ropump
- Although designed to minimise mess, using this plunger without holding it firmly in place or without a good seal, can result in splash back, which can be horrendous if trying to clear a blocked toilet.
- Sometimes water can escape from places such as overflows. Usually these only function to take excess water but if, let’s say, you’re trying to clear a blocked sink, the pressure could force water out of the overflow rather than toward the blockage. Water always tries to take the easiest route! A simple fix for this is to tape over the overflow or of possible, place some tissue or a flannel/small towel over it with your hand, if you can hold the plunger against it at the same time. It can sometimes be much easier to ask for someone else to place a small towel or hand over, if there’s enough space.
- Once you’re finished with the Ropump, make sure you store it somewhere safe and clean. Although made of tough plastic, if something heavy does crush it, the plunger inside will not be able to move freely and carry out it’s intended task.
- Although a very simple concept and design, there is still sometimes some maintenance needed to keep it moving freely and prolonging it’s life. If you struggle to move the handle on top of the plunger, spray some WD-40 on the metal spindle beneath the top handle and leave to soak. If you do not have any WD-40 handy, try hot, soapy water.
Check Current Price for Rothenberger Ropump Here
Some Cheaper but Still Effective Alternatives to use on Blocked Toilets, Sinks, Showers, etc.
You may not want to spend so much on a tool that you hopefully won’t use that often. If you decide this is not cost effective enough, there are some alternatives that should do the trick:
This smaller unit is not as effective on toilets but this thinner Rothenberger Ropump is a super effective sink, shower, and bath un-blocker. It’s also much cheaper.
This gun-shaped compressed air pipe cleaner is as versatile as the Ropump featured on this page but smaller. It won’t acheive as much pressure but is still an effective toilet clearer and works just as well as the other two products above on sinks, showers and baths.
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We will add some examples of how versatile the Rothenberger Ropump is, as it is by far one of the best drainage tools ever made.
If you are considering going into drainage as a career or you deal with blockages as a general contractor or handyman, consider any of these as the bread and butter of your tools!
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