Tips to Keep Your Toilet From Clogging

A clogged toilet is the last thing you may wish to deal with in your house. It can be messy, smelly, and potentially expensive. As with most things, prevention is the best remedy when it comes to handling a toilet clog.

In this article, we will share a few hacks that can keep your toilet from clogging.

Watch what you flush down the toilet

Your toilet was only designed to handle toilet tissue and human waste. Though they seem harmless, facial wipes, napkins, and paper towels can clog the drain system. Generally, these items do not dissolve in the same way as toilet paper. Sometimes it is hard to control the things that are flushed down the toilet bowl when you have a large household.

Children can be less careful about what they drop into the toilet bowl. It is always wise to let them know what should not be flushed down the toilet. You can stick a list of these items close enough to where they can see.

Look out for blockages in the trap

The trap is a curved feature at the base of your toilet bowl. Using its curvature, it traps water that helps to keep smelly gases away from your house. Clogs in the trap mainly happen because of using non-flushable items in the toilet. In most cases, a few minutes with a toilet plunger will sort out the trap blockage.

Remember to differentiate between a regular plunger and toilet plunger before you begin. If plunging fails, a hard object might be the cause, in which case you need a toilet auger. A toilet auger is a type of cable with a hook-like end.

Avoid using chemical drain cleaners

Some of the so-called cleaners can be doing harm to your drains. When used for a long time, they will corrode the drainpipes; leading to damage that is more serious.  Heavily corroded drainage pipes can trap objects like leaves and sticks. Over time, these clogs can wreak havoc on your plumbing system by reducing the flow of the drain.

If your drains clear into septic systems, the harmful chemicals can destroy the beneficial bacteria in the tanks. The good bacteria help to break down the solid waste that settles in the tank.

Check for clogs in the main sewer line

In a typical home, all the drainpipes empty their contents into the main sewer line for disposal. Solid materials like toilet paper, soaps, and kitchen debris can collect along the sewer line leading to a serious blockage. Sometimes the roots of trees may cause the problem when they puncture the line allowing external objects into the system. It is not always easy to detect a sewer line problem since the clogging can happen at multiple points in the house.

However, this may be too big a project for you to handle on your own. It is always wise to seek out professional help when dealing with such problems.

Many toilets are built to last for a long time, needing very little maintenance.  If none of the above suggestions helps to unclog your toilet, then it is time to consult your local plumber.