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How To Prevent Toilet Clogs

How to Prevent Toilet Clogs

Toilet clogs are one of the most common plumbing problems. Any plumber has been bombarded with calls and questions about what to do when a toilet keeps clogging. Toilet clogs can be nasty. If the sight and smell aren’t enough, sometimes toilets will overflow and cause water damage. You can plunge the toilet, or have a professional plumber address the issue for you, but like many undesirable conditions, prevention is the key.

As the company that makes more plumbing service calls than all other plumbing companies, and repairs more than 75,000 toilets per year, we can tell you that there are only two things that should be flushed down a toilet: toilet paper and human waste.

Here are some important tips that will keep your waste flowing down your toilet and not onto your floors.

THE DOUBLE-FLUSH

Most toilets can only handle so much with a single flush, so with bigger jobs, try flushing the toilet twice. While it may be technically possible to clog a toilet with only human waste, almost all clogs are due to an excess of toilet paper. Sometimes it takes a lot of paper to get the job done, but by flushing half the paper down at a time, you’re greatly reducing your chances of creating a clog.

WATCH WHAT YOU FLUSH

If it doesn’t come from your body and it isn’t toilet paper, it shouldn’t be flushed down your toilet. A toilet is not a glorified garbage can; the toilet serves a very specific purpose. Baby wipes and diapers can smell bad, but instead of trying to flush them down the toilet, invest in a diaper pail, which is basically a special garbage can designed to lock in the smell. Other items that are frequently flushed but shouldn’t be include cotton balls and swabs, dental floss, and feminine hygiene products.

DON'T USE TOO MUCH TOILET PAPER

Using too much toilet paper is one of the most common causes of a clogged toilet. Toilet paper is made to dissolve, but it doesn't dissolve instantly. When there is too much paper in the bowl all at once it may not be able to pass through either the P-trap or the floor drain. If more paper is needed than the toilet can hold, flush the toilet, use more toilet paper, and then flush again.

DON'T USE THE TOILET AS A GARBAGE DISPOSAL

Many individuals may believe that it is okay to flush small particles of food down the toilet because the hole and drain are larger than the kitchen sink and the flow of water is much faster. Occasionally, you may be able to get away with this practice, but when you repeatedly put food down a toilet, it will eventually get clogged. It is better to put the food, even soggy food, into a plastic garbage sack and take it outside to the dumpster or trash can.

KILLING ROOTS

If you’re having frequent clogs and your toilet is backing up, it is possible it has less to do with what you’re flushing than what is in your main sewer line. Tree roots are the natural enemy to any plumber, as they can grow into underground pipes and clog them. If root growth is already rampant and causing problems, a plumber should snake out your pipes. Preventing root growth is easier; simply purchase plumbing solutions aimed at killing roots, follow the instructions on the bottle, and do this about once a year. The occasional toilet clog isn’t a huge deal and is easily solvable with a plunger, but if toilet clogs are becoming more common, it is time to start looking into methods of prevention.

AVOID PUTTING GREASE IN YOUR DRAINS

Grease should never be put down any drain, including the toilet. The cool water in the toilet will solidify grease almost instantly. A large amount of grease can clog your toilet where the toilet connects to the floor or further down the pipes. Moreover, grease slowly builds up on the walls of the pipes. As grease builds up it will also trap other objects flowing down the drain, blocking the flow of water completely.

KEEP THE LID CLOSED

Plumbers are often called because a foreign object, most commonly a small toy, is obstructing the pipes. A simple trick you can use to help keep objects out of the bowl is to keep the lid closed. This will stop objects such as a toothbrush, comb, or small toy from falling into the toilet bowl.

AVOID FLUSHING FOREIGN OBJECTS

A toilet was meant to carry waste and toilet paper down the drain. It was never intended to be used as a trash can. Avoid putting the following objects into the toilet:

Q-tips or cotton swabs
Cotton balls
Tampons and tampon applicators
Baby wipes (Even wipes marketed as “flushable” have been known to cause clogs!)
Facial scrub pads
Paper towels
Toys and crayons
Hard objects
Stick-like objects
Things that won't dissolve

MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT NOT TO FLUSH

FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS

Feminine products soak up moisture while causing expansion, which is the very reason tampons, applicators or sanitary pads should never be flushed down the toilet. Overtime, flushing feminine hygiene products will make it difficult for these items to pass through the sewer pipeline, as well as your water treatment plant. Be sure to add a garbage can to your bathroom for ladies to dispose of these products, and even consider putting a sign up if you're having people over.

DENTAL FLOSS

Dental floss may seem harmless, but over time, flushing dental floss can cause a backup while getting stuck in the middle of your pipeline, catching on tree roots or on an offset section of a pipe. Additionally, floss is not biodegradable. When it does manage to make its way through the system, it will seep into the Earth and cause harm to both living creatures and the overall environment.

ANY KIND OF WIPES

Contrary to what the packaging reads, you should never flush wipes down the toilet. If you have a little one in the house, you may be using plenty of wipes regularly. And, although the packaging may claim they're "flushable," they aren't. The material doesn't break down completely and can get caught on pipes, causing blockages. As a result, you could experience major backup and even flooding in your home. Plus, they're not biodegradable. When wipes slip through the sewage systems, they make it into the ocean. Sea creatures often mistaken them for food and can die after they consume them. Just keep wipes out of the toilet - for everyone's sake.

ANTIBIOTICS AND OTHER PILLS

Sure, flushing pills down the toilet may sound like an easy way to get rid of them, but it actually can pose a threat to the environment and its inhabitants. When released into the sewer systems, certain pills can eliminate helpful bacteria in the water - the same water that animals drink. Don't risk it - toss the pills in the garbage.

KITTY LITTER

Kitty litter is another product that should never be flushed down the toilet. Not only are you flushing fecal matter and urine, but also clay and sand, which should never be flushed. Cat waste can carry toxins and parasites, which means you are flushing bacteria through your local water system. For questions or concerns about your home’s plumbing and what not to flush, call your local Roto-Rooter for answers to all of your plumbing questions.

CALL A PROFESSIONAL FOR TOUGH CLOGS

If all of these tips don't help alleviate toilet clogs, or if you notice that other sinks and drains are slow as well, the problem may not be in your toilet. You may have a problem further in the line that requires the special skills of a plumber to come and fix. If that ever happens, call Roto-Rooter. We’re on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to professionally address any plumbing emergency that arises.