The age old question finally answered with actionable steps on how to stop and prevent your toilet from clogging!
In this blog article, we will try to help you understand why your toilet keeps blocking and various ways to remedy it. However, if DIY toilet plunging and messy clean-ups are not your thing, or you have tried all our DIY drain cleaning tricks and you are still struggling, Absolute Plumbing provides a full range of drain cleaning services and solutions for domestic, commercial, and industrial needs.
Preventing Plumbing Headaches
Frequent toilet clogs are a sign something is SERIOUSLY not right and you’re about to deal with a very messy problem – this recurrent problem may have a lot to do with your plumbing, your actual toilet, or what goes down it. Preventing a clogged toilet is first prize, however, if your toilet keeps clogging these may be the possible reasons why.
4 main reasons that your toilet is clogging
- You have an old, low-flow toilet
If your toilet was made and installed in the mid-90s, you could one of the first-generation low-flow toilets. These early types of toilets may not have the necessary pressure to effectively clear the internal toilet trap and drain effectively.
If you suspect that this may be the problem with your old problem, it is not always necessary to replace your toilet – so don’t panic! There are ways to reduce the instance of clogging by significantly reducing the amount of toilet paper being flushed down and be sure to avoid flushing any clog-making items such as sanitary products like the plague!
However, if using preventative measures doesn’t help, you will need to call your plumber for draining cleaning services. Your plumber may advise you to install a modern toilet.
- Items that shouldn’t be flushed have been flushed
By now you are more than likely aware that flushing sanitary products, excess toilet paper, paper towels, condoms, etc will spell disaster for your toilets and drains.
Toilet paper was created to be flushed down toilets in moderate amounts as it dissolves quickly in water, however flushing tissues, paper towels, earbuds cotton wool, wet wipes (even the ‘flushable’ type), and dental floss can cause major blockages in your toilet.
- The toilet trap is blocked
Flushing the wrong items down your toilet can cause the trap to become blocked and cause a backed-up toilet. The trap is the S-shaped/curved pipe that attaches to the drain line on one side and the lower toilet bowl on the other side.
Excess waste and toilet paper can become stuck here and form a blockage. If a comb or razor has accidentally been flushed and lodged in the trap, it would have caused a blockage through toilet paper getting stuck to it as the toilet flushes. Often large items like these can be dislodged with a vigorous bout of toilet plunging. However, if the blockage doesn’t budge you will have to call in a drain cleaning specialist such as Absolute Plumbing.
- Sewerage Line Issues
If the toilets and drains in your home are regularly blocking, there may very well be a bigger issue at hand. This may be caused by a damaged sewer line linking the main sewer line in your neighbourhood to your property.
This damage may be caused by tree roots that have grown into the sewer line which could be letting sediment and other debris into the pipe, causing blockages. It may also be caused by clogs caused by a build-up of waste materials and non-flushable items.
Preventative measures can help to prevent these kinds of blockages but often the problems lie with the main sewerage line, but there isn’t very much that a homeowner can do to prevent root damage, etc. Calling in a drain cleaning specialist to do regular inspections using our CCTV camera inspections along with regular sewer line maintenance can help to reveal issues and potential problems before they become big and expensive problems.
Absolute Plumbing are specialists in epoxy pipe relining and will be able to offer you a quick, cost-effective, and efficient way of repairing broken and cracked pipes without the inconvenience of digging up your garden. Check out Pipe Relining Cape Town’s blog for more information on the effectiveness of Pipe Relining.
Prevent major problems with your toilet and sewerage line
If you have tried all our DIY tips and tricks and find that you cannot unclog your toilet, call our Absolute Plumbing team to assess your home’s plumbing system to find the cause of your problem. Whether you need our drain cleaning services, fixture replacement or sewer line repair, or pipe relining, your plumbing needs are safe in our competent hands!
In Summary
Frequent toilet clogs are a sign something is SERIOUSLY not right and you’re about to deal with a very messy problem – this recurrent problem may have a lot to do with your plumbing, your actual toilet, or what goes down it. Here are four reasons your toilet is blocked up.
- You have an old, low-flow toilet
- Items that shouldn’t be flushed have been flushed
- The toilet trap is blocked
- Sewerage Line Issues
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