Are you reaching for the plunger a lot lately? Though toilet clogging is one of the most common household plumbing problems and, in most cases, resolved with a store-bought plunger, clogs that occur seemingly every time someone uses the bathroom can be a sign of a larger issue that needs to be addressed.
5 Reasons Your Toilet Keeps Clogging
In this post, we’ll cover some of the common causes behind a clogged toilet and what action you may need to take to resolve the issue:
1. Your Toilet Needs Minor Adjusting
Sometimes a toilet can become easily clogged because there’s an issue with how it’s flushing. For instance, if the trap is closing too quickly inside the tank, it means that water isn’t likely adequately supporting the flush. This is usually a pretty easy fix that may involve adjusting the flush valve within the tank or purchasing a new flush valve kit.
2. Something Was Flushed Down It
There are only two things that should be getting flushed down the toilet: waste and toilet paper. Anything else that’s flushed down the toilet risks damaging the plumbing and/or resulting in a clogged toilet (or worse).
In all likelihood, anything aside from waste and toilet paper will settle in the plumbing, restricting water transfer and even potentially leading to waste overflow.
While you may be able to plunge some items through the plumbing and to the main drain, items such as toys, baby wipes, paper towels and feminine products may need to be snaked out by a professional plumber.
3. It’s an Old Toilet
Sometimes, the mystery of how to fix a clogged toilet is resolved with purchasing a new, more advanced toilet. Some of the early low-flow toilets tend to lack the right pressure to ensure waste clears the drain and the trap – and this can lead to frequent need for the plunger to clear it manually. So if your toilet is older and clogs are frequent, an upgrade might be in the works.
4. Too Much Toilet Paper
This is a common source of toilets clogging in homes with children, as the little ones tend to overuse toilet paper. This can be easily resolved by just having a chat with your kids and letting them know the appropriate amount they should be wiping with.
5. Clogged Sewer Line
In more dire cases, your sewer line may become clogged and lead to a toilet backup. And if your sewer line has a blockage, it’s not something that you’ll be able to clear yourself with a plunger.
In this case, you’ll need to call a professional plumber, who will either snake the drain or deploy hydro jetting to completely clear the blockage and ensure water runs freely again.
It’s usually fairly easy to tell if you have a sewer line clog. Not only is the toilet likely to overflow, but other household drains will also likely back up. You may also notice water pooling around your basement drains.
Contact Us Today
For more information on how to fix a clogged toilet in Atlanta and some of the underlying issues that may be causing such problems, contact Fix & Flow today.