How to Avoid Clogging Your Toilet

How to Prevent Toilet From Clogging

Last week we discussed how to unclog a toilet. To avoid the inconvenience, mess and possible plumbers bill here are 5 things to remember to avoid clogging your toilet.

1. 1. Be preemptive
      If the water is taking longer than usual to drain when you flush you may be dealing with a partially clogged toilet. Give the toilet a few plunges with the plunger to break up and flush out any debris. By acting preemptively you can clear the blockage before it builds up any more and clogs the toilet completely.

1. 1. Use less toilet paper
      Flushing too much toilet paper down the toilet will clog it. Use only as much paper as you really need to avoid creating a blockage. If you have small children don’t let them choose how much paper to use as they often use too much. Either pre-portion out a reasonable amount of paper or purchase some children’s flushable, moistened toilet wipes, which are pre-portioned out.

1. 1. Keep the toilet covered
      You don’t want to be fishing anything out of your toilet bowl, even if the water is clean, so keep the lid closed when the toilet is not in use. Small objects can easily be knocked into an open toilet, and you may not notice them before you flush. Toilets are not designed to handle items such as small toys, plastic toothbrush covers or boxes of dental floss and can clog if these items are flushed. Be especially vigilant if you have small children, since they don’t yet understand what can, and cannot, be put down the toilet.

1. 1. Only flush toilet paper and human waste
      Toilets are only designed to handle solid and liquid waste as well as toilet paper. Items such as feminine hygiene products, diapers, paper towel, and hair cleaned from hair brushes are not flushable and belong in the garbage bin. These items can clog toilets very quickly, potentially creating a huge mess.

1. Don’t flush hardening compounds
   Kitchen grease, caulk, drywall compound and other hardening compounds should never be flushed or poured down the drain. While they may start out in liquid form they will turn solid quickly. These items are particularly hard on toilets and other plumbing because they can flow down through pipes as a liquid and then harden, creating a blockage that is not easily dispatched of.

When in doubt, call a professional toilet plumber. It is better to feel foolish for needing help with a simple problem than to damage your toilet or plumbing and face a hefty repair bill. For more information call Lone Star Plumbing and Heating today at 403.295.3028.