You push down on the flush lever and the water begins to fill the toilet bowl, but instead of going down the drain, the water rises and you have a full toilet bowl on the verge of overflowing. Your next step is to grab your plunger, snake or to call a plumber to repair the issue. There are a few common things that could be causing your toilet to clog frequently.
1. Flushing things other than toilet paper – Toilets were created to remove waste and toilet paper, that’s it. When you flush things like diapers, hair, cotton balls, feminine products, and dental floss, you are opening yourself and your wallet to a pretty big risk. If you run out of toilet paper, you should never flush napkin or paper towels. Napkins and paper towels are will not dissolve in water quickly. These larger items going through your pipes may get caught on something along the way. This is a common source of huge backups that require a professional to unclog.
2. Low-Flow Toilets- A low flow toilet uses less water per flush compared to a traditional toilet. Although using less water may sound like a good idea, it sometimes creates an issue when you’re attempting to flush things down.
3.Tree Roots- Like most plants, trees are attracted to moisture and nutrients. Believe it or not, despite all the unmentionables that flow through your pipes, tree roots are attracted to them. These pipes are filled with all sorts of nutrients, water, and oxygen, exactly what a tree needs to survive. Since these pipes are supplying what the roots need to survive, the roots stay close. In some cases, the roots even begin to invade the entire pipe and will grow. Not only does this create a bothersome clog, but can also cause an expensive repair, depending on the extent of the damage.
4. Hair- The average human loses about 50-100 strands of hair per day. Did you know? Hair is one of the most common causes of a clogged toilet. Once your hair has been flushed, it travels through your pipes and gets caught on anything that will hold it. Longer hair tends to tangle easier, so it will create something like a web, which will hold or catch anything going by. You would think hair would break down quickly, but hair can last in pipes for long periods of time. The more hair you flush the worse your problem is gets! If you are looking for someone to unclog your toilet, TJ Huggard Plumbing has licensed and insured expert plumbers that are equipped with the extensive knowledge to handle your plumbing requests.
